Carcharhiniformes
| Ground sharks Temporal range: Early Cretaceous–Recent |
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|---|---|
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| A finetooth shark, Carcharhinus isodon | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Chondrichthyes |
| Subclass: | Elasmobranchii |
| Superorder: | Selachimorpha |
| Order: |
Carcharhiniformes Compagno, 1977 |
The ground sharks, order Carcharhiniformes, are the largest order of sharks. With over 270 species, carcharhiniforms include a number of common types, such as catsharks, swellsharks, and the sandbar shark.
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.
According to FishBase, the eight families of ground sharks are:
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