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Kōrero: Sharks and rays

Shark, ray and chimaera species in New Zealand waters

Order Family NZ species Length (metres)
Hexanchiformes
(Cow and frill sharks)		 Frill sharks Frill shark 2
  Sixgill and sevengill sharks Sharpnose sevengill shark 1.4
    Sixgill shark 4.8
    Broadnose sevengill shark 3
Squaliformes
(Dogfish sharks)		 Bramble sharks Bramble shark 3.1
    Prickly shark 4
  Dogfish Mandarin dogfish 1.26
    Spiny dogfish 1.6
    Northern spiny dogfish 1.1
  Gulper sharks Leafscale gulper shark 1.6
    Shovelnose dogfish 1.22
    Longsnout dogfish 1.15
  Lantern sharks Southern lantern shark 0.75
    Lucifer dogfish 0.47
    Moller’s lantern shark 0.46
    Smooth lantern shark 0.48
  Sleeper sharks Portugese dogfish 1.2
    Longnose velvet dogfish 1.05
    Largespine velvet dogfish 0.68
    Owston’s dogfish 1.21
    Plunket’s shark 1.7
    Whitetail dogfish 1.11
    Sherwoood’s dogfish 0.8
    Knifetooth dogfish 1.10
    Pacific sleeper shark4.3
    Little sleeper shark1.43
    Velvet dogfish0.84
  Rough sharks Prickly dogfish 0.72
  Kitefin sharks Seal shark 1.8
    Pygmy shark 0.27
    Cookiecutter shark 0.5
Heterodontiformes
(Bullhead sharks)		 Bullhead sharks Port Jackson shark 1.65
Orectolobiformes
(Carpet sharks)		 Whale sharks Whale shark 12
Lamniformes
(Mackerel sharks)		 Sand tiger sharks Sand tiger shark 3.6
  Goblin sharks Goblin shark 3.85
  Thresher sharks Big-eye thresher 4.6
    Thresher shark 5.5
  Basking sharks Basking shark 9.8
  Mackerel sharks Great white shark 7
    Mako 4
    Porbeagle shark 3
Carcharhiniformes
(Ground sharks)		 Cat sharks Carpet shark 1
    Dawson’s cat shark 0.45
    McMillan’s cat shark 0.45
    Cat sharks (6 unnamed species)  
  False cat sharks Slender smoothhound shark 1.1
    False cat shark 3
  Hound sharks School shark 1.7
    Rig shark 1.51
  Requiem or whaler sharks Grey reef shark 2.55
    Bronze whaler 2.95
    Silky shark 3.3
    Galapagos shark 3
    Tiger shark 6
    Blue shark 3.85
  Hammerhead sharks Hammerhead shark 4
Torpediniformes
(Electric rays)		 Sleeper rays Blind electric ray 0.38
    Oval electric ray 0.35
  Torpedo rays Electric ray 1
Rajiformes
(Skates)		 Softnose skates Longtail skate 0.75
    Richardson’s skate 1.4
    Longnose deepsea skate 1.4
    Smooth deepsea skate 0.51
    Prickly deepsea skate 0.8
    Deepsea skates (5 unnamed species)  
  Skates Smooth skate 2.4
    Rough skate 1.18
Myliobatiformes
(Stingrays)		 Whiptail stingrays Shorttail stingray 4.3
    Longtail stingray 4
    Pelagic stingray 0.8
  Eagle rays Eagle ray 2
  Manta rays Spinetail devil ray 3.1
Chimaeriformes
(Chimaeras)		 Elephant fish Elephant fish 1.25
  Spookfish Smallspine spookfish 0.65
    Longnose spookfish 1.2
    Pacific spookfish 1.3
  Shortnose chimaeras Dark ghost shark 0.87
    Chimaera (4 unnamed species)  
    Hydrolagus ghost sharks (4 unnamed species)  

This table shows the Chondrichthyans – sharks, rays and chimaeras – known to be in New Zealand waters.

Te whakamahi i tēnei tūemi

Te Ara - The Encyclopedia of New Zealand

Source: Geoffrey Cox and Malcolm Francis, Sharks and rays of New Zealand. Christchurch: Canterbury University Press, 1997

This item has been provided for private study purposes (such as school projects, family and local history research) and any published reproduction (print or electronic) may infringe copyright law. It is the responsibility of the user of any material to obtain clearance from the copyright holder.

Ngā whakaahua me ngā rauemi katoa o tēnei kōrero

Me pēnei te tohu i te whārang

Gerard Hutching, Sharks and rays – Natural history of sharks and rays, Te Ara – the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, https://teara.govt.nz/mi/interactive/5305/shark-ray-and-chimaera-species-in-new-zealand-waters (accessed 4 June 2026).

He kōrero nā Gerard Hutching, i tāngia i te 2 March 2009.