The ocean is a weird and wonderful place that’s home to a whole lot of strange creatures. However, many of us will agree that the most iconic sea dweller of them all is the shark. While most of us are familiar with the great white and tiger sharks, there are plenty of other incredible varieties to learn about. This list reveals the 15 weirdest shark species known to man.
Goblin Shark
The goblin shark has a very distinctive appearance, with a long, flat snout, extendable jaws, and peculiar feeding habits. This set of features causes many people to see it as the weirdest-looking shark species in the world. However, you may be relieved to hear that it only lives in deep-sea habitats, so it’s unlikely you’ll ever run into one.
Frilled Shark
As its name suggests, the frilled shark is known for its rows of frilled gill slits and long, eel-like body. Like the goblin shark, frilled sharks only live deep under the ocean surface, so most people will never see one in person. Some describe them as having primitive features reminiscent of ancient sharks.
Greenland Shark
Greenland sharks may look fairly normal on the surface, but they hold a much more interesting secret. NOAA’s National Ocean Service states that these incredible creatures may be able to live for over 500 years, making them some of the oldest animals in the world.
Cookiecutter Shark
The cookiecutter shark’s appearance is just as strange as its name. It has a small, cigar-shaped body and a blunt, rounded snout. This shark gets its name from its tendency to leave round, cookie-shaped bite wounds on the animals it decides to nibble on.
Sawshark
Sawsharks have long, saw-like snouts with many sharp teeth, giving them a weird and fearsome appearance. It uses its unique snout and teeth to slash and stun prey. According to Brittanica, the sawshark can be found in ocean waters around the world, including the western Atlantic Ocean, the Indian Ocean, and the Pacific Ocean.
Wobbegong Shark
If you think the wobbegong shark has a funny name, just wait until you see what it looks like. These strange creatures have flat bodies, impressive camouflaging abilities, and wide mouths. They are native to the ocean waters around Australia and nearby regions.
Hammerhead Shark
Many marine fanatics are familiar with the hammerhead shark. This iconic sea dweller is famous for its unique hammer-shaped head, making it one of the most striking sharks in the world. The sensory organs in its head are used to detect prey in ocean waters all over the globe.
Megamouth Shark
Can you guess what the megamouth shark is known for? These large sharks have huge, rounded mouths that feature a glowing membrane and many pointed teeth. But don’t worry if the thought of these ocean beasts is scary to you; they only live in deep-sea habitats and are very rarely encountered by humans.
Port Jackson Shark
The Port Jackson shark is a very distinctive species known for its uniquely shaped head, which has horn-like ridges above its eyes. It is named after Port Jackson, where many of these sharks reside. They’re also commonly found in other coastal waters of Australia.
Angel Shark
The angel shark is so flat in its appearance that it’s easy to mistake it for a ray. In fact, it is one of the flattest shark species in the world. According to Oceana, these sharks usually reside near kelp forests and rocky reefs, where they camouflage themselves on the ocean floor before ambushing their prey.
Thresher Shark
The thresher shark is known for its long upper tail fin, which it can use to attack and stun prey. Despite its intimidating hunting methods, this shark is actually considered one of the most docile species in the world. They are mostly found in tropical and temperate waters across the globe.
Zebra Shark
As you may have guessed, zebra sharks have unique, zebra-like stripes when they’re young. However, they lose these stripes as they grow older, with their spots becoming more prominent instead. These striking sharks can be found in coastal waters in the Indo-Pacific region.
Basking Shark
The basking shark is a huge species known for its distinctive feeding habits. Unlike most other sharks, it uses its large mouth to consume large quantities of plankton. According to the Wildlife Trusts, they can grow up to an incredible 12 meters in length.
Horn Shark
As its name suggests, the horn shark is known for horn-like spines on its dorsal fins. While its spiky appearance can come across as intimidating, it’s actually considered to be one of the most docile shark species. These gentle creatures mostly feed on small mollusks, crustaceans, and fish.
Megalodon
The megalodon is one of the most famous ancient shark species thanks to its huge size, with scientists estimating that it could have reached incredible lengths of 60 feet. Many consider this species to be one of the biggest, most powerful, and awe-inspiring predators to have ever lived.
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