Visual Identification of Fins from Common Elasmobranchs in the Northwest Atlantic Ocean

This field guide has been designed to assist in identification of shark fins, based on morphological characteristics of the fin (i.e. fin color, distinct markings, fin shape) to be used by wildlife inspectors, customs personnel, researchers and fishers to provisionally identify detached, dried, unprocessed dorsal and pectoral fins from Large Coastal Sharks (LCS) and Pelagic Sharks that are common in the U.S. Atlantic Ocean, including the Gulf of Mexico.  This guide is intended to enable provisional field identification of fins, establishing probable cause to hold fins for expert examination or DNA-testing.