Angel shark A 2.4-metre (8-foot) shark with a wide, flat kite-shaped head. The angel shark burrows into the sand on the ocean floor and wait to takes its prey by surprise.

Basking shark A large shark that swims in temperate surface waters. The basking shark swims with its mouth wide open to filter plankton from the water. It can measure up to 12 metres (40 feet). It is docile and harmless to large fish or humans.

Blue shark A 3-metre (10-foot) shark with a deep blue back and a white belly. It lives in the open ocean where it hunts fish.

Bull shark A large, aggressive shark that grows up to 3.5 metres (11.5 feet) long. The bull shark is usually found along warm coasts but is also known to swim up rivers. It is one of the most dangerous species to humans.

Chimaeras A group of cartilaginous fish related to sharks and rays. They have long bodies and tails and large eyes.

Cookiecutter shark A 50-centimetre (20-inch) shark with a slender brown body and a short snout. The cookiecutter shark feeds by using its razor-sharp teeth to cut a round chunk of flesh from its prey, such as tuna, dolphins and whales.

Dogfish A family of small sharks with two dorsal fins. They prey on fish, squid, worms, prawns, shellfish and crustaceans as well as feeding on dead sea creatures.

Electric ray A type of ray that gives out electric shocks. It does this to paralyse prey or to ward off predators. It lives in warm waters, and grows up to 1.8 metres (6 feet) long.

Frilled shark A rare, deep-water shark with frilled gills. With its 2-metre- (6.5-feet-) long, slender, brown body it looks like an eel.

Goblin shark A rare bottom-dwelling shark best known for its long, dagger-like snout and protruding, beak-like jaws. The goblin shark can grow to 3.5 metres (11.5 feet) long.

Great white shark A 6-metre (20-foot) shark with a grey back and white belly. It prefers cool coastal waters, but has been known to frequent tropical waters. The great white shark mainly feeds on seals and porpoises but has been known to attack humans. It is one of the most dangerous species to bathers.

Hammerhead shark A family of sharks that are distinguished by their hammer-shaped heads, with eyes at each end. This unusual design allows hammerhead sharks to observe prey as quickly as possible. Most species feed on fish, squid or crustaceans, but larger species can be dangerous to humans.

Mako shark Two species of shark (longfin and shortfin) with powerful, streamlined bodies, and indigo-blue colouring. The shortfin mako shark grows up to 4 metres (13 feet) long and is the fastest shark in the world, swimming in bursts of up to 32 km/h (20 mph).

Manta ray The largest of the rays, growing up to 9 metres (29.5 feet) across. Its name means “mantle” in Spanish and refers to its cloak-like appearance. The manta ray is also called the “devil fish” after its two fins, which look like horns. It feeds on tiny creatures, which it filters from the water with its sieve-like gills.

Mermaid’s purse A case surrounding the eggs of some sharks and skates, usually deposited on the ocean floor. Other sharks give birth to live young.

Milk shark A 1.75-metre (5.8 feet) shark that swims in tropical waters, feeding on small fish, squid and crustaceans. It has also been found in rivers and tidal streams.

Nurse shark A shark that lives just above the seabed in tropical waters and grows up to 2.5 metres (8 feet) long. The nurse shark feeds at night by sucking food from the sea floor with its soft mouth.

Reef shark One of a group of sharks commonly found near coral reefs. Reef sharks are all fast and generally no more than 3 metres (10 feet) long. They include: white-tip reef sharks; black-tip reef sharks; Caribbean reef sharks; silvertip reef sharks.

Sawshark A shark distinguished by its long snout, lined with sharp teeth. The sawshark lives just above the seabed, using its snout to slash at its prey of fish and squid. It grows up to 1.5 metres (5 feet) long.

Skates A group of flat, cartilaginous fish that are relatives of rays. Like rays, skates have wide wings and a long tail, but unlike rays they also have long snouts.

Stingray A family of rays with spines in their tails that can inject a painful poison. This sting is painful to humans, but it is deadly to other fish. The stingray lives mostly in shallow, tropical waters.

Thresher shark A shark that rounds up fish by whipping its long upper tail fin over its head, causing a shock wave that stuns prey. The thresher shark’s tail can be the same length as its 4.5-metre (15-foot) body.

Tiger shark A 5-metre (16-foot) shark, on average, with dark, tiger-like stripes. The tiger shark hunts in tropical oceans near coral reefs. It eats almost anything at the water’s surface and can be dangerous to humans.

Whale shark A huge brown shark with white spots across its back. It lives in tropical waters. The whale shark is the largest fish in the world, growing sometimes up to 12 metres (39 feet) long. It has teeth, but these are tiny and useless. It feeds only on plankton, krill or small fish, which it filters from the water using a part of its gills.

Consultant: Chris Jarvis