Fish
Bull Shark
The shark that swims into freshwater
Species group · 9 profiles
Sharks
Nine shark species profiled — from the 12 m whale shark to the shortfin mako. Size, diet, range and conservation status.
Quick answer
Sharks are cartilaginous fishes defined by skeletons of cartilage, multiple gill slits and continual tooth replacement. More than 500 species inhabit the world's oceans; this guide profiles nine, spanning filter feeders, coastal hunters and open-ocean speed specialists. The whale shark reaches about 12 metres (39 ft) yet feeds on plankton and small fish, while the shortfin mako is widely cited as the fastest shark, with burst speeds near 74 km/h (46 mph). Also covered are the great white, tiger, bull, hammerhead, thresher, nurse and sand tiger sharks. Each profile leads with measured size, diet, geographic range and IUCN conservation status rather than folklore.
Sharks in this guide
Fish
Great White Shark
The ocean's most famous apex predator
Fish
Hammerhead Shark
The shark with a head like a hammer
Fish
Nurse Shark
The docile reef bottom-dweller
Fish
Sand Tiger Shark
The toothy aquarium shark
Fish
Shortfin Mako Shark
The fastest shark in the ocean
Fish
Thresher Shark
The whip-tailed hunter
Fish
Tiger Shark
The wide-ranging scavenger of warm seas
Fish
Whale Shark
The largest fish in the world
Telling them apart
A whale shark is a shark, not a whale — the name marks size and filter-feeding habit, not taxonomy. Sharks belong with rays among the elasmobranchs; whales are air-breathing mammals. Within this set, lifestyles split sharply: the whale shark strains plankton at the surface, nurse sharks rest on tropical reefs by day, and shortfin makos chase fast pelagic prey across open water.
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Sharks: common questions
How many species of shark are there?
Taxonomists recognise more than 500 living shark species worldwide. This hub profiles nine that appear often in searches and conservation debate, spanning filter feeders, coastal hunters and open-ocean specialists. Global totals change slightly as cryptic species are split or synonymised.
Is a whale shark a whale?
No. The whale shark is the largest living fish — a filter-feeding shark that can exceed 12 metres (39 ft). Whales are mammals that nurse calves and breathe air at the surface. The shared word marks bulk and a plankton diet, not shared ancestry.
What is the fastest shark?
The shortfin mako is the fastest shark routinely measured, with short bursts near 74 km/h (46 mph). Warm swimming muscle, a streamlined body and a lunate tail support that speed. Great whites and threshers are powerful swimmers but do not match mako burst records.
Are sharks endangered?
Status varies by species. Among profiles here, the whale shark is listed Endangered and several coastal hunters are Vulnerable or Near Threatened, while others remain Least Concern. Overfishing, bycatch and slow reproduction drive most declines; each species page states the current IUCN category.