Shark field guide

A shark guide built for browsing, comparing, and learning at your own pace.

Pocket Shark Field Guide is a calm, independent shark reference. Use it to look up species, understand broad shark groups, and compare commonly confused sharks without digging through thin or repetitive pages.

Catalog524 sharks
Topic hubs4
Editorial update2026-04-02

What this site is for

This site is built as a shark field guide first. It focuses on species identity, habitat, broad range, and practical comparison.

Species pages

The strongest pages give a clear summary, useful field marks, and the best available context without padding.

Topic hubs

Topic pages help with broader questions such as hammerheads, catsharks, deep-sea sharks, and Gulf of Mexico species.

Offline companion

If you want the same guide on your phone without a connection, the iPhone app is there as a companion rather than the center of the site.

How the guide is organized

Most readers arrive with one of three needs: a species name, a broader shark group, or help telling similar sharks apart.

Explore topic hubs

Species pages

Use these when you already have a shark in mind and want a concise guide page.

Topic hubs

Use these when you want a broader starting point before narrowing down to individual species.

Curated comparisons

When a comparison is genuinely useful, it should explain the differences directly instead of wrapping species cards in filler.

Core topic hubs

These hubs group related sharks so visitors can move from a broad subject into stronger species pages.

See all topics
16 species

Deep-Sea Sharks

A guide to sharks usually associated with deep water, outer slopes, and offshore habitats below the brighter coastal zone.

25 species

Gulf of Mexico Sharks

A regional guide to sharks associated with the Gulf of Mexico, from well-known coastal species to lesser-known deepwater records.

11 species

Hammerhead Sharks

A guide to hammerheads and bonnetheads, with emphasis on head shape, size, and the species people most often compare.

162 species

Catsharks

A broad guide to catsharks, one of the most diverse shark groups, including small bottom-dwelling species from shelf and slope habitats.

Featured species

These species currently have enough species-level detail to stand on their own as public guide pages.

Open shark index
Carcharodon carcharias

Great White Shark

Fast, powerful apex predator built for bursts of speed.

6.1 m maxVulnerable
Isurus oxyrinchus

Shortfin Mako

One of the ocean’s fastest sharks.

4.0 m maxEndangered
Sphyrna zygaena

Hammerhead

Smooth hammerheads move between coastal and offshore waters, sometimes forming elegant schools when young. Their broad, unnotched hammer sets them apart from more angular relatives. In many regions, their future depends more on fishery management than on public fear.

5.0 m max

Take the guide offline

The iPhone app keeps the same shark guide available offline for travel, aquariums, classrooms, and quiet reference use. It is a companion to the site, not the reason every page exists.

Get the iPhone app