Random Shark Generator

Press Pick 5 new sharks for five real sharks, each with its kind, length, home waters and one checked fact.

Bigeye thresherThresher shark, 3.3 to 4 m, temperate and tropical oceans. Its eyes can be 10 cm across and turn upward.
Velvet belly lanternsharkLanternshark, seldom over 45 cm, northeastern Atlantic. Named for its sharply black underside.
Pocket sharkKitefin shark, 40 cm, the first found, deep water off Chile. Named for the two pockets by its front fins.
Chain catsharkCatshark, to 59 cm, northwest Atlantic and Caribbean. Small and net-patterned. Its skin is biofluorescent.
Ninja lanternsharkLanternshark, females to 51.5 cm, Pacific off Central America. Black, with white round its mouth and eyes.

Next step Draw from every kind of fish See what else lives in the sea

How it works

This random shark generator deals real species, from the Dwarf lanternshark to the Whale shark. Press Pick 5 new sharks: each card gives the kind of shark, its length, where it lives and one checked fact.

Read the full guide

Pick a kind of shark

The list by the button reads Any kind. Choose Ground sharks, Mackerel sharks, Carpet sharks, Dogfish and relatives, or Cow, bullhead, saw and angel sharks. Hammerheads and catsharks are ground sharks, and the Whale shark is a carpet shark.

Random shark facts as a guessing game

Press Hide all facts under the list. Read each name and guess how long the shark grows before you press Show facts: a Spined pygmy shark stops at 28 cm, and a Basking shark typically reaches 7.9 m.

Tips

Press Lock on a shark you want to keep, then press the button again to change the other four.

Questions and answers

Is a whale shark a shark or a whale?

A shark. The Whale shark is a slow, filter-feeding carpet shark and the largest known living fish. The largest one reliably recorded was 18.8 m long.

What is the smallest shark?

The Dwarf lanternshark, with a maximum known length of 20 cm. It is known only from the upper continental slopes off Colombia and Venezuela.

Are rays on this list?

No, only sharks. Rays share a filter choice with the sharks on the random fish generator, which also holds some of these sharks with a different fact each.

Are the facts checked?

Yes. On 30 September 2026 every scientific name was matched to a species on GBIF, and every line was checked against the shark's own Wikipedia article. Conservation status is left out because it changes.

All 113 sharks

Ground sharks 37

Barbeled houndshark Ground shark, to 82 cm, Mauritania to Angola. The only member of its family.
Blackmouth catshark Catshark, 50 to 79 cm, Iceland to Senegal and the Mediterranean. The inside of its mouth is black.
Blacktip reef shark Requiem shark, about 1.6 m, Indian and Pacific reefs. Keeps to one small home range, sometimes for years.
Blacktip shark Requiem shark, about 1.5 m, tropical and subtropical coasts. Makes spinning leaps out of the water.
Blue shark Requiem shark, about 3.1 m, temperate and tropical oceans. Has large litters of 25 to over 100 pups.
Bonnethead Hammerhead, 80 to 90 cm, North Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico. Males and females have different head shapes.
Bull shark Requiem shark, females about 2.4 m, warm coasts and rivers worldwide. Known as the Zambezi shark in Africa.
Chain catshark Catshark, to 59 cm, northwest Atlantic and Caribbean. Small and net-patterned. Its skin is biofluorescent.
Coral catshark Catshark, to 70 cm, reefs from Pakistan to New Guinea. Very slender, with black and white spots.
Daggernose shark Requiem shark, about 1.5 m, Trinidad to northern Brazil. Has a long, flat, pointed snout and tiny eyes.

Show all 113 sharks (103 more)

