25 of the Coolest Sharks in the Ocean

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Plus, learn about the 8 orders of sharks & what makes them unique

Co-authored by Amy Bobinger, BA

Last Updated: March 17, 2026 Fact Checked

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• Shark Species
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• Shark Orders

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If you hear the word “sharks” and instantly think of a cold-eyed predator with a single fin breaking the water, well, who can blame you? But there are actually over 400 species of sharks around the world. They come in all shapes, colors, and sizes, ranging from the teensy-tiny dwarf lanternshark to the massive (but peaceful) whale shark. We’re sharing 25 of the very coolest sharks out there, plus information about the 8 orders that shark species can fall into. Let’s dive in!

Types of Sharks

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• Ground Sharks: Blacktip Shark, Bull Shark, Pyjama Shark, Great Hammerhead Shark, Lemon Shark, Tiger Shark
• Dogfish: Cookiecutter Shark, Prickly Dogfish, Greenland Shark, Kitefin Shark, Dwarf Lanternshark
• Mackerel Sharks: Great White, Basking Shark, Goblin Shark, Shortfin Mako Shark, Megamouth Shark, Pacific Common Thresher Shark
• Carpet Sharks: Epaulette Shark, Nurse Shark, Whale Shark, Wobbegong
• Bullhead Sharks: Port Jackson Shark
• Sawsharks: Common Sawshark
• Angel Sharks: Common Angelshark
• Cow & Frilled Sharks: Frilled Shark

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Section 1 of 2:

25 Shark Species

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1. 
   1
   Great White (Carcharodon carcharias) The great white shark is one of the most well-known sharks in the ocean. This big predator has a dark grey or brown upper half and a white belly, with a torpedo-shaped body and a pointed first dorsal fin. They live in temperate and subtropical waters worldwide.

   • Order: Lamniformes
   • Threat to Humans: Great whites are one of the shark species most likely to attack humans. It’s thought that the majority of bites are exploratory, but many attacks are fatal, probably due in large part to the size of the shark.
   • Size: Up to 21 ft (6.4 m)
   • Conservation Status: Vulnerable
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   Goblin Shark (Mitsukurina owstoni) When it comes to scary sea creatures, it doesn’t get much creepier than the goblin shark. This odd creature has a pointed snout and a protruding mouth full of pointed teeth. It’s also an odd pinkish-grey color, giving it an unsettling fleshy appearance. Fortunately, it lives in deep waters and is rarely encountered by humans.

   • Order: Lamniformes
   • Threat to Humans: None
   • Size: Up to 12.5 ft (3.8 m)
   • Conservation Status: Least concern
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   Frilled Shark (Chlamydoselachus anguineus) The frilled shark looks like a prehistoric fossil that’s come to life. This slender, eel-like shark has a large mouth full of serrated teeth, cat-like eyes, and 6 pairs of frilly gill slits. It primarily lives in deep water around the world.

   • Order: Hexanchiformes
   • Threat to Humans: Humans are unlikely to encounter this deep-water shark.
   • Size: Up to 6 ft (1.8 m)
   • Conservation Status: Least concern
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   Greenland Shark (Somniosus microcephalus) The Greenland shark is a type of sleeper shark that lives in the cold, deep waters of the northern Atlantic and Arctic Oceans. These stout sharks can be brown or gray, and they have a long, round snout. They grow quite large—although extremely slowly—and it’s believed that they can live to be anywhere from 250 to over 500 years old!

   • Order: Squaliformes
   • Threat to Humans: Humans rarely encounter these sharks, and there is only one known attack, dating back to 1859.
   • Size: Up to 23 ft (7.0 m)
   • Conservation Status: Vulnerable
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   Epaulette Shark (Hemiscyllium ocellatum) The epaulette shark is a small, slender shark with a light-colored body and dark spots. It typically lives in reef flats and tide pools. What really makes it unique is that it uses its pectoral fins to propel itself along the ocean floor, almost like it’s walking.

   • Order: Orectolobiformes
   • Threat to Humans: It’s not especially dangerous to people, but it might bite if you try to handle one.
   • Size: Up to 42 in (110 cm)
   • Conservation Status: Least concern
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   Great Hammerhead Shark (Sphyrna mokarran) The hammerhead shark is one of the most distinctive, iconic sharks in the ocean, and the great hammerhead is the biggest of them all. Their heads are square, extending out past the width of the rest of their bodies. They prefer warm coastal waters and are found worldwide.

