Carcharhiniformes



Carcharhiniformes, the ground 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.

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. Carchariniformes first underwent major diversification during the Late Cretaceous, initially as mostly small-sized forms, before radiating into medium and large body sizes during the Cenozoic.

Families
According to FishBase, the nine families of ground sharks are:
 * Carcharhinidae (requiem sharks)
 * Galeocerdonidae or Galeocerdidae (Tiger shark)
 * Hemigaleidae (weasel sharks)
 * Leptochariidae (barbeled houndshark)
 * Proscylliidae (finback catsharks)
 * Pseudotriakidae (false catsharks)
 * Scyliorhinidae (catsharks)
 * Sphyrnidae (hammerhead sharks)
 * Triakidae (houndsharks)

Fossil genera
The following fossil genera of Carcharhiniformes are also known:


 * 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
 * Genus †Physogaleus Cappetta, 1980
 * 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