Pacific Shark Species

[Latimeria]

With El Nino already starting to show it's beautiful head out here, we know that there are a bunch of sharks that can be caught on the west coast of North America.  I compiled a list of the sharks that could possibly show up due to this phenomena.  The list includes sharks that are already here and ones that skirt our range, but are quite possible to show up in extreme weird events.  The usual locations are also given of their range.

Info taken from the Shark Research Committee website.

Sharks of the Pacific Coast of North America

At least 34 species of sharks have been recorded off the Pacific Coast of North America.  These are listed in their hypothesized phylogenetic sequence with notes on their known geographic distribution off the West Coast. 

Order Chlamydoselachiformes
Family Chlamydoselachidae

Chlamydoselachus anguineus - Frilled Shark
only one Pacific Coast record:  Pt. Arguello, California
Order Hexanchiformes
Family Notorynchidae

Notorynchus cepedianus - Broadnose Sevengill Shark
British Columbia to Gulf of California; most abundant off Central California
Family Hexanchidae

Hexanchus griseus - Bluntnose Sixgill Shark
Alaska to Bahia de Todos Santos, northern Baja California
Order Echinorhiniformes
Family Echinorhinidae

Echinorhinus cookei - Prickly Shark
Moolach Beach, Oregon, to Baja California and Gulf of California
Order Squaliformes
Family Squalidae

Squalus acanthias - Spiny Dogfish
Bering Sea and Alaska to central Baja California
Family Etmopteridae

Centroscyllium nigrum - Combtooth Dogfish
Southern California to Strait of Magellan, Chile
Family Somniosidae

Somniosus pacificus - Pacific Sleeper Shark
Bering Sea and Alaska to Baja California; in shallow waters in northern part of its range, but in deep water from California southward
Family Dalatiidae

Euprotomicrus bispinatus - Pygmy Shark
rare off California; found well offshore

Isistius brasiliensis - Cookiecutter Shark
Baja California south to Isla Galapagos
Order Squaltiniformes
Family Squatinidae

Squatina californica - Pacific Angel Shark
southern Alaska to Baja California and Gulf of California; to depth of 186 meters in Gulf of California
Order Heterodontiformes
Family Heterodontidae

Heterodontus francisci - Horn Shark
Central California to Gulf of California and southward, probably to Ecuador and Peru; rare north of Southern California

Heterodontus mexicanus - Mexican Horn Shark
Bahia Magdalena, southern Baja California, into the Gulf of California and southward to Peru
Order Orectolobiformes
Family Rhincodontidae

Rhincodon typus - Whale Shark
occasionally off Southern California
Family Ginglymostomatidae

Ginglymostoma cirratum - Nurse Shark
southern Baja California into Gulf of California and southward to Peru
Order Lamniformes
Family Mitsukurinidae

Mitsukurina owstoni - Goblin Shark
only one Pacific Coast record, from Southern California
Family Odontaspididae

Odontaspis ferox - Ragged-Tooth Shark
Southern California and Malpelo Island, Mexico
Family Megachasmidae

Megachasma pelagios - Megamouth Shark
Southern California
Family Alopiidae

Alopias pelagicus - Pelagic Thresher
Southern California southward; oceanic, epipelagic

Alopias superciliosus - Bigeye Thresher Shark
California to Gulf of California

Alopias vulpinus - Common Thresher
Goose Bay, British Columbia, to Chile

Alopias sp. - [undescribed species of thresher shark]
known only from Southern California
Family Pseudocarchariidae

Pseudocarcharias kamoharai - Crocodile Shark
probably off Southern California
Family Cetorhinidae

Cetorhinus maximus - Basking Shark
Aleutian Islands and Gulf of Alaska to Gulf of California
Family Lamnidae

Lamna ditropis - Salmon Shark
Bering Sea and Gulf of Alaska to central Baja California

Carcharodon carcharias - White Shark
Gulf of Alaska to Gulf of California, mostly shallow coastal waters

Isurus oxyrinchus - Shortfin Mako
British Columbia to Chile
Order Carcharhiniformes
Family Scyliorhinidae