   • Order: Carcharhiniformes
   • Threat to Humans: Great hammerheads are large and unpredictable. They do sometimes attack humans, although there have been no known fatalities.
   • Size: Up to 18–20 ft (5.5–6.1 m)
   • Conservation Status: Endangered
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   Dwarf Lanternshark (Etmopterus perryi) The dwarf lanternshark is the smallest shark known to man. It rarely grows larger than an adult human’s hand. It’s also extremely rare—it’s only been spotted a few times by divers. Its belly lights up thanks to small organs called photophores—it’s thought that this camouflages it in the shallows and attracts prey in deeper water.

   • Order: Squaliformes
   • Threat to Humans: None
   • Size: Up to 7 in (18 cm)
   • Conservation Status: Least concern
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   Common Sawshark (Pristiophorus cirratus) The common sawshark has a slender body and a long, serrated snout that looks like a saw. It’s typically yellow, grey, or brown on top of its body, with a white belly, and it’s found in deep water off the southern coast of Australia.

   • Order: Pristiophoriformes
   • Threat to Humans: The common sawshark isn’t aggressive to humans, but it can cause injury if it’s handled.
   • Size: Up to 4.8 ft (1.5 m)
   • Conservation Status: Least concern
9. 
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   Spotted Wobbegong (Orectolobus maculatus) The spotted wobbegong is one weird-looking shark. It has a wide, flat body, and its mouth is ringed with dermal lobes that give it a frilled appearance. It can be light yellow or green, and it’s covered with white ring shapes. It prefers to lie on the ocean floor in shallow water.

   • Order: Orectolobiformes
   • Threat to Humans: Spotted wobbegongs do sometimes bite humans, especially if they’re stepped on.
   • Size: Up to 10 ft (3.0 m)
   • Conservation Status: Least concern
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    Basking Shark (Cetorhinus maximus) The basking shark is a large, slow-moving shark with a huge mouth that it uses to filter feed. These migratory sharks travel extensively throughout the year, and they’re often seen sunning themselves on the surface of the water. They’re also social—as many as 100 at a time have been spotted.

    • Order: Lamniformes
    • Threat to Humans: These filter-feeding sharks aren’t likely to attack people, but their size and rough skin can pose some danger.
    • Size: Up to 40 ft (12 m)
    • Conservation Status: Vulnerable
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    Pyjama Shark (Poroderma africanum) Pyjama sharks are a relatively small species of catshark. They get their name from the striking black stripes that run down the length of their bodies. They’re nocturnal and tend to stay near the ocean floor, and they prefer rocky areas, often hiding in caves.

    • Order: Carcharhiniformes
    • Threat to Humans: None
    • Size: Up to 2.5 ft (0.76 m)
    • Conservation Status: Least concern
12. 
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    Cookiecutter Shark (Isistius brasiliensis) The cookiecutter shark—also called the cigar shark—is a small, tube-shaped shark. It uses its lips to suction onto larger prey, then rotates its body to remove a chunk from the host. The bite mark it leaves behind is perfectly circular—like a cookie. They typically live in deep water but may come to the surface at night.

    • Order: Squaliformes
    • Threat to Humans: Cookiecutter sharks may bite humans, although it’s rare.
    • Size: Up to 22 in (56 cm)
    • Conservation Status: Unknown
13. 
    13
    Prickly Dogfish (Oxynotus bruniensis) The prickly dogfish, or rough shark, is an oddly-shaped shark with a flat belly, humped back, and sail-shaped dorsal fins. It also has very rough brownish or greyish skin. They mostly live in deep, temperate waters, where they primarily feed on the eggs of ghost sharks.

    • Order: Squaliformes
    • Threat to Humans: Humans are unlikely to encounter these sharks, but dogfish spines do contain a mild venom that could cause a painful wound and/or infection.
    • Size: Up to 28 in (71 cm)
    • Conservation Status: Near Threatened
14. 
    14
    Bull Shark (Carcharhinus leucas) Bull sharks are grey on top and white underneath, with small eyes, a short snout, and a thick body. They prefer shallow tropical and subtropical waters, and they sometimes travel thousands of miles inland through river systems.