Ground sharks, continued

False catshark Ground shark, to 3 m, deep water worldwide. Also called the sofa shark. Bulky and soft-bodied.
Great hammerhead Hammerhead, 4.6 m on average, warm seas worldwide. A loner with a tall, sickle-shaped first dorsal fin.
Grey reef shark Requiem shark, to 2.6 m, Indian and Pacific reefs. One of the most common reef sharks where it lives.
Gummy shark Houndshark, females to 1.75 m, southern Australia. Named for its flat, plate-like teeth.
Lemon shark Requiem shark, to 3.4 m, western Atlantic. Returns to the same nursery sites to breed.
Leopard shark Houndshark, 1.2 to 1.5 m, Oregon to Mexico. Follows the tide onto mudflats for clams and crabs.
Lollipop catshark Catshark, to 28 cm, Gulf of California. Tadpole-shaped, with a big round head and a narrow body.
Northern river shark River shark, to 2.5 m, northern Australia and New Guinea. Lives in murky tidal rivers.
Oceanic whitetip shark Requiem shark, usually to 3 m, open tropical and warm seas. Long, rounded fins with white tips.
Puffadder shyshark Catshark, about 60 cm, South Africa only. Curls into a ring with its tail over its eyes.
Pygmy ribbontail catshark Catshark, to 24 cm, Tanzania to the Philippines. One of the smallest living sharks.
Pyjama shark Catshark, to 1.1 m, South Africa only. Thick dark stripes run the length of its body.
Scalloped hammerhead Hammerhead, to 4.3 m, warm coasts worldwide. Its eyes and nostrils sit at the tips of its hammer.
School shark Houndshark, nearly 2 m, temperate seas worldwide. Also called the tope. It migrates.
Silky shark Requiem shark, about 2.5 m, tropical waters worldwide. Named for its smooth skin. Often trails tuna.
Silvertip shark Requiem shark, to 3 m, tropical Indian and Pacific Oceans. Known by the white edges of its fins.
Slender smooth-hound Ground shark, to 1.1 m, New Zealand. Very slim, with a bell-shaped snout. Also called the gollumshark.
Small-spotted catshark Catshark, to 1 m, Norway to Senegal and the Mediterranean. Lays egg cases with long tendrils.
Smooth hammerhead Hammerhead, to 5 m, temperate seas worldwide. Its hammer has no notch in the middle.
Snaggletooth shark Weasel shark, to 2.4 m, Indian Ocean and western Pacific. Jagged teeth above, hooked teeth below.
Spadenose shark Requiem shark, to 74 cm, Indian and western Pacific Oceans. Named for its flat, triangular snout.
Spinner shark Requiem shark, to 3 m, tropical and warm temperate waters. Named for the spinning leaps it makes as it feeds.
Swell shark Catshark, about 90 cm, California to southern Mexico. Swallows water to swell to about twice its size.
Tiger shark Ground shark, females over 5 m, tropical and temperate waters. Hunts alone, mostly at night.
Whiskery shark Houndshark, to 1.6 m, Western Australia to the Bass Strait. The only houndshark with long nose barbels.
Whitetip reef shark Requiem shark, seldom over 1.6 m, Indian and Pacific reefs. Can lie still and pump water over its gills.
Winghead shark Hammerhead, to 1.9 m, Indian and western Pacific coasts. Its hammer can be half as wide as the shark is long.

Mackerel sharks 15

Basking shark Mackerel shark, typically 7.9 m, temperate oceans. Named for feeding at the surface, where it seems to bask.
Bigeye sand tiger Mackerel shark, at least 3.6 m, possibly worldwide. Extremely rare. Dark brown, with large orange eyes.
Bigeye thresher Thresher shark, 3.3 to 4 m, temperate and tropical oceans. Its eyes can be 10 cm across and turn upward.
Common thresher Thresher shark, 5.7 m confirmed, temperate and tropical seas. The largest thresher. About half of it is tail.
Crocodile shark Mackerel shark, to 1.1 m, tropical waters worldwide. The smallest living mackerel shark.
Goblin shark Mackerel shark, usually 3 to 4 m, deep sea. The only living member of a family some 125 million years old.
Great white shark Mackerel shark, females mature at 4.6 to 4.9 m, worldwide. Its liver can top a quarter of its weight.
Longfin mako Mackerel shark, to 4.3 m, temperate and tropical waters. The larger of the two mako sharks.
Megamouth shark Mackerel shark, to 5.49 m, Pacific, Atlantic and Indian Oceans. Found in 1976. Swims with its mouth open.
Pelagic thresher Thresher shark, about 3 m, tropical Indian and Pacific Oceans. The smallest of the three threshers.
Porbeagle Mackerel shark, about 2.5 m, North Atlantic and southern oceans. Grey above, white below and very stout.
Salmon shark Mackerel shark, 2 to 2.6 m, northern Pacific. Named for the salmon that make up most of its diet.
Sand tiger shark Mackerel shark, to 3.2 m, warm and temperate coasts. Called the grey nurse shark in Australia.
Shortfin mako Mackerel shark, over 4 m, temperate and tropical seas. Keeps its body warmer than the water around it.
Smalltooth sand tiger Mackerel shark, at least 5.2 m, warm waters worldwide. Known to return to the same spot year after year.

