| Order | Frilled
Shark | Cow
Sharks
| Bramble Sharks | Dogfish
Sharks | Angel
Sharks | Saw
Sharks
| Bullhead Sharks | Carpet
Sharks
| Mackerel Sharks | Ground
Sharks
|
Chlamydo-
selachiformes | Hexanchi-
formes | Echinorhini-
formes
| Squali-
formes | Squatini-
formes
| Pristiophori-
formes | Heterodonti-
formes | Orectolobi-
formes | Lamni-
formes | Carcharhini-
formes |
| # Species | 2 | 4 | 2 | 119 | 19 | 9 | 9 | 39 | 15 | 277 |
| Body shape | Long, thin,
eel-like | Rounded | Rounded | Rounded | Flattened | Slightly flattened
| Rounded | Many Rounded;
some flattened
| Rounded | Rounded |
Mouth
position | Terminal mouth;
blunt snout | Underneath | Underneath | Underneath | Terminal mouth;
blunt snout | Underneath
long, blade-like, toothy snout | Underneath;
pig-like snout
| Underneath
Short
Ends before eyes
| Underneath
extends well past eyes | Underneath |
| Anal fin | Yes | Yes | No | No | No | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Dorsal Fin | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 |
| Fin spines | No | No | No | Yes | No | No | Yes | No | No | No |
| # Gill slits | 6 | 6 or 7 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 or 6
| 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 |
Repro-
duction | ovoviviparous | ovoviviparous | ovoviviparous | ovoviviparous | ovoviviparous | ovoviviparous | oviparous;
egg case
auger- | some oviparous;
ovoviviparous
| ovoviviparous
some are oviphagous
| variable |
Unique
Qualities | Eel-like shape;
3-cusped teeth;
frilly growth on gils
| cockscomb-
shaped bottom teeth
| thorn-like
denticles
over body
| Many bio-
luminescent
| Shape; eyes & spiracle at top of head;
fleshy barbels
| Long snout;
long nasal barbels | Pronounced
brow;
| specialized nostrils:
barbels | "lamnoid dental pattern" | Nictating eyelids |
| Habitat | Deep marine waters | Deep, often cold marine
| Deep, marine
temperate to tropical | Marine;
many bottom-
oriented
| Marine; from temperate to tropical; bottom | Mostly marine;
temperate
to tropical
| Marine coastal;
bottom;
temperate to tropical
| Marine
Mostly tropical
| Marine; coastal to open-ocean; cold temperate to tropical
| Virtually every marine habitat, some estuaries |
| Famous Species | Frilled Shark
| Bluntnose Six-gill Shark | Bramble,
Prickly Shark | Spiny Dogfish, Gulper, Lantern, Pigmy | Pacific Angel | Common
Sawshark | Port Jackson,
Horn | Whale, Nurse
Zebra, Carpet Shark | Basking, Mako, Megamouth,
Great White, Thresher | Catsharks, Tiger, Bull, Hammerhead Sharks |
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