Fantastical Sharks & Rays
Dive into the fantastical world of sharks and rays, in this special exhibition that shines a light on some of Australia’s most unique endangered species.
This exhibition is now closed. Discover more exciting exhibitions and programs at the Australian Museum.
The Australian Museum has teamed up with the Australian Marine Conservation Society and Humane Society International to highlight some of Australia’s threatened sharks and rays in Fantastical Sharks & Rays. The exhibition features the work of budding and established Australian artists.
Did you know that many Australian shark and ray species are being threatened with extinction due to overfishing? Some of these species are so rare that we know very little about what they look like. To help raise awareness, we invited children to use their imagination to bring these mysterious creatures to life. Young Australians, aged 15 and under, were asked to create an artwork depicting a uniquely Australian shark or ray. Ten entries were selected from the 1,500 submissions to be the inspiration for 10 leading Australian artists, including Blak Douglas, Ken Done and Jennifer Turpin.
The works of these remarkable young artists are on display side-by-side with the works created by our 10 renowned Australian artists at the Australian Museum. To learn more about this initiative and to view the artworks and winning entries, click through to the Shark Champions website.
Sign up to our eNewsletter to keep up to date with announcements on the exhibition.
Learn more about the winning entries and artists
Meet the Fantastical Sharks & Rays
Maugean Skate
Zearaja maugeana
Australia’s living dinosaur, this ray has been around since the T. rex was stomping the earth! It has a pointy nose, big wings, and tiny thorns down its spine. On the brink of extinction, it’s only found in one place on earth, Macquarie Harbour in Tasmania.
Australian Longnose Skate
Dentiraja confusa
This ray looks like it might be related to Pinocchio - except the Longnose skate isn’t lying, it just has a long nose. Shaped like a sparkly diamond, it has spots all over its back. We really must get our skates on to save these beauties of the deep.
Eastern Angelshark
Squatina albipunctata
An angel that’s lost its wings! In fact, this angelshark has swapped them for two dorsal fins instead. Flat and round, it has a "moustache" to detect movement and is speckled with white spots to help it camouflage into the sand where it sleeps - but when it wakes up, it can be found 450m deep!
Greeneye Spurdog
Squalus chloroculus
It’s unlikely you will ever see this shark because it lives more than 1000m beneath the deep blue sea. It has incredible superpowers - big bright green eyes to help it see in the near-pitch black depths, and an organ in its head to help it know when to ascend at night for food or descend to the deep and rest during the day.
Melbourne Skate
Spiniraja whitleyi
With a name like “Melbourne”, some might think this diamond-shaped beauty looks like a trendy hipster. Well, it might not wear a beanie, but this stingray is grey like Melbourne weather. When not swimming 345m deep, they can be found in the best restaurants of the sea, munching on unsuspecting spider crabs and octopus.
Greenback Stingaree
Urolophus viridis
Is it seaweed or is it a stingray? Meet the greenback stingaree, a slippery stingray the colour of greeny-brown moss. Like its cousin, the Yellowback stingaree, this ray is flat, flat, flat, with spirals around its BIG eyes. In the last 30 years, its population has fallen by 30 percent - imagine what could happen if you turn this ray into a masterpiece.
Yellowback Stingaree
Urolophus sufflavus
Yellow like the sun, these stingrays are named for their glorious colour. They have been nick-named “Pancake Sharks” because they are part of the same group of animals as sharks, just flatter. Don’t be fooled though, these stingrays aren't for eating, so save the maple syrup for actual pancakes!
Whitefin Swellshark
Cephaloscyllium albipinnum
When this swellshark feels threatened, it swallows water to make itself look bigger and harder to eat. It lays eggs called a “Mermaid’s Purse” - but it has to watch out for fishing hooks or trawler nets that could scoop it up from its home on the bottom of the sea.
Southern/Eastern Fiddler Ray
Trygonorrhina dumerilii/Trygonorrhina fasciata
Imagine if a ray had a baby that looked like a violin! This ray is also known as the 'Banjo Ray' because it is shaped like an oval with a long tail. It has dark brown swirls across its mustard-yellow back. Hard to miss - until it buries itself in the sand to hide.
Lined Lanternshark
Etmopterus dislineatus
This tiny shark can fit inside your palm! Living 800m deep on the seafloor, this very mysterious shark has light-emitting organs, so it glows in the dark to light its way.
