Carcharhiniformes
This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article "Carcharhiniformes".

Ground sharks
Blacktip reef shark Carcharhinus melanopterus
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Class: Chondrichthyes Subclass: Elasmobranchii Order: Carcharhiniformes Compagno, 1977
Families
See text.

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The ground sharks, order Carcharhiniformes, are the largest order of sharks; they are also called whaler sharks. With over 270 species, carcharhiniforms include a number of common types, such as the blue shark, catsharks, swellsharks, and sandbar shark.

Members of the orders are characterized by the presence of a nictitating membrane over the eye, two dorsal fins, an anal fin, and five gill slits.

The families of the carcharhiniforms are expected to be revised; recent DNA studies show that some of the traditional groups are not monophyletic.

Families

• Carcharhinidae (requiem sharks)
• Hemigaleidae (weasel sharks)
• Leptochariidae (barbeled houndshark)
• Proscylliidae (finback cat sharks)
• Pseudotriakidae (false cat shark)
• Scyliorhinidae (cat sharks)
• Sphyrnidae (hammerhead sharks)
• Triakidae (hound sharks)

Taxonomy

• List of species of the order Carcharhiniformes

External links

• Order Carcharhiniformes