Overview
The cohort Euselachii (Greek Eu, true, good or original, and selachos, shark or cartilaginous fish), the spined or 'phalacanthous' sharks, including themodern sharks or Neoselachii, and fossil shark groups including the hybodonts, the ctenacanths, and the xenacanths, all primitively with anal fins and having two dorsal fins with fin spines.
Photos
Taxonomy
The Infraclass Euselachii is a member of the Subclass Elasmobranchii. Here is the complete "parentage" of Euselachii:
- Domain: Eukaryota
Whittaker & Margulis,1978 - eukaryotes
- Kingdom: Animalia
Linnaeus, 1758 - animals
- Subkingdom: Bilateria
(Hatschek, 1888) Cavalier-Smith, 1983 - bilaterians
- Branch: Deuterostomia
Grobben, 1908 - Deuterostomes
- Infrakingdom: Chordonia
(Haeckel, 1874) Cavalier-Smith, 1998
- Phylum: Chordata
Bateson, 1885 - Chordates
- Subphylum: Vertebrata
Cuvier, 1812 - Vertebrates
- Infraphylum: Gnathostomata
Auct. - Jawed Vertebrates
- Class: Chondrichthyes
- Cartilaginous Fishes
- Subclass: Elasmobranchii
- Shark-Like Fishes
- Infraclass: Euselachii
- Subclass: Elasmobranchii
- Shark-Like Fishes
- Class: Chondrichthyes
- Cartilaginous Fishes
- Infraphylum: Gnathostomata
Auct. - Jawed Vertebrates
- Subphylum: Vertebrata
Cuvier, 1812 - Vertebrates
- Phylum: Chordata
Bateson, 1885 - Chordates
- Infrakingdom: Chordonia
(Haeckel, 1874) Cavalier-Smith, 1998
- Branch: Deuterostomia
Grobben, 1908 - Deuterostomes
- Subkingdom: Bilateria
(Hatschek, 1888) Cavalier-Smith, 1983 - bilaterians
- Kingdom: Animalia
Linnaeus, 1758 - animals
The Infraclass Euselachii is further organized into finer groupings including:
- Order (13): Carcharhiniformes · Echinorhiniformes · Heterodontiformes · Hexanchiformes · Hybodontiformes · Lamniformes · Orectolobiformes · Pristiformes · Pristiophoriformes · Rajiformes · Squaliformes · Squatiniformes · Torpediniformes
Orders
Carcharhiniformes
The ground sharks, order Carcharhiniformes, are the largest order of ; they are also called whaler sharks. With over 270 species, carcharhiniforms include a number of common types, such as the blue shark, catsharks, swellsharks, and sandbar shark. [more]
Echinorhiniformes
Heterodontiformes
The bullhead sharks are a small (Heterodontiformes) of very basal (primitive) modern sharks (Neoselachii). There are nine living species in a single genus, Heterodontus, in the family Heterodontidae. All are relatively small (50 to 150 cm)(20 to 59 inches) bottom feeders in tropical and subtropical waters. [more]
Hexanchiformes
Hexanchiformes is the consisting of the most primitive types of sharks, and numbering just five extant species. Fossil sharks that were apparently very similar to modern sevengill species are known from Jurassic specimens.(Allen, 45) [more]
Hybodontiformes
Lamniformes
Lamniformes is an of sharks, also known as mackerel sharks (which may also be used to refer to the sub-group of Lamniformes, Lamnidae). It includes some of the most familiar species of sharks, such as the great white shark, and some extremely rare types, such as the megamouth shark. [more]
Orectolobiformes
The order Orectolobiformes, also collectively known as the carpet sharks because many members have carpet-like patterned markings, includes a number of familiar types of , such as the nurse sharks and whale shark, as well as some unusual species, such as the blind shark. The order is small, with only 39 species in seven genera. [more]
Pristiformes
Sawfishes are a family of marine animals related to and rays. Their most striking appearance is a long, toothy snout. They are members of the sole family Pristidae within the order Pristiformes, from the Greek pristes meaning "a sawyer" or "a saw". [more]
Pristiophoriformes
The sawsharks or saw sharks are an order (Pristiophoriformes) of bearing long blade-like snouts edged with teeth, which they use to slash and disable their prey. There are five described (and four undescribed) species known, in a single family Pristiophoridae of two genera. Most occur in waters from South Africa to Australia and Japan, at depths of 40 m and below; in 1960 the Bahamas sawshark was discovered in the deeper waters (640 m to 915 m) of the northwestern Caribbean. [more]
Rajiformes
Rajiformes is the order of true rays and , flat-bodied cartilaginous fishes related to sharks. [more]
Squaliformes
Squaliformes is an of sharks that includes about 80 species in seven families. [more]
Squatiniformes
The angel sharks are an unusual genus of with flattened bodies and broad pectoral fins that give them a strong resemblance to skates and rays. The 16-odd known species are in the genus Squatina, the only genus in its family, Squatinidae, and order Squatiniformes. They occur worldwide in temperate and tropical seas. [more]
Torpediniformes
The electric rays are a group of , flattened cartilaginous fish with enlarged pectoral fins, that comprise the order Torpediniformes. They are known for being capable of producing an electric discharge, ranging from as little as 8 volts up to 220 volts depending on species, used to stun prey and for defense. There are 69 species in four families. [more]
At least 83 species and subspecies belong to the Order Torpediniformes.
More info about the Order Torpediniformes may be found here.
Sources
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