Mississippis Sharks and Rays | Mississippi State University Extension Service

An educational guide for Mississippi Aquarium

Edited by Marcus Drymon, PhD1,2
Illustrations by Bryan Huerta-Beltran1
Species data compiled by Matthew Jargowsky1,2 and Emily Seubert1

1Mississippi State University Extension Service
2Mississippi-Alabama Sea Grant Consortium

MASGP-21-016

Using This Guide

The waters surrounding Mississippi are home to an exciting diversity of sharks, skates, and rays (collectively called elasmobranchs). We’ve developed this book to showcase a small portion of this diversity and highlight the sharks and rays you may see at Mississippi Aquarium. Below are a few things to keep in mind as you go through this book. First, we’ve included the common and Latin (or scientific) name for each species. Then, alongside each color illustration, we’ve shown an example of a single tooth from the upper jaw (sharks) or an entire set of jaws (rays). We’ve also described the average size at maturity (i.e., size at adulthood) and the maximum reported total length (for sharks) or disc width (“wingspan,” for rays) for Gulf of Mexico specimens. To best illustrate the maximum reported total length of each shark and the maximum reported disc width of each ray, we’ve displayed a silhouette of each species relative to a 6-foot-tall human. Finally, we’ve presented a color-coded “population status” graphic to indicate whether the current status of each population is good (green), fair (yellow), poor (red), or unknown (gray). To develop this graphic, we used data from NOAA Fisheries for populations in the U.S. Gulf of Mexico, instead of the IUCN, which provides global population trends. While current as of 2021, it’s important to remember that the statuses of U.S. shark and ray populations are constantly changing (hopefully for the better!).

We hope this book increases your appreciation for the incredible diversity of sharks and rays off our coast. Enjoy!

Anatomy of a Shark

Anatomy of a Ray

Mississippi Aquarium Sharks

Nurse shark

Ginglymostoma cirratum

Size: 6 ft 7 in (at maturity), 9 ft (max)

Habitat & Diet: Shallow coastal waters; feeds on fishes and invertebrates Interesting Fact: Coloration ranges from yellowish tan to dark brown

Sandbar shark

Carcharhinus plumbeus

Size: 6 ft (at maturity), 7 ft 8 in (max)

Habitat & Diet: Coastal waters; feeds on small fishes

Interesting Fact: Undertakes long seasonal migrations

Sand tiger shark

Carcharias taurus

Size: 6 ft 7 in (at maturity), 9 ft 10 in (max)

Habitat & Diet: Shallow water, often found near bottom; feeds on fishes Interesting Fact: Siblings eat each other in the womb (termed adelphophagy)

Common Mississippi Sharks

Atlantic sharpnose shark

Rhizoprionodon terraenovae

Size: 2 ft 6 in (at maturity), 3 ft 7 in (max)

Habitat & Diet: Inshore and offshore; feeds on small fishes and invertebrates Interesting Fact: Most common coastal shark in the northern Gulf of Mexico

Blacknose shark

Carcharhinus acronotus

Size: 3 ft 5 in (at maturity), 5 ft (max)

Habitat & Diet: Shallow, warm coastal waters; feeds on small fishes

Interesting Fact: Sometimes mistaken for a lemon shark because of its color

Blacktip shark

Carcharhinus limbatus

Size: 4 ft 8 in (at maturity), 6 ft 3 in (max)

Habitat & Diet: Nearshore, subtropical coastal waters; feeds on fishes

Interesting Fact: Often seen with a species-specific parasite on dorsal region

Mississippi Apex Predators

Bull shark

Carcharhinus leucas

Size: 7 ft 5 in (at maturity), 9 ft 4 in (max)

Habitat & Diet: Coastal waters, including freshwater; feeds on fishes, stingrays, and sharks

Interesting Fact: Juveniles prefer estuaries and rivers; adults inhabit saltwater

Tiger shark

Galeocerdo cuvier

Size: 9 ft 10 in (at maturity), 15 ft (max)

Habitat & Diet: Subtropical and tropical waters; feeds on sea turtles, mammals, fishes, and sharks

Interesting Fact: Teeth distinctly curved and serrated for tearing through prey

Shortfin mako

Isurus oxyrinchus

Size: 6 ft 6 in (at maturity), 13 ft (max)

Habitat & Diet: Subtropical and tropical waters; feeds on fishes and squids

Interesting Fact: Considered the fastest shark in the ocean (nearly 40 mph)

