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Table of Contents
Enchanted Learning
All About Sharks!

Geologic Time Chart
Introduction to Sharks Introduction to Rays Anatomy Shark and Ray Species Extreme Sharks Extinct Sharks Classification Shark Glossary Shark Index Printables, Worksheets, and Activities

What are
Taxonomy and
Cladistics?
Shark Classification Extinct
Sharks
Squatiniformes
Angel sharks
Pristiophoriformes
Sawsharks
Squaliformes
Dogfish sharks
Carcharhiniformes
Ground sharks
Lamniformes
Mackerel sharks
Orectolobiformes
Carpetsharks
Heterodontiformes
Bullhead sharks
Hexanchiformes
Frilled and cow sharks

SHARK CLASSIFICATION
There are over 350 species of sharks known worldwide. Sharks are classified as follows:

Kingdom Animalia
Phylum Chordata
SubPhylum Vertebrata
Class Chondrichthyes (cartilaginous fish)
Subclass Plagiostomi (sharks and rays: upper jaw hung from skulls and different kind of blood)
Superorder Selachimorpha (sharks: free upper eyelids, gill openings on the head, and pectoral fins separate from the side of the head)
Subclass Elasmobranchii (upper jaw that is not fused to the braincase, no swim bladder, advanced electroreceptive system, a spiracle, skin with placoid scales, teeth modified placoid scales, and 5-7 separate slit-like gill openings on each side of the body: there are about 600 species of sharks, skates, and rays)

Living sharks are divided into 8 Orders:
CHARACTERISTICS OF THE EIGHT ORDERS OF SHARKS
No anal fin Flattened body, mouth at the front. . SQUATINIFORMES (Angelsharks)
Body not flattened, mouth underneath Snout long and saw-like PRISTIOPHOROFORMES (Sawsharks)
Short snout SQUALIFORMES (Dogfish sharks)
Dogfish shark
Anal fin present 5 gill slits, 2 dorsal fins No fin spines Mouth extends behind the eyes Nictitating eyelids CARCHARHINIFORMES (Requiem sharks and hammerheads)
Tiger shark
No nictitating eyelids LAMNIFORMES (Mackerel sharks)
Great white shark
Mouth ends in front of eyes . ORECTOLOBIFORMES (Carpet sharks)
Nurse shark
Has dorsal fin spines . . HETERODONTIFORMES (Bullhead sharks)
6 - 7 gill slits, 1 dorsal fin . . . HEXANCHIFORMES (6-Gilled and 7-Gilled sharks)



Information Sheets About Sharks (and Rays)

Just click on an animal's name to go to that information sheet. If the shark (or ray) you're interested in isn't here, check the Shark Dictionary.

ANGELSHARK

BASKING SHARK

BLACKTIP REEF SHARK

BLUE SHARK

BLUNTNOSE SIXGILL SHARK

BONNETHEAD SHARK

BROADNOSE SEVENGILL SHARK

BULL SHARK

DOGFISH SHARK

GALAPAGOS SHARK

GOBLIN SHARK

GREAT WHITE SHARK

HAMMERHEAD SHARK

LEMON SHARK

MAKO SHARK

MANTA RAY

NURSE SHARK

PORBEAGLE SHARK

SPINED PYGMY SHARK

TIGER SHARK

THRESHER SHARK

WHALE SHARK



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