| Ground sharks | ||||||||
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| Scientific classification | ||||||||
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| Families | ||||||||
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Scyliorhinidae (cat sharks) Proscyllidae (finback cat sharks) Pseudotriakidae (false cat sharks) Leptochariidae (barbeled houndshark) Triakidae (hound sharks) Hemigaleidae (weasel sharks) Carcharhinidae (requiem sharks) |
The ground sharks, order Carcharhiniformes, are the largest order of sharks, with over 270 species, and includes a number of common types, such as the blue shark, and sandbar shark. They are also called "whaler sharks".
Members of the orders are characterized by the presence of a nictitating membrane over the eye, two dorsal fins, an anal fin, and five gill slits.
The families of the carcharhiniforms are expected to be revised; recent DNA studies show that some of the traditional groups are not monophyletic.