Lamniformes Fossil range: Early Cretaceous–Recent PreЄ Є O S D C P T J K Pg N [1]
Great white shark, Carcharodon carcharias
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Chondrichthyes
Subclass:	Elasmobranchii
Superorder:	Selachimorpha
Order:	Lamniformes Berg, 1958
Families
See Text

Sharks portal

Lamniformes is an order of sharks, also known as mackerel sharks (which may also be used to refer to the sub-group of Lamniformes, Lamnidae). It includes some of the most familiar species of sharks, such as the great white shark, and some extremely rare types, such as the megamouth shark.

Members of the order are distinguished by possessing two dorsal fins, an anal fin, five gill slits, eyes without nictitating membranes, and a mouth extending behind the eyes.

[edit] Species

The order Lamniformes includes seven families, with a total of sixteen living species:

Order Lamniformes

• Family Alopiidae (thresher sharks)
  • Genus Alopias
    • Pelagic thresher, Alopias pelagicus Nakamura, 1935 [1]
    • Bigeye thresher, Alopias superciliosus (Lowe, 1841) [2]
    • Thintail thresher, Alopias vulpinus (Bonnaterre, 1788) [3]
    • Alopias sp.
• Family Cetorhinidae
  • Genus Cetorhinus
    • Basking shark, Cetorhinus maximus (Gunnerus, 1765) [4]
• Family Lamnidae
  • Genus Carcharodon
    • Great white shark, Carcharodon carcharias (Linnaeus, 1758) [5]
    • Megatooth shark, Carcharodon megalodon Agassiz, 1843 Extinct
  • Genus Isurus
    • Shortfin mako, Isurus oxyrinchus Rafinesque, 1810 [6]
    • Longfin mako, Isurus paucus Guitart Manday, 1966 [7]
  • Genus Lamna
    • Salmon shark, Lamna ditropis Hubbs & Follett, 1947 [8]
    • Porbeagle shark, Lamna nasus (Bonnaterre, 1788) [9]
• Family Megachasmidae
  • Genus Megachasma
    • Megamouth shark, Megachasma pelagios Taylor, Compagno & Struhsaker, 1983 [10]
• Family Mitsukurinidae
  • Genus Mitsukurina
    • Goblin shark, Mitsukurina owstoni Jordan, 1898 [11]
• Family Odontaspididae (Raggedtooths)
  • Genus Carcharias
    • Grey nurse shark or sand tiger shark, Carcharias taurus Rafinesque, 1810 [12]
    • Indian sand tiger, Carcharias tricuspidatus Day, 1878 [13]
  • Genus Odontaspis
    • Smalltooth sand tiger or bumpytail raggedtooth, Odontaspis ferox (Risso, 1810) [14]
    • Bigeye sand tiger, Odontaspis noronhai (Maul, 1955) [15]
• Family Pseudocarchariidae
  • Genus Pseudocarcharias
    • Crocodile shark, Pseudocarcharias kamoharai (Matsubara, 1936) [16]

[edit] References

This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding reliable references. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (January 2009)

[edit] External links

Wikispecies has information related to: Lamniformes

• elasmo-research