Ireland’s position on the edge of the continental shelf and the wide range of marine habitats around our coastline means that we are lucky to have a large number of highly diverse shark species in our waters. Approximately twenty-eight species of shark are currently known in Irish waters. These range from the small and well known dogfish (Scyliorhinus canicula) to the second largest fish in the sea, the basking shark (Cetorhinus maximus). There are also many deepwater species that are only found in the deep ocean beyond the continental shelf. These unususal sharks have even more unusual names such as the birdbeaked dogfish (Deania calceus) and the leafscale gulper shark (Centrophorus squamosus). For more information on the mysterious world of Irish sharks follow the links below.
Costal Sharks
- Lesser spotted dogfish (Scyliorhinus canicula)
- Greater spotted dogfish (Scyliorhinus stellaris)
- Blackmouth dogfish (Galeus melastomus)
- Starry smooth-hound (Mustelus asterias)
- Tope (Galeorhinus galeus)
- Spurdog (Squalus acanthias)
- Basking shark (Cetorhinus maximus)
- Angel shark (Squatina squatina)
Pelagic sharks
- Blue shark (Prionace glauca)
- Porbeagle (Lamna nasus)
- Shortfin mako (Isurus oxyrincus)
- Thresher shark (Alopias vulpinas)
Deep water sharks
- Bluntnose six-gill shark (Hexanchus griseus)
- Sharpnose seven gill shark (Heptranchias perlo)
- Bramble shark (Echinorhinus brucus)
- Frilled shark (Chlamydoselachus anguineus)
- Kitefin shark (Dalatias licha)
- Portugese dogfish (Centroscymnus coelolepsis)
- Leafscale gulper shark (Centrophorus squamosus)
- Longnose velvet dogfish (Centroselachus crepidater)
- Birdbeak dogfish (Deania calceus)
- Greenland shark (Somniosus rnicrocephalus)
- Great lantern shark (Etmopterus princeps)
- Velvet belly lantern shark (Etmopterus spinax)
- Iceland catshark (Apristurus laurussonii)
- Ghost catshark (Apristurus manis)
- Gulper shark (Centrophorus granulosus)
