Carcharhiniformes , the Requiem sharks , are the largest order of sharks , with over 270 species. They include a number of common types, such as catsharks , swellsharks , and requiem sharks .
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Ground sharks, like this blacknose shark , have a nictitating membrane which can be drawn over the eye to protect it. 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 .
The oldest members of the order appeared during the Middle-Late Jurassic , which have teeth and body forms that are morphologically similar to living catsharks .[1] Late Cretaceous , initially as mostly small-sized forms, before radiating into medium and large body sizes during the Cenozoic .[2] [3]
Eschmeyer's Catalog of Fishes classifies the Carcharhiniformes into two suborders and nine families:[4]
Suborder Scyliorhinoidei
Suborder Carcharhinoidei
Family Atelomycteridae E. G. White , 1936
Family Pentanchidae Smith , 1912
Family Dichichthyidae W. T. White , Stewart , Reuben
O'Neill & Naylor , 2024
Family Pseudotriakidae Gill, 1893 (false catsharks)
Family Proscylliidae Fowler , 1941
Family Leptochariidae Gray , 1851
Family Triakidae Gray, 1851 (houndsharks)
Subfamily Triakinae Gray, 1851 (smouth-hounds)
Subfamily Galeorhininae Gill, 1862 (school sharks)
Family Hemigaleidae J.C.F. Hasse , 1878
Family Carcharhinidae D. S. Jordan & Evermann , 1896
Family Galeocerdonidae Poey , 1875
Family Sphyrnidae Bonaparte , 1840 Fossil genera
The following fossil genera of Carcharhiniformes are also known:[5]
Genus †Altusmirus Fuchs, Engelbrecht, Lukeneder & Kriwet, 2017
Genus †Corysodon Saint-Seine, 1949
Genus †Platyrhizodon Guinot, Underwood, Cappetta & Ward, 2013
Genus †Vectiscyllium Duffin & Batchelor, 2024
Family Carcharhinidae
Genus †Abdounia Cappetta, 1980
Genus †Archaeogaleus Guinot, Cappetta & Adnet, 2014
Genus †Danogaleus Noubhani & Cappetta, 1997
Genus †Eogaleus Cappetta, 1975
Genus †Eorhincodon Li, 1997
Genus †Fornicatus Fuchs, Engelbrecht, Lukeneder & Kriwet, 2018
Genus †Kruckowlamna Laurito Mora, 1999
Genus †Misrichthys Case & Cappetta, 1990
Genus †Pseudabdounia Ebersole, Cicimurri & Stringer, 2019
Family †Florenceodontidae Cappetta, Morrison & Adnet, 2019
Genus †Florenceodon Cappetta, Morrison & Adnet, 2019
Family Hemigaleidae
Genus †Moerigaleus Underwood & Ward, 2011
Family Galeocerdonidae
Family †Pseudoscyliorhinidae Stumpf, Scheer & Kriwet, 2019
Genus †Diprosopovenator Stumpf, Scheer & Kriwet, 2019
Genus †Pseudoscyliorhinus Müller & Diedrich, 1991
Family Pentanchidae
Genus †Pseudoapristurus Pollerspöck & Straube, 2017
Family Proscyllidae
Genus †Praeproscyllium Underwood & Ward, 2004
Family Scyliorhinidae
Genus †Bavariscyllium Thies, 2005
Genus †Cadiera Guinot, Cappetta & Adnet, 2014
Genus †Casieria Noubhani & Cappetta, 1997
Genus †Crassescyliorhinus Underwood & Ward, 2008
Genus †Cretascyliorhinus Underwood & Mitchell, 1999
Genus †Foumtizia Noubhani & Cappetta, 1997
Genus †Megascyliorhinus Cappetta & Ward, 1977
Genus †Microscyliorhinus Case, 1994
Genus †Orthodon Coquand, 1860
Genus †Pachyscyllium Reinecke, Moths, Grant & Breitkreuz, 2005
Genus †Palaeoscyllium Wagner, 1857
Genus †Platyrhizoscyllium Adnet, 2006
Genus †Porodermoides Noubhani & Cappetta, 1997
Genus †Premontreia Cappetta, 1992
Genus †Prohaploblepharus Underwood & Ward, 2008
Genus †Protoscyliorhinus Herman, 1977
Genus †Pteroscyllium Cappetta, 1980
Genus †Scyliorhinotheca Kiel, Peckmann & Simon, 2013
Genus †Sigmoscyllium Guinot, Underwood, Cappetta & Ward, 2013
Genus †Stenoscyllium Noubhani & Cappetta, 1997
Genus †Thiesus Guinot, Cappetta & Adnet, 2014
Genus †Tingaleus Cappetta, 1993
Family Triakidae
Genus †Archaeotriakis Case, 1978
Genus †Gomphogaleus Adnet & Cappetta, 2008
Genus †Kallodentis Engelbrecht, Mörs, Reguero & Kriwet, 2017
Genus †Khouribgaleus Noubhani & Cappetta, 1997
Genus †Meridiogaleus Engelbrecht, Mörs, Reguero & Kriwet, 2017
Genus †Pachygaleus Cappetta, 1992
Genus †Palaeogaleus Gurr, 1962
Genus †Palaeotriakis Guinot, Underwood, Cappetta & Ward, 2013
Genus †Rhaibodus Böhm, 1926
Genus †Squatigaleus Cappetta, 1989
Genus †Xystrogaleus Adnet, 2006 
