Shark is the naming term of all members of Selachimorpha suborder in the subclass Elasmobranchii, in the class Chondrichthyes. The Elasmobranchii also include rays and skates; the Chondrichthyes also include Chimaeras. The first shark-like chondrichthyans appeared in the oceans 400 million years ago,[1] developing into the crown group of sharks by the Early Jurassic.[2]

Identification of the 8 extant shark orders
Identification of the 8 extant shark orders

Listed below are extant species of shark. Sharks are spread across 512 described and 23 undescribed species in eight orders. The families and genera within the orders are listed in alphabetical order. Also included is a field guide to place sharks into the correct order.

Cow and frilled sharks (2 Families)

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Dogfish sharks (7 families)

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Sawsharks (1 family)

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Angel sharks (1 family)

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Bullhead sharks (1 family)

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Mackerel sharks (7 families)

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Carpet sharks (7 families)

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Ground sharks (8 families)

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Alphabetic sort

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See also

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References

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  1. ^ Märss, Tiiu; Gagnier, Pierre-Yves (3 August 2001). "A new chondrichthyan from the Wenlock, Lower Silurian, of Baillie-Hamilton Island, the Canadian Arctic". Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology. 21 (4): 693. doi:10.1671/0272-4634(2001)021[0693:ANCFTW]2.0.CO;2. S2CID 86329421. Retrieved 25 October 2020.
  2. ^ Rees, Jan (19 July 2010). "Neoselachian sharks from the Callovian–Oxfordian (Jurassic) of Ogrodzieniec, Zawiercie Region, southern Poland". The Palaeontological Association. 53 (4): 887–902. doi:10.1111/j.1475-4983.2010.00967.x. S2CID 129407928.