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BIDDEFORD, Maine

James Sulikowski identifies porbeagle thought to be great white shark

James Sulikowski measures a porbeagle caught with his student research team
James Sulikowski measures a porbeagle caught with his student research team

On July 4, 2017, a person fishing off the coast of Portland saw what he thought was a great white shark. He took a photo and sent it to WCSH. The station turned to the 51品茶鈥檚 resident shark expert, Professor James Sulikowski, Ph.D., for help identifying the shark.

According to Sulikowski, the shark was actually a porbeagle, a species common in the cold waters of the North Atlantic. Sulikowski happened to be out on the water researching porbeagles when he got the inquiry. He said the key to telling the difference between a porbeagle and a great white is a white spot on the back of the porbeagle鈥檚 dorsal fin.

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