Top 15+ Shark Species You Did Not Know Lived Near U.S. Shores

15. Frilled Shark (Chlamydoselachus anguineus)

The frilled shark, often described as a "living fossil," inhabits the deep waters off both U.S. coasts. With a serpentine body stretching up to 6.5 feet and featuring 300 trident-shaped teeth arranged in 25 rows, this primitive-looking shark appears virtually unchanged from its ancestors of 80 million years ago. Typically dwelling at depths between 500 and 5,000 feet, the frilled shark is rarely encountered by humans. Its name derives from the frilly appearance of its six gill slits, which unlike most sharks, are positioned in a row along the throat rather than on the sides. These elusive creatures primarily feed on squid, bony fishes, and even other sharks, using their flexible jaws to strike with snake-like lunges at prey.

14. Atlantic Angel Shark (Squatina dumeril)

The Atlantic angel shark looks more like a ray than a typical shark, with its flattened body and large pectoral fins that resemble wings. Found along the Eastern Seaboard from Massachusetts to the Gulf of Mexico, these ambush predators grow to about 5 feet long and spend most of their time partially buried in sand or mud on the ocean floor. When unsuspecting prey swims overhead, the angel shark can strike with remarkable speed, capturing fish in less than a tenth of a second—one of the fastest attack speeds in the animal kingdom. Despite their formidable hunting abilities, angel sharks pose little threat to humans unless provoked. Unfortunately, their bottom-dwelling lifestyle makes them particularly vulnerable to commercial fishing practices like bottom trawling, leading to significant population declines in recent decades.

13. Salmon Shark (Lamna ditropis)

Often mistaken for small great whites, salmon sharks inhabit the cold waters of the North Pacific, including Alaska's coastal waters. Growing up to 10 feet long and weighing up to 1,000 pounds, these powerful predators are named for their primary prey—Pacific salmon. What makes salmon sharks truly remarkable is their warm-blooded physiology, a trait shared with only a few other shark species. This adaptation allows them to maintain body temperatures up to 14°F above the surrounding water, enabling them to hunt effectively in frigid Alaskan waters. During salmon runs, these sharks can be spotted in coastal waters and sometimes even in river mouths. Despite their intimidating appearance and size, there are no confirmed unprovoked attacks on humans by salmon sharks.

12. Bluntnose Sixgill Shark (Hexanchus griseus)

The bluntnose sixgill shark is one of the most primitive shark species alive today, retaining features that most modern sharks have lost through evolution. As its name suggests, this shark has six gill slits instead of the typical five found in most shark species. Growing up to 16 feet long and weighing over 1,300 pounds, these deep-water giants can be found along both the Atlantic and Pacific coasts of the United States, typically at depths between 300 and 6,000 feet. The sixgill shark has a broad, rounded snout and a single dorsal fin positioned far back on its body. They're opportunistic predators, feeding on a diverse diet that includes fish, rays, other sharks, seals, and even whale carcasses. Though they typically remain in deep water, sixgills occasionally venture into shallower coastal areas, particularly at night, when they rise from the depths to feed.

11. Pacific Sleeper Shark (Somniosus pacificus)

The Pacific sleeper shark is a massive, slow-moving predator that inhabits the cold, deep waters off Alaska and the Pacific Northwest. Growing up to 14 feet long, these sharks have a stocky, cylindrical body and small fins relative to their size. Despite their lethargic appearance—they typically move at speeds less than 2 mph—these sharks are effective ambush predators. Their name derives from their seemingly sluggish nature, but this belies their capability as hunters. Pacific sleeper sharks have specialized teeth—the upper teeth are sharp and designed for grasping, while the lower teeth form a cutting plate that can slice through even the toughest prey. Interestingly, their flesh contains high levels of trimethylamine oxide, which becomes trimethylamine (a neurotoxin) when metabolized. In Greenland sharks (their close relatives), this compound can cause symptoms similar to extreme intoxication when consumed, giving rise to the nickname "sleeper shark."

10. Basking Shark (Cetorhinus maximus)

The basking shark, the second-largest fish in the ocean (after the whale shark), can reach lengths of up to 40 feet and is occasionally spotted along both U.S. coasts. Despite their intimidating size, these gentle giants feed almost exclusively on zooplankton, which they collect by swimming with their enormous mouths wide open, filtering up to 2,000 tons of water per hour through their specialized gill rakers. When feeding at the surface with their dorsal fins visible above water, they can be mistaken for great whites, causing unnecessary alarm. Basking sharks often congregate in coastal waters during spring and summer months, particularly in productive feeding areas along the Northeast coast and California. In winter, they typically move to deeper waters. Once heavily hunted for their liver oil, fins, and meat, basking sharks now receive protection in many regions, though their slow reproductive rate makes population recovery challenging.

