Ground sharks, like this blacknose shark, have a nictitating membrane which can be drawn over the eye to protect it.

Carcharhiniformes (/ˌkɑːrkəˌraɪnɪˈfɔːrmiːz/; from Ancient Greek καρχαρός(karkharós) 'sharp, jagged'; ῥινός(rhinós) 'nose' and Latin forme 'shape'), commonly called ground sharks, are the largest order of sharks, with over 270 species. They include a number of common types, such as cat sharks, swellsharks, and hound sharks.

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.

The oldest members of the order appeared during the Middle-Late Jurassic, which have teeth and body forms that are morphologically similar to living catsharks. Carchariniformes first underwent major diversification during the Late Cretaceous, initially as mostly small-sized forms, before radiating into medium and large body sizes during the Cenozoic.

Families

Eschmeyer's Catalog of Fishes classifies the Carcharhiniformes into two suborders and twelve families:

Fossil genera

The following fossil genera of Carcharhiniformes are also known:

  • Genus †Altusmirus Fuchs, Engelbrecht, Lukeneder & Kriwet, 2017
  • Genus †Corysodon Saint-Seine, 1949
  • Genus †Platyrhizodon Guinot, Underwood, Cappetta & Ward, 2013
  • Genus †Vectiscyllium Duffin & Batchelor, 2024
  • Family Carcharhinidae Genus †Abdounia Cappetta, 1980 Genus †Archaeogaleus Guinot, Cappetta & Adnet, 2014 Genus †Danogaleus Noubhani & Cappetta, 1997 Genus †Eogaleus Cappetta, 1975 Genus †Eorhincodon Li, 1997 Genus †Fornicatus Fuchs, Engelbrecht, Lukeneder & Kriwet, 2018 Genus †Kruckowlamna Laurito Mora, 1999 Genus †Misrichthys Case & Cappetta, 1990 Genus †Pseudabdounia Ebersole, Cicimurri & Stringer, 2019
  • Family †Florenceodontidae Cappetta, Morrison & Adnet, 2019 Genus †Florenceodon Cappetta, Morrison & Adnet, 2019
  • Family †Leptocarchariidae Adnet et al., 2020 Genus †Leptocarcharias Adnet et al., 2020
  • Family Hemigaleidae Genus †Moerigaleus Underwood & Ward, 2011
  • Family Galeocerdonidae Genus †Physogaleus Cappetta, 1980
  • Family †Pseudoscyliorhinidae Stumpf, Scheer & Kriwet, 2019 Genus †Diprosopovenator Stumpf, Scheer & Kriwet, 2019 Genus †Pseudoscyliorhinus Müller & Diedrich, 1991
  • Family Pentanchidae Genus †Pseudoapristurus Pollerspöck & Straube, 2017
  • Family Proscyllidae Genus †Praeproscyllium Underwood & Ward, 2004
  • Family Scyliorhinidae Genus †Bavariscyllium Thies, 2005 Genus †Cadiera Guinot, Cappetta & Adnet, 2014 Genus †Casieria Noubhani & Cappetta, 1997 Genus †Crassescyliorhinus Underwood & Ward, 2008 Genus †Cretascyliorhinus Underwood & Mitchell, 1999 Genus †Foumtizia Noubhani & Cappetta, 1997 Genus †Megascyliorhinus Cappetta & Ward, 1977 Genus †Microscyliorhinus Case, 1994 Genus †Orthodon Coquand, 1860 Genus †Pachyscyllium Reinecke, Moths, Grant & Breitkreuz, 2005 Genus †Palaeoscyllium Wagner, 1857 Genus †Platyrhizoscyllium Adnet, 2006 Genus †Porodermoides Noubhani & Cappetta, 1997 Genus †Premontreia Cappetta, 1992 Genus †Prohaploblepharus Underwood & Ward, 2008 Genus †Protoscyliorhinus Herman, 1977 Genus †Pteroscyllium Cappetta, 1980 Genus †Scyliorhinotheca Kiel, Peckmann & Simon, 2013 Genus †Sigmoscyllium Guinot, Underwood, Cappetta & Ward, 2013 Genus †Stenoscyllium Noubhani & Cappetta, 1997 Genus †Thiesus Guinot, Cappetta & Adnet, 2014 Genus †Tingaleus Cappetta, 1993
  • Family Triakidae Genus †Archaeotriakis Case, 1978 Genus †Gomphogaleus Adnet & Cappetta, 2008 Genus †Kallodentis Engelbrecht, Mörs, Reguero & Kriwet, 2017 Genus †Khouribgaleus Noubhani & Cappetta, 1997 Genus †Meridiogaleus Engelbrecht, Mörs, Reguero & Kriwet, 2017 Genus †Pachygaleus Cappetta, 1992 Genus †Palaeogaleus Gurr, 1962 Genus †Palaeotriakis Guinot, Underwood, Cappetta & Ward, 2013 Genus †Rhaibodus Böhm, 1926 Genus †Squatigaleus Cappetta, 1989 Genus †Xystrogaleus Adnet, 2006

Further reading

  • Froese, Rainer, and Daniel Pauly, eds. (2013) in FishBase. March 2013 version.
  • Sepkoski, Jack (2002). . Bulletins of American Paleontology. 364: 560. Archived from on 2012-05-10.

External links