Squatiniformes

Squatiniformes is an order of sharks belonging to Squalomorphi. It contains only a single living genus Squatina, commonly known as angelsharks. The oldest genus of the order, Pseudorhina is known from the Late Jurassic of Europe.^[1] Three other genera, Cretasquatina, Cretascyllium and Parasquatina are known from Cretaceous fossils from North America and Europe,^[2][3] though the placement of Parasquatina in the order has been questioned.^[1] All living and extinct members of the order share a similar body morphology^[2] with a highly flattened body with enlarged pectoral and pelvic fins suggestive of a bottom-dwelling ambush predator ecology.^[4] Teeth have been assigned to the modern genus from the Late Jurassic onwards, but the actual genus assignment of many of these species is unclear.^[2] The earliest records that can be assigned with confidence to the modern genus are known from the Early Cretaceous (Aptian) of England.^[1]

Squatiniformes Temporal range: Late Jurassic–Recent PreꞒ Ꞓ O S D C P T J K Pg N
Squatina dumeril
Fossil of Pseudorhina from the Late Jurassic of Germany
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Chondrichthyes
Subclass:	Elasmobranchii
Division:	Selachii
Series:	Squatinida
Order:	Squatiniformes Compagno, 1973
Families
†Pseudorhinidae Klug and Kriwet, 2012 †Pseudorhina Squatinidae Bonaparte, 1838 †Cretasquatina †Cretascyllium †Parasquatina? Squatina