Carcharhiniformes


Carcharhiniformes, the ground sharks, with over 270 species, are the largest order of sharks. They include a number of common types, such as catsharks, swellsharks, and the sandbar shark.
Members of this order are characterized by the presence of a nictitating membrane over the eye, two dorsal fins, an anal fin, and five gill slits.
The families in the order Carcharhiniformes are expected to be revised; recent DNA studies show that some of the conventional groups are not monophyletic.

Families

According to FishBase, the eight families of ground sharks are:
FamilyImageCommon nameGeneraSpeciesDescription
CarcharhinidaeRequiem sharks1262Requiem sharks are migratory, live-bearing sharks of warm seas such as the tiger shark, the blue shark, the bull shark, and the milk shark. The usual carcharhiniform characteristics include round eyes and pectoral fins that are completely behind five gill slits. Most species are viviparous, the young being born fully developed. They vary widely in size, from as small as adult length in the Australian sharpnose shark, up to adult length in the tiger shark. Requiem sharks are responsible for a large proportion of attacks on humans.
HemigaleidaeWeasel sharks48Weasel sharks are found from the eastern Atlantic Ocean to the continental Indo-Pacific in shallow coastal waters to a depth of 100 m. Most species are small, reaching no more than 1.4 m long, though the snaggletooth shark may reach 2.4 m. They have horizontally oval eyes, small spiracles, and precaudal pits. Two dorsal fins occur, with the base of the first placed well forward of the pelvic fins. The caudal fin has a strong ventral lobe and undulations on the dorsal lobe margin. They feed on a variety of small bony fishes and invertebrates; at least two species specialize on cephalopods. They are not known to have attacked people.
LeptochariidaeBarbeled houndsharks11The only species of barbeled houndshark is Leptocharias smithii. It is a demersal species found in the coastal waters of the eastern Atlantic Ocean from Mauritania to Angola, at depths of. It favours muddy habitats, particularly around river mouths. The barbeled houndshark is characterized by a very slender body, nasal barbels, long furrows at the corners of the mouth, and sexually dimorphic teeth. Its maximum known length is. Likely strong-swimming and opportunistic, the barbeled houndshark has been known to ingest bony fishes, invertebrates, fish eggs, and even inedible objects. It is viviparous, with females bearing litters of seven young; the developing embryos are sustained by a unique globular placental structure. The IUCN has assessed the barbeled houndshark as near threatened, as heavy fishing pressure occurs throughout its range and it is used for meat and leather.
ProscylliidaeFinback catsharks37
PseudotriakidaeFalse catsharks34False catsharks are a small family containing false catsharks and gollumsharks. It contains the only ground shark species to exhibit intrauterine oophagy, in which developing fetuses are nourished by eggs produced by their mother.
ScyliorhinidaeCatsharks17>150Catsharks are distinguished by their elongated, cat-like eyes and two small dorsal fins set far back. They usually have a patterned appearance, ranging from stripes to patches to spots. Most are fairly small, growing no longer than ; a few, such as the nursehound, can reach in length. They are found in temperate and tropical seas worldwide, ranging from shallow intertidal waters to depths of or more, depending on species. They feed on invertebrates and smaller fish. Some species are aplacental viviparous, but most lay eggs in tough egg cases with curly tendrils at each end, known as mermaid's purses. The swell sharks of the genus Cephaloscyllium fill their stomachs with water or air when threatened, increasing their girth by a factor of two to three. Some catsharks are called dogfish.
SphyrnidaeHammerhead sharks29Hammerhead sharks are named for the unusual and distinctive structure of their heads, which are flattened and laterally extended into a "hammer" shape called a cephalofoil. Many, not necessarily mutually exclusive, functions have been proposed for the cephalofoil, including sensory reception, manoeuvring, and prey manipulation. Hammerheads are found worldwide in warmer waters along coastlines and continental shelves. Unlike most sharks, hammerheads usually swim in schools during the day, becoming solitary hunters at night.
TriakidaeHoundsharks940Houndsharks are distinguished by large spineless dorsal fins, an anal fin, and oval eyes with nictitating eyelids. They are small to medium in size, ranging from in adult length. They are found throughout the world in warm and temperate waters, where they feed on fish and invertebrates on the sea bed and in midwater.

Timeline of genera


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Further references

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