Mississippi Hammerheads

Bonnethead

Sphyrna tiburo

Size: 2 ft 4 in (at maturity), 5 ft (max)

Habitat & Diet: Shallow inshore waters; feeds mostly on small invertebrates

Interesting Fact: Teeth are specially modified molars for consuming crabs

Scalloped hammerhead

Sphyrna lewini

Size: 6 ft 7 in (at maturity), 11 ft 6 in (max)

Habitat & Diet: Coastal and oceanic waters; feeds on stingrays, fishes, and small sharks

Interesting Fact: Sometimes swim on their sides

Great hammerhead

Sphyrna mokarran

Size: 10 ft (at maturity), 16 ft (max)

Habitat & Diet: Shallow coastal waters; feeds on stingrays, smaller sharks, and fishes

Interesting Fact: The largest hammerhead species in the world

Mississippi Deepwater Sharks

Gulper shark

Centrophorus granulosus

Size: 3 ft 2 in (at maturity), 4 ft 6 in (max)

Habitat & Diet: Deep waters; feeds on small fishes and squids

Interesting Fact: Large, broad, leaf-like scales (known as dermal denticles)

Sharpnose sevengill shark

Heptranchias perlo

Size: 2 ft 10 in (at maturity), 3 ft 8 in (max)

Habitat & Diet: Deep, subtropical and warm waters; feeds on squids and small fishes

Interesting Fact: Most shark species have five gill slits, but this species has seven

Goblin shark

Mitsukurina owstoni

Size: Size at maturity unknown; estimates suggest 16 ft as max size

Habitat & Diet: Deep waters; feeds on fishes, squids, and crustaceans

Interesting Fact: Monotypic (the only species in its family)

Mississippi Aquarium Rays

Cownose ray

Rhinoptera bonasus

Size: 2 ft 1 in (at maturity), 3 ft 11 in (max)

Habitat & Diet: Shallow coastal waters; feeds on bivalves, crustaceans, and marine worms

Interesting Fact: Seasonally migrates in schools of up to 10,000 in the Gulf

Atlantic stingray

Hypanus sabinus

Size: 10 in (at maturity), 2 ft (max)

Habitat & Diet: Coastal waters, including freshwater; feeds on small invertebrates and fishes

Interesting Fact: Only U.S. shark/ray with permanent freshwater populations (Florida)

Southern stingray

Hypanus americanus

Size: 2 ft 6 in (at maturity), 5 ft (max)

Habitat & Diet: Nearshore and coastal waters; feeds on crustaceans and fishes

Interesting Fact: Tourists often swim with this species when visiting the Caribbean

Other Mississippi Rays

Bluntnose stingray

Hypanus say

Size: 1 ft 7 in (at maturity), 2 ft 7 in (max)

Habitat & Diet: Shallow coastal waters; feeds on crustaceans and fishes

Interesting Fact: Frequently has up to three stings

Smooth butterfly ray

Gymnura lessae

Size: 1 ft 7 in (at maturity), 4 ft (max)

Habitat & Diet: Coastal waters; feeds on fishes

Interesting Fact: Ambush predator that uses its pectoral fins to strike and stun fish prey

Lesser electric ray

Narcine bancroftii

Size: 11 in (at maturity), 2 ft 1 in (max)

Habitat & Diet: Shallow coastal waters; feeds on marine worms

Interesting Fact: Can generate up to 56 volts of electricity, which it uses for defense

Conservation and Management

The individuals included in this guide are only a portion of the diverse shark and ray species that live off the Mississippi coast. In spite of their many sizes, shapes, and colors, most sharks and rays share a similar set of biological characteristics that include slow growth, late age at maturity, and long lifespan. Unfortunately, these “life history” characteristics mean that once depleted, it can be difficult for shark and ray populations to recover.

Overharvest, habitat loss, and pollution are some of the threats currently facing sharks and rays. Collecting baseline life history data is the first step toward managing and conserving these species. Fortunately, Mississippi Aquarium has partnered with researchers at Mississippi State University to help fill some of the data gaps for local sharks and rays. Research partnerships like this one are critical to ensuring the future sustainability of the sharks and rays that call Mississippi home.

This guide was funded in part by Mississippi Aquarium.

Publication 3650 (06-21)

Copyright 2021 by Mississippi State University. All rights reserved. This publication may be copied and distributed without alteration for nonprofit educational purposes provided that credit is given to the Mississippi State University Extension Service.

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