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Sharks in Connecticut: Species, Stingrays & Safety

Last checked November 3, 2026 against official sources.

On this page
  1. All 11 sharks, rays and other marine animals
  2. When they are active
  3. What official sources say
  4. About this list
  5. Sources

This page lists 11 sharks, rays and other marine animals: all from Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP), Marine Fisheries Program's Appendix 5.1, List of finfish species identified by A Study of Marine Recreational Fisheries in Connecticut and other surveys.

All 11 sharks, rays and other marine animals

From A to Z.

Sand Tiger Shark
Photo: Tom Heijnen · CC BY 4.0 · iNaturalist

Sand Tiger Shark

Carcharias taurus

Not stated

Venom
No official source we use states whether this animal is venomous. That does not mean it is harmless: do not handle it.
Where in Connecticut
Long Island Sound (DEEP Long Island Sound Trawl Survey and other DEEP marine surveys) Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP), Marine Fisheries Program
Conservation
Protected and prohibited species in Connecticut (DEEP 2019): must be released unharmed
No confirmed photo of Sandbar (Brown) Shark

Sandbar (Brown) Shark

Carcharhinus plumbeus

Not stated

Venom
No official source we use states whether this animal is venomous. That does not mean it is harmless: do not handle it.
Where in Connecticut
Long Island Sound (DEEP Long Island Sound Trawl Survey and other DEEP marine surveys) Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP), Marine Fisheries Program
Conservation
Protected and prohibited species in Connecticut (DEEP 2019): must be released unharmed

When sharks, rays and other marine animals are active in Connecticut

Records of sharks, rays and other marine animals in Connecticut peak in April and June to August. They show when people record sharks, rays and other marine animals, not how many there are (about month bars).

36 records of sharks, rays and other marine animals in Connecticut by month (GBIF, CC0 and CC BY records).

What official sources say

Are there sharks in long island sound / connecticut waters?

Yes. DEEP surveys have recorded smooth and spiny dogfish, sand tiger and sandbar (brown) sharks; sand tiger and sandbar sharks are protected and must be released unharmed. Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP); copy held by the Connecticut State Library digital collections

“Anglers may catch Sand Tiger and Sandbar (Brown) Shark which are protected and prohibited species and must be released unharmed.”

About this list

The species list comes from Appendix 5.1, List of finfish species identified by A Study of Marine Recreational Fisheries in Connecticut (F54R) and other surveys (sharks, rays and skates extracted) (Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP), Marine Fisheries Program, 2020 annual report (species tables through 2019)).

Venom labels come only from official sources and link to them; "Not stated" never means harmless. How labels work.

Sources

  1. Report a Wildlife Sighting. Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP), Wildlife Division. Content last updated September 22, 2026; checked November 3, 2026.
  2. Job 5: Marine Finfish Survey, Long Island Sound Trawl Survey (A Study of Marine Recreational Fisheries in Connecticut, F54R; 2020 report covering surveys through 2019). Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP), Marine Fisheries Program. 2020 annual report; checked November 3, 2026.
  3. 2019 CT DEEP Weekly Fishing Report No. 28, 10/25/2019. Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP); copy held by the Connecticut State Library digital collections. 10/25/2019; checked November 3, 2026.
    Quoted passages (1)
    “Anglers may catch Sand Tiger and Sandbar (Brown) Shark which are protected and prohibited species and must be released unharmed.”
  4. GBIF.org occurrence records, human observations licensed CC0 1.0 or CC BY 4.0 only, accessed November 3, 2026. The datasets behind these counts are listed on our Sources page.