Shark field guide

A calmer, more useful way to learn shark species.

Pocket Shark Field Guide is an independent reference site and iPhone app built around shark identification, species context, comparison, and offline study. The goal is simple: answer real shark questions clearly, then give readers a field guide they can keep.

Get the field guide on the App Store Browse the species guide
Curated site guides38 species
Full app catalog524 sharks
Topic hubs6
Editorial update2026-04-05
Pocket Shark Field Guide screenshot
Pocket Shark is designed as an offline field guide: species notes, compare tools, and saved favorites in one place.

What this site is for

This site is designed to work as a shark reference first. It focuses on species identity, habitat, conservation context, and comparison instead of flattening every page into the same repeated layout.

Species context

Each strong species page explains what the shark is, where it lives, and what makes it notable.

Topic-led browsing

A smaller set of topic hubs connects related species instead of scattering authority across hundreds of nearly identical pages.

Offline field guide

The app remains available for people who want the guide on iPhone, but the site is written to stand on its own as a useful reference.

How the guide is organized

Readers usually arrive with one of three needs: a specific species, a broader shark group, or a practical comparison between similar sharks. The site is being narrowed around those stronger intents.

Explore topic hubs

Species pages

Focused entries for individual sharks with cleaner factual summaries and fewer placeholder metrics.

Topic hubs

Broader pages for groups such as hammerheads, catsharks, and Gulf of Mexico sharks.

Comparisons

A smaller set of contrast pages for pairs people often confuse or research together.

Core topic hubs

These are the main browsing hubs for the current guide. They group related sharks in a way that is easier to scan than hundreds of nearly identical species pages.

See all topics
16 species

Deep-Sea Sharks

Sharks that spend much of their time in deeper offshore water columns and slopes.

429 species

Small Shark Species

Compact shark species for readers looking for tiny, pocket-size, and short-bodied sharks.

9 species

Giant Shark Species

Large sharks with headline body sizes that make them useful anchor terms for comparison pages.

25 species

Gulf of Mexico Sharks

Species in the catalog with Gulf of Mexico coverage, including the American pocket shark.

11 species

Hammerhead Sharks

Hammerhead and bonnethead species for users searching by common head shape rather than taxonomy.

162 species

Catsharks

Catshark and close catshark-family pages generated from the offline shark catalog.

Reference

Shark Glossary

Plain-language definitions for shark anatomy, habitat, and field-guide terms.

Featured species

These species currently have enough structure and editorial context to work as public reference pages.

Open shark index
Porbeagle reference photograph showing the torpedo-shaped body and pointed snout; not to scale.
Lamna nasus

Porbeagle

Common name: Atlantic mackerel shark

This species belongs to the mackerel shark family, where speed, endurance, and a streamlined build dominate the design. Think powerful open-water movement, long-distance travel, and a slow life history that does not absorb heavy fishing easily.

3.5 m max
Museum specimen photograph of Holohalaelurus punctatus showing the compact catshark body in profile; not to scale.
Holohalaelurus punctatus

African spotted catshark

Catsharks are generally small to medium sharks with slender bodies, elongated tails, and patterned skin marked by spots, saddles, or reticulation.

0.3 m max
Generated editorial rendering of the American pocket shark based on NOAA reference photographs, with ruler marks framing the image.
Mollisquama mississippiensis

American Pocket Shark

Tiny deep-sea shark with glowing pocket glands near its front fins.

0.1 m maxData deficient
Angel shark photographed resting on the seafloor with its flattened body spread wide; not to scale.
Squatina squatina

Angel Shark

Common name: Angelshark

Wedge-shaped ambush predator with broad, flat head and slow glide.

2.4 m maxCritically Endangered
Underwater photograph of a basking shark feeding near the surface with its mouth open; not to scale.
Cetorhinus maximus

Basking Shark

Huge open-mouthed filter feeder of cooler seas.

12.0 m maxEndangered
Blacknose shark reference photograph showing the dusky snout tip and slim body; not to scale.
Carcharhinus acronotus

Blacknose Shark

Small coastal shark with a raised dorsal 'blacknose' profile.

2.0 m maxEndangered
FDA reference photograph of a blacktip shark specimen, highlighting the dark fin edges; not to scale.
Carcharhinus limbatus

Blacktip Shark

Fast, agile coastal shark with black-tipped fins.

2.9 m maxNear Threatened
Archival NOAA reference photograph of a blue shark; bundled for truthful species recognition.
Prionace glauca

Blue Shark

Pelagic cruiser with a strong blue-gray silhouette.

3.8 m maxNear Threatened

About the app

The app is for people who want the same field guide offline on iPhone. The site stays useful on its own, and the app remains a simple way to keep the guide with you.

Shark Quiz and Sprint

Use the quiz and mini-game as lighter study tools built around the same species catalog.