    • Order: Carcharhiniformes
    • Threat to Humans: This large, aggressive shark is known to attack humans, and attacks are often fatal. It’s often considered to be the shark that poses the most risk to people.
    • Size: Up to 13 ft (4.0 m)
    • Conservation Status: Near threatened
    • Did you know? A series of suspected bull shark attacks in 1916 inspired the book Jaws, which later inspired Steven Spielberg’s movie (although the movie describes the shark as a great white and used a shortfin mako for the movie poster).
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    Shortfin Mako Shark (Isurus oxyrinchus) The shortfin mako shark is thought to be the fastest shark in the world. It can reach speeds of up to 43 miles per hour (69 km/h). It has a characteristically torpedo-shaped body, similar to a smaller great white, and is found in tropical and temperate waters around the world.

    • Order: Lamniformes
    • Threat to Humans: Shortfin makos are aggressive, fast, and powerful, and they have been known to attack humans.
    • Size: Up to 13 ft (4.0 m)
    • Conservation Status: Vulnerable
16. 
    16
    Megamouth Shark (Megachasma pelagios) The megamouth shark is a large, deepwater filter feeder, like the basking shark. Like that shark, it has an enormous mouth, but it can’t open it as wide as the basking shark does. In fact, scientists aren’t even exactly sure how this elusive shark feeds.

    • Order: Lamniformes
    • Threat to Humans: None
    • Size: Up to 17 ft (5.2 m)
    • Conservation Status: Least concern
17. 
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    Kitefin Shark (Dalatias licha) The kitefin shark is a cigar-shaped shark with small fins and big eyes. It primarily feeds on crustaceans and small fish, but it also uses its serrated bottom teeth and sharp, curved top teeth to prey on large fish, sharks, and whales.

    • Order: Squaliformes
    • Threat to Humans: None
    • Size: Up to 3–4 ft (0.91–1.22 m)
    • Conservation Status: Vulnerable
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    Common Angelshark (Squatina squatina) The common angelshark is a flat, wide shark with a shape similar to a skate or ray. They’re typically found in the Mediterranean Sea and eastern Atlantic Ocean, although they do sometimes travel into estuaries and brackish water. They bury themselves in sand or mud during the day, emerging at night to feed.

    • Order: Squatiniformes
    • Threat to Humans: Common angelsharks don’t usually attack humans, although they can bite if they’re stepped on or otherwise disturbed.
    • Size: Up to 8 ft (2.4 m)
    • Conservation Status: Critically endangered
19. 
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    Whale Shark (Rhincodon typus) The whale shark is the largest shark in the world—but far from being a voracious predator, this gentle giant is a filter feeder that lives on plankton. Whale sharks are dark gray or brown with white spots and a wide mouth.

    • Order: Orectolobiformes
    • Threat to Humans: Whale sharks aren’t known to be aggressive to humans and are frequently encountered by divers and snorkelers.
    • Size: Up to 60 ft (18 m)
    • Conservation Status: Endangered
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    Pacific Common Thresher Shark (Alopias vulpinus) The Pacific common thresher shark has a classic shark shape, except for one notable difference—its enormous sickle-shaped tail. In fact, its tail can be up to half the length of its entire body. They migrate throughout the year to remain in warmer waters.

    • Order: Lamniformes
    • Threat to Humans: Thresher sharks are usually shy, and there are no reports of attacks on people, although their large size and powerful tail should be respected if you encounter one.
    • Size: Up to 18 ft (5.5 m)
    • Conservation Status: Vulnerable
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    Blacktip Shark (Carcharhinus limbatus) Blacktip sharks are dark brown or grey on top and white underneath, with black markings on the tips of their fins. They typically prefer to hunt schooling fish in shallow, warmer waters, which sometimes leads them to encounter humans.

    • Order: Carcharhiniformes
    • Threat to Humans: Fortunately, injuries from blacktip attacks are usually relatively minor, and only one fatality has been reported worldwide.
    • Size: Up to 8 ft (2.4 m)
    • Conservation Status: Near threatened
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    Port Jackson Shark (Heterodontus portusjacksoni) The Port Jackson shark has a distinctive appearance, thanks largely to two spiny ridges along its eyes. It also has distinctive markings that almost look like a harness running across its eyes and down its back. They prefer rocky, sandy, or muddy coastlines, and they primarily forage at night.

