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Great White Shark
(Carcharodon carcharias)
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Porbeagle Shark
(Lamna nasus)
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Basking Shark
(Cetorhinus maximus)
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Illustrations: R. Aidan Martin |
Mackeral Sharks include the most famous sharks, such as the Thresher, Mako, and the most famous of them all, the Great White Shark. (Many biologists and shark enthusiasts call it by its less theatrical name of White Shark). Most Mackerel Sharks are the apex predator of their habitat. However, two of the great filter-feeding sharks, Basking and Megamouth Sharks, eat mostly plankton. |
Click to view gallery
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Characteristics of Mackerel Sharks, Order Lamniformes
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# of species
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15
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Body shape
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Rounded. Range from 3.6 feet (Crocodile Shark) to 32 feet (Basking Shark)
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Mouth position
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Underneath (subterminal), extends well past eyes
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Anal fin
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Yes
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Dorsal fin
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2
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Fin spines
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No
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# of gill slits
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5
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Reproduction
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Ovoviviparous (eggs developing in the female's body with no placenta and born alive). Some species are oviphagous (fetuses eat unfertlized eggs). Sandtiger pups will feed on siblings in-utero.
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Unique qualities
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"lamnoid dental pattern" in many species: large anterior teeth, smaller intermediate, large laterals and smaller posteriors.
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Habitat
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Marine; coastal to open-ocean; cold temperate to tropical , Atlantic, Pacific, and Indian Oceans
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Food
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Fish, squid, up to sea mammals. 2 species filter plankton
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