For a complete list of known sharks Click Here.
Squatiniformes -
Angel Sharks
Body raylike; eyes dorsal; two spineless dorsal fins; no anal fin; five gill openings; spiracle large; mouth almost terminal; nostrils terminal with barbels on anterior margin. Maximum length up to 2 m.
Pristiophoriformes -
Saw Sharks
Body sharklike; snout produced in a long flat blade with teeth on each side (teeth unequal in size, usually alternating large and small, and weakly embedded); one pair of long barbels; no dorsal fin spines (sometimes present as internal rudiments); anal fin absent; spiracles large. Maximum length 1.4 m.
Squaliformes -
Bramble, Sleeper and Dogfish Sharks
Two dorsal fins, with or without spines; anal fin absent; five gill slits; spiracles present; nictitating lower eyelid absent. Many species are known from deep water.
Carcharhiniformes -
Ground Sharks
Two dorsal fins (one dorsal fin in the scyliorhinid Pentachus profundicolus, known only from the holotype), without spines; anal fin present; five gill slits, with the last one to three over the pectoral fin; gill rakers absent; eyes with nictitating fold or membrane; spiracles present or absent; intestinal value of spiral or scroll type. Development may be oviparous, ovoviparous, or viviparous.
Lamniformes -
Mackerel Sharks
Two dorsal fins, without spines; anal fin present; five gill slits, last two may be above pectoral fin; spiracles usually present, small and behind eyes; eyes without nictitating membrane; mouth extending well behind eyes.
Orectolobiformes -
Carpet Sharks
Two dorsal fins, without spines; mouth very short, confined to being well in front of eyes; nostrils specialized, with prominent nasoral grooves wit barbels in most; spiracles too large, below the eye except in Rhincodon; many with small gill slits and with fifth slit overlapping the fourth behind the origin of pectoral fin.
Heterodontiformes -
Bullhead and Horn Sharks
Two dorsal fins, each with a spine; anal fin present; five gill slits; eyes without nictitating fold; spiracle present but small; nostrils connected with mouth by deep grove.
Hexanchiformes -
Frilled and Cow Sharks
One dorsal fin, without spine; anal fin present; six or seven gill slits; eyes without nictitating fold; spiracle present but small and well behind eye.