Carpet sharks 18

Arabian carpetshark Bamboo shark, to 78 cm, Persian Gulf to India. A slender, plain brown shark of coral reefs.
Blind shark Carpet shark, to 1.2 m, eastern Australia. Roams tide pools and can last a long time out of water.
Brownbanded bamboo shark Bamboo shark, to 1.04 m, Japan to northern Australia. Can live up to 25 years in a public aquarium.
Cobbler wobbegong Wobbegong, to 92 cm, Western Australia. Rows of warty bumps run along its back.
Collared carpetshark Carpet shark, to 85 cm, eastern Australia. Lives by rocky reefs, mostly 55 to 128 m down.
Epaulette shark Bamboo shark, usually under 1 m, Australia and New Guinea. Often walks, pushing along with its paired fins.
Grey bamboo shark Bamboo shark, to 74 cm, Arabian Sea to Papua New Guinea. The young have dark bands. Adults are plain brown.
Indonesian speckled carpetshark Bamboo shark, to 46 cm, Raja Ampat Islands, Indonesia. Once thought far more widespread.
Japanese wobbegong Wobbegong, to 1 m, Japan and Korea to the Philippines. Lies still on the bottom much of the time.
Leopard epaulette shark Bamboo shark, to 82 cm, Milne Bay, Papua New Guinea. Named as its own species only in 2010.
Necklace carpetshark Carpet shark, to 91 cm, Australia's southern coast. Seen almost only at night. Hides in caves by day.
Nurse shark Nurse shark, to 3.08 m, warm Atlantic and eastern Pacific coasts. Hunts at night by sucking in its prey.
Rusty carpetshark Carpet shark, to 80 cm, southern Australia. Hides in caves by day. Eats crustaceans and molluscs.
Spotted wobbegong Wobbegong, 1.5 to 1.8 m, Australia only. Green, yellow or brown, with O-shaped spots.
Tasselled wobbegong Wobbegong, to 1.8 m, northern Australia and New Guinea. A fringe of branching skin flaps runs round its head.
Tawny nurse shark Nurse shark, to 3.2 m, Indian and Pacific coasts. Rests by day in piles of two dozen or more.
Whale shark Carpet shark, 18.8 m on record, all tropical oceans. Each one has its own pattern of pale spots and stripes.
Zebra shark Carpet shark, to 2.5 m, tropical Indian and Pacific Oceans. Its tail fin is nearly half its total length.

Dogfish and relatives 23

Angular roughshark Rough shark, to about 1.5 m, eastern Atlantic and Mediterranean. Most of those measured are under 1 m.
Black dogfish Lanternshark, 60 to 75 cm, Atlantic Ocean. The largest of its family. Lives 180 to 2,250 m down.
Blackbelly lanternshark Lanternshark, to 47 cm, tropical and temperate seas worldwide. Gives off light from its underside.
Bramble shark Bramble shark, to 3.1 m, tropical and temperate waters. Large thorn-like scales are scattered over its body.
Cookiecutter shark Kitefin shark, to 56 cm, warm oceans worldwide. Rises up to 3 km toward the surface each dusk.
Dwarf lanternshark Lanternshark, to 20 cm, off Colombia and Venezuela. The smallest shark in the world.
Greenland shark Sleeper shark, to 6.4 m, North Atlantic and Arctic. Slow: it cruises at about 0.34 m a second.
Gulper shark Gulper shark, grown males 80 to 95 cm, deep water worldwide. Long and slender, with large greenish eyes.
Kitefin shark Kitefin shark, 1 to 1.4 m, deep water, in places worldwide. The largest glowing vertebrate on record.
Largetooth cookiecutter shark Kitefin shark, to 42 cm, Atlantic and Pacific. Like the cookiecutter, with much larger lower teeth.
Leafscale gulper shark Gulper shark, to 1.58 m, Atlantic, Indian and Pacific. Rough, leaf-like scales. May live about 70 years.
Mandarin dogfish Dogfish, 1.25 m on record, off Japan, Taiwan and Indonesia. Its long nose barbels may help it find prey.
Ninja lanternshark Lanternshark, females to 51.5 cm, Pacific off Central America. Black, with white round its mouth and eyes.
Pacific sleeper shark Sleeper shark, 4.65 m on record, northern Pacific. One of the world's largest hunting sharks.
Pocket shark Kitefin shark, 40 cm, the first found, deep water off Chile. Named for the two pockets by its front fins.
Portuguese dogfish Sleeper shark, about 1 m, deep water worldwide. The deepest-living shark known, reported 3,675 m down.
Prickly dogfish Rough shark, at least 75 cm, off Australia and New Zealand. Humpbacked, with two huge sail-like fins.
Prickly shark Bramble shark, to 4 m, Pacific Ocean. Named for its dense covering of thorn-like scales.
Spined pygmy shark Kitefin shark, to 28 cm, all oceans. One of the smallest sharks alive.
Spiny dogfish Dogfish, grown females 80 to 84 cm, temperate seas. Carries its young for 18 to 24 months.
Taillight shark Kitefin shark, 41.6 cm, one grown male, southern Atlantic and Pacific. Known from only four fish.
Velvet belly lanternshark Lanternshark, seldom over 45 cm, northeastern Atlantic. Named for its sharply black underside.
Viper dogfish Lanternshark, to 54 cm, Pacific, off Japan and Hawaii. Slender and black, with fang-like teeth.