    • Order: Heterodontiformes
    • Threat to Humans: Port Jackson sharks can bite humans but are generally considered harmless.
    • Size: Up to 5.5 ft (1.7 m)
    • Conservation Status: Least concern
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    Nurse Shark (Ginglymostoma cirratum) The nurse shark is a slow-moving shark that typically stays on or near the ocean floor in warm, shallow waters. It has smooth skin and a relatively peaceful nature. They also have a distinctive, angled tail fin.

    • Order: Orectolobiformes
    • Threat to Humans: These sharks aren’t aggressive towards humans, although they will bite defensively.
    • Size: Up to 9.75 ft (2.97 m)
    • Conservation Status: Vulnerable
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    Lemon Shark (Negaprion brevirostris) Lemon sharks get their name from the yellowish or olive green color on their backs. They have a short, rounded snout, and their first and second dorsal fins are about the same length. They prefer tropical waters and sometimes venture into fresh water.

    • Order: Carcharhiniformes
    • Threat to Humans: Lemon sharks rarely attack humans, and no fatalities have been reported.
    • Size: Up to 9–10 ft (2.7–3.0 m)
    • Conservation Status: Near threatened
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    Tiger Shark (Galeocerdo cuvier) Tiger sharks are light gray, with darker gray, vertical stripes running down the sides of their bodies. These stripes are most noticeable in juvenile tiger sharks. They can grow quite large, and they have a varied habitat that ranges from temperate to tropical waters, and from inland areas to the deep ocean.

    • Order: Carcharhiniformes
    • Threat to Humans: Tiger sharks have been known to become aggressive towards people and should be considered dangerous.
    • Size: Up to 10–14 ft (3.0–4.3 m)
    • Conservation Status: Near threatened
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Section 2 of 2:

What are the 8 orders of sharks?

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1. There are 8 different orders of sharks, and over 400 species. All sharks are classified as Chondrichthyes, or fish with cartilage, and then further divided into the shark-specific class Elasmobranchii. The shark class is then divided into 8 orders, each with distinct characteristics that set it apart from the others. Here’s a little more about each one:

   • Carcharhiniformes (Ground Sharks): There are over 250 species of Carcharhiniformes, so it’s the largest order of sharks by far. Carcharhiniformes have 5 gill slits, 2 dorsal fins, an anal fin, and a wide mouth. They usually live in warm or temperate waters.
   • Squaliformes (Dogfish): There are about 126 species of Squaliformes. These sharks have a long snout and a short nose, 5 gill slit, and 2 dorsal fins, but they do not have an anal fin. They’re found in a wide variety of environments, and some are even bioluminescent.
   • Lamniformes (Mackerel Sharks): There are about 15 species of Lamniformes around today, plus several extinct species, including the massive megalodon. Lamniformes have 5 gill slits, 2 dorsal fins, and an anal fin, and they’re warm-bodied, which means they can keep their body temperature higher than the water around them.
   • Orectolobiformes (Carpet Sharks): There are about 40 diverse species of Orectolobiformes. They have 5 gill slits, 2 dorsal fins, an anal fin, and a small opening called a spiracle that helps them breathe even when they aren’t swimming. These sharks usually live on the ocean floor near coasts and reefs.
   • Heterodontiformes (Bullhead Sharks): The Heterodontiformes order only has about 9 known species. They have 5 gill slits, a spined dorsal fin, and a combination of sharp and rounded teeth. They’re usually small bottom-dwellers that prefer warm water.
   • Pristiophoriformes (Sawsharks): Pristiophoriformes, or sawsharks, have distinctive snouts that resemble a saw. They have 5–6 gill slits, 2 dorsal fins, and wide pectoral fins, but no anal fin. They usually live in warm waters.
   • Squatiniformes (Angel Sharks): Squatiniformes have wide, flat bodies. Their snouts are short, and they have dermal flaps in front of their mouths. Their eyes and spiracles are located on top of their heads, and they do not have an anal fin.
   • Hexanchiformes (Cow & Frilled Sharks): Hexanchiformes include some of the most primitive shark species that have survived to the present day. They have 6–7 gill slits, 1 dorsal fin, and an anal fin. Their teeth are usually jagged.

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