This section showcases sharks and rays that are marine animals with an entirely cartilaginous body, and several rows of teeth. Unlike fish, they lack swim bladders and instead, depend on their oil-filled livers for buoyancy. Incidentally, in some sharks, this liver can make up nearly 20% of the body weight and also stores nutrients. Their scales differ from those of fish, and are tooth-shaped, and members of this group have five to seven pairs of gills. Rays comprise the majority of the cartilaginous fish, and are unique in their flattened appearance. Present day sharks have descended from ancestors that survived multiple mass extinction events. Unfortunately, their numbers are threatened due to an ever-increasing demand for their fins and oil-rich livers.
Joydeep Sarkar
Joydeep Sarkar
( Ginglymostoma cirratum )
Spotted in inshore waters, they are bottom dwellers and are hence seen swimming close to the sea sand of coral reefs, seagrass beds, mangroves as well as in rocky areas usually at depths between 1-35 m.
They are quite lazy or sluggish, often seen lying on the sea sand, the nurse shark can grow up to about 3 m. When fully grown, they display a brownish colour but when young have a spotted colouration that fades away as they age. There are long 'barbels' visible near the mouth, which are extensions that help the shark with finding prey in the sand.
Feed on lobsters, shrimp, crabs , sea urchins and squid.
Vardhan Patankar
Evan Nazareth
( Neotrygon kuhlii )
Found in association with coral reefs and seagrass beds at a maximum depth of 90 m.
The Kuhl's maskray has a flat disc-like body that can reach a diameter of about 47 cm and a maximum total length of 70 cm. They have a dark green colour on the top with randomly places bright blue spots while the underside of the body is white. The bright blue spots serve as a warning to predators for their two venomous spines on the base of their tail.
Feed on shrimp, small fish, molluscs, crabs and worms.
Illustrated by Gayatri Jawali
( Rhincodon typus )
Preferring pelagic ecosystems, these species can be bound along the coast as well. They conduct large migrations and are deep diving species as well. You are likely to spot them when they are gliding in surface waters of less than 50 m.
The whale sharks are the longest fish in the world. These gentle giants can grow up to about 18.8 m and can grow to about 130 years old. These species have a broad and flat head with a large mouth. Their mouths contain tiny teeth and filter pads to help filter out plankton from the water. They have dark grey coloured skin scattered with pale grey or white spots and stripe that are unique to each indivdual like a finger print.
They feed exclusively on planktonic organisms like small shrimp, copepods and other invertebrates.
WCS-India
( Galeocerdo cuvier )
Tend to prefer deeper waters in association with coral reefs within 140 m. They also frequent the pelagic ecosystems.
Reaching lengths of about 5 m in length, females are larger than the males, making them the second largest species of predatory shark only after the great white! They have skin that is coloured blue to light green with a white or light yellow underbelly. The tiger sharks display dark spots and stripes which is more prominent when they are young.
They eat whatever they find namely fish, jellyfish, sea snakes, marine mammals and turtles.
( Stegostoma tigrinum )
Found in coral reefs around sandy areas at depths of about 60 m.
Zebra sharks have a short and blunt snout. They have five distinctive ridges along the body of the adults. They can attain a maximum length of about 2.5 m. When young, the sharks display a dark brown colour with vertical yellow-white stripes, hence giving them their name. However, as they age they become lighter in coloured with dark spots. Each individual differs in their pattern of spots.
Mainly feed on molluscs, crustaceans and small fish.
Evan Nazareth
( Rhinobatos sp. )
Found around mangroves, seagrass beds and coral reefs. They have also been reported in areas close to freshwater as well. These rays have been found as deep as 100 m.
Growing up to about 3 m, guitar fish are named so due to their triangular shaped snout or head that resembles the instrument itself. They are also referred to as the shovelnose ray due to their head shape. They vary in colour but usually display a greyish-brown to yellowish-brown. Some guitar rays are known to have coloured vision!
Fish, small invertebrates moving on the ocean sand, molluscs.