Apristurus brunneus - Brown Catshark
southeastern Alaska to northern Baja California; deep (137-1298 meters)

Apristurus kampae - Longnose Catshark
Cape Blanco, Oregon, southward to Southern California and Gulf of California;deep (180-1888 meters)

Cephaloscyllium ventriosum - Swell Shark
Monterey Bay, Central California, to Acapulco, Mexico

Cephalurus cephalus - Lollipop Catshark
southern Baja California and Gulf of California

Galeus piperatus - Peppered Catshark
Gulf of California

Parmaturus xaniurus - Filetail Catshark
Cape Foulweather, Oregon, to Baja California and Gulf of California
Family Triakidae

Mustelus californicus - Grey Smoothhound
Cape Mendocino, Northern California, to Mazatlan, Mexico

Mustelus dorsalis - Sharptooth Smoothhound
Gulf of California

Mustelus henlei - Brown Smoothhound
Coos Bay, Oregon, to Gulf of California

Mustelus lunulatus - Sicklefin Smoothhound
San Diego, California, to Peru

Triakis semifasciata - Leopard Shark
Oregon to Baja California and northern Gulf of California
Family Galeorhinidae

Galeorhinus galeus - Soupfin Shark
northern British Columbia to Bahia San Juanico, central Baja California
Family Galeocerdidae

Galeocerdo cuvier - Tiger Shark
Southern California; possibly north to southeastern Alaska
Family Rhizoprionodontidae

Rhizoprionodon longurio - Pacific Sharpnose Shark
Southern California to Peru
Family Sphyrnidae

Sphyrna corona - Mallethead Shark
Gulf of California and southern Mexico to Peru

Sphyrna lewini - Scalloped Hammerhead
Santa Barbara, Southern California, southward

Sphyrna media - Scoophead Shark
Gulf of California to Ecuador, probably to northern Peru

Sphyrna mokarran - Great Hammerhead
southen Baja California southward to Peru

Sphyrna tiburo - Bonnethead
San Diego, California, to Peru

Sphyrna zygaena - Smooth Hammerhead
Central California to Gulf of California
Family Carcharhinidae

Carcharhinus albimarginatus - Silvertip Shark
southern Baja California southward to Colombia

Carcharhinus altimus - Bignose Shark
Gulf of California to southern Mexico

Carcharhinus brachyurus - Copper Shark
Southern California to Gulf of California

Carcharhinus falciformis - Silky Shark
southern Baja California southward to Peru

Carcharhinus galapagensis - Galapagos Shark
southern Baja California southward to Colombia

Carcharhinus leucas - Bull Shark
southern Baja California southward to Peru

Carcharhinus limbatus - Blacktip Shark
San Diego, California, southward

Carcharhinus longimanus - Oceanic Whitetip
Monterey, Central California, to Gaviota, Southern California and southward

Carcharhinus obscurus - Dusky Shark
Redondo Beach, Southern California to Gulf of California

Carcharhinus plumbeus - Sandbar Shark
southern tip of Baja Peninsula and Revillagigedo Islands

Carcharhinus porosus - Smalltail Shark
Gulf of California southward to Peru

Nasolamia velox - Whitenose Shark
central Baja California and Gulf of California south to Peru

Negaprion brevirostris - Lemon Shark
southern Baja California and Gulf of California to Ecuador

Prionace glauca - Blue Shark
Gulf of Alaska to Chile

[xjchad]

Wow, had no idea there were that many types of sharks!

[WheresMyBeer]

Always thought the smooth hounds and dogfish were the same. Dang have to look closer now.

Couple caught my eye of interest ...

Lemon
Dusky
Bull ..

Actually hope Bulls don't show but would be fun to catch.

I have a few from this list checked off.

Sevengill
Smoothhound
Leopard
Angel
Horn
Thresher
Mako
Soupfin
Blacktip
Hammer
Blue

Had a whale shark bump our boat in the mid 90's ... that count? :-)

I guess a white too for that matter ... LOL

Great list thanks for posting

[Pinoyfisher]

Scary list!

[ztesta]

What shark on the list other than the usuals does everyone think is the most likely to be caught from the surf?