Carcharhiniformes

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 catsharks, swellsharks, and requiem sharks. Well known sharks in this order include hammerhead sharks and tiger sharks.

Ground sharks Temporal range: Bathonian–present PreꞒ Ꞓ O S D C P T J K Pg N
A finetooth shark, Carcharhinus isodon
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Chondrichthyes
Subclass:	Elasmobranchii
Division:	Selachii
Superorder:	Galeomorphi
Order:	Carcharhiniformes Compagno, 1977

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

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.^[1] 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.^[2][3]

Families

Eschmeyer's Catalog of Fishes classifies the Carcharhiniformes into two suborders and twelve families:^[4]

• Suborder Scyliorhinoidei
  • Family Scyliorhinidae Gill, 1862 (catsharks)
• Suborder Carcharhinoidei
  • Family Atelomycteridae E. G. White, 1936 (coloured catsharks)
  • Family Pentanchidae Smith, 1912 (deepwater catsharks)
  • Family Dichichthyidae W. T. White, Stewart, Reuben O'Neill & Naylor, 2024 (bristle sharks)
  • Family Pseudotriakidae Gill, 1893 (false catsharks)
  • Family Proscylliidae Fowler, 1941 (finback catsharks)
  • Family Leptochariidae Gray, 1851 (barbeled houndsharks)
  • Family Triakidae Gray, 1851 (houndsharks)
    • Subfamily Triakinae Gray, 1851 (smouth-hounds)
    • Subfamily Galeorhininae Gill, 1862 (school sharks)
  • Family Hemigaleidae J.C.F. Hasse, 1878 (weasel sharks)
  • Family Carcharhinidae D. S. Jordan & Evermann, 1896 (requiem sharks)
  • Family Galeocerdonidae Poey, 1875 (tiger sharks)
  • Family Sphyrnidae Bonaparte, 1840 (hammerhead sharks)

Fossil genera

The following fossil genera of Carcharhiniformes are also known:^[5]

• 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 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