Cow, bullhead, saw and angel sharks 20

Angelshark Angel shark, to 2.4 m, northeastern Atlantic. Its wide fins make it look like a ray.
Australian angelshark Angel shark, to 1.52 m, southern Australia. Bears up to 20 pups in a litter.
Bahamas sawshark Sawshark, at least 80 cm, the Bahamas and Cuba. The first sawshark described from the western hemisphere.
Bigeyed sixgill shark Cow shark, to 1.8 m, Indian Ocean and western Pacific. Its eyes are fluorescent green in life.
Bluntnose sixgill shark Cow shark, to 5.5 m, tropical and temperate waters worldwide. The largest of the cow sharks.
Broadnose sevengill shark Cow shark, to 3 m, temperate Pacific and southern Atlantic. Seven gill slits and a single dorsal fin.
Crested bullhead shark Bullhead shark, about 1.2 m, eastern Australia. Named for the large ridges above its eyes.
Frilled shark Frilled shark, to 2 m, deep Atlantic and Pacific. Often called a living fossil, or the lizard shark.
Horn shark Bullhead shark, about 1 m, California to the Gulf of California. Young ones keep to deeper sandy flats.
Japanese angelshark Angel shark, 1.5 m or more, off China, Japan and Korea. A row of large thorns runs down its back.
Japanese bullhead shark Bullhead shark, to 1.2 m, off Japan, Korea and China. A docile, slow swimmer that eats shelled animals.
Longnose sawshark Sawshark, to 1.37 m, southern Australia and Tasmania. Finds prey by running its barbels over the sea floor.
Mexican hornshark Bullhead shark, to about 70 cm, eastern Pacific off Baja California. Grey-brown with black spots.
Pacific angelshark Angel shark, to 1.5 m, eastern Pacific. Lies on sandy flats near rocky reefs and kelp forests.
Port Jackson shark Bullhead shark, to 1.65 m, southern Australia. The largest bullhead, with dark harness-like markings.
Sand devil Angel shark, to 1.5 m, off the eastern United States. Inshore in summer, deep offshore in winter and spring.
Sharpnose sevengill shark Cow shark, to 1.4 m, deep water almost worldwide. Seven pairs of gill slits where most sharks have five.
Sixgill sawshark Sawshark, females over 1.36 m, western Indian Ocean. The barbs of its saw run on along the sides of its head.
Southern African frilled shark Frilled shark, 1.17 m at most known, deep water off Angola and Namibia. Seems to hunt smaller sharks.
Zebra bullhead shark Bullhead shark, to 1.25 m, Japan and Korea to Australia. Also called the zebra horn shark.

How this list was compiled: We chose these living sharks and wrote every line ourselves, checked 2026-09-30 against two live sources. Membership: a species on Wikipedia's List of sharks (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_sharks) whose own English Wikipedia article gives an adult length and a range; rays and skates are left out. Each scientific name was matched on the GBIF backbone (https://api.gbif.org/v1/species/match, exact match to an accepted species; saved per item as src). The kind, the length, the range and the fact were read in the shark's own Wikipedia article (saved as wiki) and checked by script after the file was written: the words each line rests on must stand in the article, and every superlative (largest, smallest, only, first, deepest) was read in its sentence and worded as the article words it. A length is the figure the article gives: a maximum (to 3 m), a typical size (about 1.3 m), or one sex or one fish where that is all it gives. The five groups are the eight orders of sharks merged so that each holds eight or more: cow and frilled sharks, bullhead sharks, sawsharks and angel sharks share one. Sharks that also sit on the random fish generator carry a different fact here. Conservation status is left out because it changes. Licence: own work