Shark skin is covered in dermal denticles – tooth-like structures consisting of enameloid and dentine. There are many proposed functions of denticles, including abrasion reduction, protection against parasites, drag reduction and increased lift during swimming. Previous studies have shown differences in denticle morphology within and across different regions of sharks, including extreme morphological differences within the skin covering the branchial pouches, a region termed “branchial skin”. We used gel-based profilometry to quantify differences in denticle morphology and surface topography of branchial skin denticles among 13 species of sharks to better understand the surface structure of this region. We show that 1) branchial skin denticles differ across shark species and 2) denticles on the leading edge of the branchial skin have different morphology and surface topography compared to denticles on the trailing edge. Across all species studied, there were significant differences in denticle length (P=.01) and width (P=.002), with shorter and wider leading edge denticles compared to trailing edge denticles. Skewness was also higher in leading edge denticles (P=.009), though most values were still negative, indicating more valleys than peaks. Overall, leading edge denticles are rounder than trailing edge denticles in all of the species studied. These data suggest two hypotheses: 1) rounder leading edge denticles protect the previous gill flap from abrasion during respiration and 2) denticle morphology might affect flow exiting branchial pouches after passing over the gills. Future studies will focus on determining the relationship between denticle morphology and water flow by visualizing fluid motion over branchial denticles during in vivo respiration.