This page lists 9 sharks, rays and other marine animals: 6 from Rhode Island DEM, Division of Parks and Recreation's DEM State Parks shark handout; DEM SGCN list; USGS NAS. and 3 named in other official sources.
1 is venomous by official accounts. 1 is nonnative.
Which sharks, rays and other marine animals can hurt you
Official sources single out these sharks, rays and other marine animals in Rhode Island, in their own words:
Sharks
DEM says interacting with sharks is a risk for people in the ocean. “The waters off Rhode Island are part of a natural ecosystem that contains some risk for people. In the ocean, this includes interacting with sharks.” Rhode Island DEM, Division of Parks and Recreation
Venomous spines that can give a painful sting (USGS). “The dorsal- and anal-fin spines of the lionfish contain a potent venom that can administer a painful sting (Steinitz 1959).” USGS Nonindigenous Aquatic Species Database
All 9 sharks, rays and other marine animals
Venomous species first, then A to Z. Do not handle them.
Venom: “The dorsal- and anal-fin spines of the lionfish contain a potent venom that can administer a painful sting (Steinitz 1959).” (USGS Nonindigenous Aquatic Species Database)
Red lionfish and devil firefish (each other) Venomous
USGS: the two invasive species look the same; positive identification takes genetic analysis.
Photos show typical adults; individuals vary. Never get close to compare.
When sharks, rays and other marine animals are active in Rhode Island
Records of sharks, rays and other marine animals in Rhode Island peak in May to August. They show when people record sharks, rays and other marine animals, not how many there are (about month bars).
JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
56 records of sharks, rays and other marine animals in Rhode Island by month (GBIF, CC0 and CC BY records).
If you are bitten or stung
Call 911 or Poison Help at 1-800-222-1222 right away. Poison Help connects you to your local poison center, any time of day.
“At any given time, we know that blue sharks, mako sharks, sand tiger sharks, thresher sharks, and great whites are present in our waters along with a wide diversity of other marine species.”
About this list
The species list comes from DEM State Parks shark handout; DEM SGCN list; USGS NAS. (Rhode Island DEM, Division of Parks and Recreation, Internet Archive capture 2025-06-02). 3 more entries come from other official sources named on each card.
Venom labels come only from official sources and link to them; "Not stated" never means harmless. How labels work.
“The waters off Rhode Island are part of a natural ecosystem that contains some risk for people. In the ocean, this includes interacting with sharks.”
“At any given time, we know that blue sharks, mako sharks, sand tiger sharks, thresher sharks, and great whites are present in our waters along with a wide diversity of other marine species.”
