How to Tell What Kind of Shark You Caught

Sharks come in a wide variety of shapes, colors and sizes.

Fishing in the ocean for sharks requires you to know how to identify the sharks you have caught. You cannot catch endangered sharks and must release them. There are hundreds of different types of sharks in the wild; a list of all the different shark types would be too long and tedious to read. Instead, inspect several different aspects of the shark's body to help you identify the shark and consult a shark identification guide to help you through the process.

Things You'll Need

• Shark identification guide

Instructions

Identifying Family

1. Look for an anal fin on your shark. The anal fin is a fin on its tail. The only two shark families that don't have anal fins are angel sharks and dogfish sharks. Angel sharks are flat, ray-like sharks while dogfish sharks are rounder.

2. Check to see if the shark has one dorsal fin, which is the fin on top of its body, and six to seven pairs of gill slits along the side of its body. The only shark to meet this criterion is cow sharks.

3. Find the dorsal fins and look for spines up and down the sides. Bullhead sharks are the only shark family with spines on their dorsal fins.

4. Locate the eyes on your shark. If the eyes are farther back than the mouth of your shark, you have caught a carpet shark.

5. Look for an eyelid on your shark. If your shark has an eyelid, it is a ground shark.

6. Note if your shark has met none of the above criteria; if so, you have caught a mackerel shark.

Identifying Species

1. Open your identification guide to the section of the book that discusses the shark family you have identified for the shark you caught. Hold it there for reference as you look at your shark.

2. Identify the shape of the shark's head, its fins and its coloring. Use the shark identification guide to determine which shark species has these traits.

3. Find a few species you think might be your shark. Check other identifying traits, such as its eye placement and mouth shape to narrow down your search.

4. Eliminate shark species until you have found the shark species you have caught. Check your maritime regulations to see if your shark can be brought in or if you must release it.

Tips & Warnings

• Never bring in a shark larger than 3 or 4 feet, as they can be dangerous to handle and may damage your boat.

References

• Elasmodiver: Shark and Ray Books
• Elasmo Research: Guide to Shark Identification