9. Cookiecutter Shark (Isistius brasiliensis)

The cookiecutter shark may be small—rarely exceeding 20 inches in length—but it has one of the most unusual feeding strategies in the shark world. Found in deep tropical and subtropical waters, including those off Hawaii and the Gulf of Mexico, these sharks are named for their feeding technique: they attach to larger marine animals (including whales, dolphins, larger sharks, and even submarines) and use their specialized jaws to extract a plug of flesh, leaving a perfectly round, cookie-cutter-like wound. Their lower teeth form what amounts to a surgical saw, while suction created by their thick lips helps them latch onto prey. Perhaps most fascinating is their bioluminescent belly, which glows green through a process called counterillumination. This adaptation helps them blend in with sunlight when viewed from below, except for a dark collar around their throat that may mimic the silhouette of a smaller fish, potentially luring larger predators close enough to become their next victim.

8. Whale Shark (Rhincodon typus)

Though more commonly associated with tropical waters, the magnificent whale shark—the world's largest fish—makes seasonal appearances in U.S. waters, particularly off the coast of Texas and in the Gulf of Mexico near Florida. These gentle giants can grow to over 40 feet long and weigh more than 20 tons, yet they feed almost exclusively on plankton and small fish. Their enormous mouths can measure up to 5 feet wide, containing up to 3,000 tiny teeth, which play no role in feeding. Instead, they're filter feeders, using their gill rakers to strain food from the water. Each whale shark has a unique pattern of spots and stripes, like a fingerprint, allowing researchers to identify individuals. Though encounters are rare, lucky snorkelers and divers along the Gulf Coast sometimes have the opportunity to swim alongside these docile behemoths during their seasonal aggregations, typically occurring between June and September when plankton concentrations are high.

7. Porbeagle Shark (Lamna nasus)

The porbeagle shark, a cousin to the more infamous great white, inhabits the cold to temperate waters of the North Atlantic, including New England coastal waters. Growing to about 8 feet long, these stout-bodied sharks have earned the nickname "mackerel sharks" due to their preference for hunting schooling fish like mackerel and herring. Like salmon sharks, porbeagles are among the few warm-blooded shark species, maintaining body temperatures significantly higher than the surrounding water. This adaptation allows them to remain active hunters in cold waters where other sharks would become sluggish. Porbeagles are recognized by their conical snouts, white patches at the base of their dorsal fins, and robust, torpedo-shaped bodies built for speed. Despite their impressive hunting capabilities, they pose minimal threat to humans, with only three unprovoked attacks recorded throughout history, none fatal. Unfortunately, their slow growth rate and late maturity make them particularly vulnerable to overfishing, and their populations have declined significantly due to commercial fishing pressure.

6. Bigeye Thresher Shark (Alopias superciliosus)

The bigeye thresher shark is instantly recognizable by two distinctive features: its extraordinarily long, whip-like tail fin—which can comprise nearly half its total length—and its disproportionately large eyes. Found in deep offshore waters along both U.S. coasts, these sharks typically grow to 10-14 feet long. Their oversized eyes, which can be as large as 4 inches in diameter, are adapted for hunting in low-light conditions at depths of up to 1,600 feet during the day, while ascending to shallower waters at night to feed. The thresher's most fascinating trait is how it uses its elongated tail fin as a weapon, slapping and stunning schools of fish before consuming the incapacitated prey. Unlike most sharks that swim continuously, bigeye threshers can actively pump water over their gills, allowing them to rest motionless on the seafloor. Despite their size and unusual appearance, these sharks are shy around humans and have no confirmed attacks on record.

5. Scalloped Hammerhead Shark (Sphyrna lewini)

The scalloped hammerhead, with its distinctive hammer-shaped head (called a cephalofoil) featuring prominent indentations along the front edge, frequents coastal waters along the southeastern United States and in the Gulf of Mexico. Growing up to 14 feet long, these sharks are known for their unique social behavior—they're one of the few shark species that regularly form large schools, sometimes containing hundreds of individuals. These schools are often segregated by sex and size, with females typically larger than males. The hammerhead's unusual head shape serves multiple purposes: it provides enhanced binocular vision, spreads the electroreceptors (ampullae of Lorenzini) over a wider area for better prey detection, and may even provide hydrodynamic lift while swimming. Despite their intimidating appearance, scalloped hammerheads rarely pose a threat to humans. However, they face significant conservation challenges, with population declines exceeding 80% in some regions due to targeted fishing for their valuable fins and high mortality rates as bycatch in commercial fisheries.

