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Lets do a little shark ID |
This shark on the right, was caught on the East Coast of the U.S.A. The oversized gill openings and the flared out body section just before the tail indicate it is a Lamnidae family shark. Three of that family's members are here on the East Coast. They are: the white, shortfin mako and the porbeagle. What species is this? |
Below will be some photos for you to look at and try to ID the shark. If you have photos you want me to identify please send them to me at: capt.tom@comcast.net . |
A group of people have differing opinions on the shark on the left. They say white, thresher, mako, porbeagle or sandtiger. Who is right or are they all wrong? |
Sp;otter pilot Wayne Davis sent me a photo of a large shark swimming along in our New England waters. I added in the bottom shark from another photo he sent me-for comparision. Both photos are taken in New England. What specie are they ? Or are they different species, and if so what are they? |
Ans. click here |
Photo Below -late 1940s, Minot Beach Scituate, Mass. Carl Chessia was catching lobster bait close to shore among the swimmers when he came up with this shark in his net. What species is it?-Tom---- Ans. click here |
Hello capt. tom This shark was caught (and released) in the north sea. Nobody seemed to be able to identify this species because of the black eye, I hope you can help us with this. |
The tagged shark below on the left is definitely a white shark. What about the shark on the right? Certainly looks like the same species. Both sharks were in Mass. waters We have makos over a thousand pounds in Mass. waters and some are chunky as is this fish. (see mako page) White or mako or porbeagle?? What's your call and why????????????? |
All photos by Wayne Davis OceanAerials.com |
I asked Wayne why he thought it was a mako and not a white. Here is his answer: It's color.....I saw it as I was heading in 1 day as I was flying about 1500', and it was at least 1/4- 1/2 mile on my port side and it stood out like a sore thumb 'cuz it was almost powder or Robin's egg blue....but lighter....'cuz of the color, GW never entered my mind.....I think I have some lateral shots of it which may shed light on its sides....& I believe that a mako's dark dorsal side will slowly blend into the white belly right?? Unlike a GW which would have a sharp edge between the dark dorsal & the white beneath.....make any sense? , one other noteworthy thing about this "mako"; it was swimming in a mako-ish manner, in that it had a swagger to it as it bent much more than a GW as it paddled along, and it was also covering quite a bit of ground, whereas ANY GW I've ever seen, don't appear to be moving hardly at all. The mako swagger I mentioned is very noticeable to me, 'cuz they always appear to be pissed off and looking for something to have a skirmish with....but in any case it was moving along at a good clip, totally unlike any GW that I've seen...check out its fins real good too ........................................ |
Tom here - I would say it is a porbeagle, Lamna nasus. (look at the white trace on the back of the dorsal fin.) |
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