4. Goblin Shark (Mitsukurina owstoni)

Perhaps the most bizarre-looking shark on this list, the goblin shark is a deep-sea dwelling species occasionally found in the deep waters off both U.S. coasts. Its most striking feature is its elongated, flattened snout that resembles a sword blade, protruding well beyond its mouth. Combined with its pinkish coloration (due to blood vessels visible through its semi-transparent skin) and jaw structure that can dramatically extend forward when feeding, the goblin shark has earned the nickname "living fossil" for its primitive appearance. Typically growing to about 10-13 feet long, these sharks inhabit depths between 890 and 3,150 feet, feeding primarily on deep-sea fish and squid. Their feeding mechanism is truly remarkable—when prey is detected, the goblin shark can project its jaw forward at incredible speed, almost like a slingshot, to capture food before retracting the jaw to its normal position. Due to their deep-water habitat and rarity, encounters with humans are extremely uncommon, and much about their life history remains a mystery to scientists.

3. Greenland Shark (Somniosus microcephalus)

The Greenland shark holds the distinction of being the longest-lived vertebrate on Earth, with some individuals estimated to be over 400 years old. While primarily associated with Arctic waters, these sharks occasionally venture into the deep, cold waters off New England. Growing up to 21 feet long and weighing over a ton, Greenland sharks move at an extremely slow pace—typically less than 1.7 mph—earning them the nickname "sleeper sharks." Despite their sluggish nature, they're apex predators that feed on fish, seals, and even reindeer that have fallen into the water. Most fascinating is their unusual relationship with parasitic copepods that often attach to their eyes, causing partial blindness. Scientists believe this may actually benefit the sharks by attracting prey with the parasite's bioluminescent properties. The flesh of Greenland sharks contains high levels of trimethylamine oxide, which, when consumed without proper preparation, produces effects similar to extreme intoxication. In Iceland, properly fermented Greenland shark meat (hákarl) is considered a traditional delicacy, despite its strong ammonia smell.

2. Pacific Spiny Dogfish (Squalus suckleyi)

The Pacific spiny dogfish, a small but remarkably resilient shark species, is found in abundant numbers along the entire U.S. West Coast. Rarely exceeding 4 feet in length, these sharks are easily identified by the sharp spines positioned in front of each dorsal fin—a defensive adaptation used to deter predators. These spines contain a mild venom, making the dogfish one of the few venomous shark species. Pacific spiny dogfish are known for their exceptional longevity, with some individuals living up to 70 years, and their tendency to form massive schools sometimes numbering in the thousands. These schools often segregate by size and sex, with pregnant females gathering in shallower waters. Dogfish have one of the longest gestation periods of any vertebrate, carrying their pups for nearly two years before giving birth to live young. Despite their small size, they're voracious predators, feeding on fish, squid, and crustaceans. Once heavily targeted by commercial fisheries for their meat, liver oil (rich in vitamin A), and as a source of fish and chips in Europe, improved management has helped some populations recover from historic overfishing.

1. Shortfin Mako Shark (Isurus oxyrinchus)

The shortfin mako holds the title of fastest shark in the ocean, capable of bursts exceeding 45 mph and sustained swimming speeds of 22 mph. Found in offshore waters along both U.S. coasts, particularly in New England and Southern California, these sleek, muscular predators typically grow to 10 feet long and weigh up to 1,200 pounds. Their speed is complemented by remarkable jumping ability—makos can leap up to 30 feet out of the water when pursuing prey or when hooked by fishermen. Like their relatives the great white and porbeagle, makos are warm-blooded, maintaining body temperatures significantly higher than the surrounding water, enabling them to hunt in cooler waters and facilitating their incredible athleticism. Their diet consists primarily of fast-swimming prey like tuna, swordfish, and other sharks. With their metallic blue backs, white undersides, and conical snouts, makos are considered among the most beautiful sharks in the ocean. However, they're also known for their aggressive nature when provoked, and their populations have declined significantly due to targeted fishing and bycatch, leading to their classification as endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature.

Conclusion:

From the ancient frilled shark to the lightning-fast shortfin mako, America’s coastal waters are home to an extraordinary array of shark species—many of which remain virtually unknown to the general public. These often-overlooked predators exhibit incredible adaptations, from bioluminescence and warm-blooded physiology to whip-like tails and slingshot jaws, underscoring the evolutionary ingenuity of life beneath the waves. While sharks like the great white tend to dominate public perception, the lesser-known species featured in this article reveal just how diverse, complex, and ecologically vital these animals truly are. Yet, despite their resilience and remarkable traits, many of these sharks face growing threats from habitat loss, overfishing, climate change, and bycatch. Understanding and appreciating the roles these creatures play in maintaining healthy marine ecosystems is the first step toward protecting them. By broadening awareness beyond the usual shark icons, we can help foster a deeper respect for the full spectrum of shark biodiversity along America's shores—and ensure that future generations can continue to marvel at these fascinating and essential ocean dwellers.