A Basic Overview of Shark Types

Sharks are an extremely diverse and fascinating group of marine vertebrates characterized by a skeletal cartilaginous body, five or seven small gill openings on the side of their head, two pairs of pectoral fins, and no fused pectoral fins. These characteristics make sharks a very diverse group that is often difficult to classify or even to understand. Sharks are divided into four main groups: Carcharhiniformes, Rhizodontiformes, Echinodermiformes, and Trilobatiformes. The latter are, in some ways, more complicated than their relatives since they are the most diverse in terms of shape, size, shape of head, etc., making them difficult to classify.

Carcharhiniformes

Carcharhiniformes are comprised of sharks that consist of several species: the common blacktip shark (Carcharodon carcharias), the red-spotted tiger shark (Prionailurus russellii), and the white-striped short fin tuna shark (Thalassiosira wanglongsha). Some members of this group, such as the white-spotted shortfin tuna shark, are also found in tropical regions like the Pacific Ocean and the Indian Ocean.

Echinodermiformes

Echinodermiformes, or "sea cow sharks", are sharks with fleshy, cartilaginous bodies, which may be either soft or hard. Common Echinodermiforms include the shortfin mahi-mahi and the grey nurse shark. Sea cow sharks also belong to a group of bony fishes called the Barytoplanktidae. Visit here to know more about the different types of sharks.

Rhizodontiformes

Rhizodontiformes are known as gill slits. This group includes the bull shark, the shortfin mahi-mahi, and the blacktip shark. They are commonly found in warm seas, especially off the coast of South America and in the Mediterranean Sea. Other members of this group are the grey nurse shark and the white-spotted shortfin tuna shark.

Some sharks, such as the common shark, belong to a class of sharks called pinnipeds (sharks and rays that live in lakes or other bodies of water). Pelagic sharks include the common shark, which belongs to the pinniped family (fish that swim through the water with their fins, and some other forms of sharks such as the stingray or bull shark) and the whale shark, which belongs to the Chimaeleonidae family (seahorses and sharks that breathing through gills). The only known shark with an oral gill is the pygmy or smallmouth bass shark. and the clownfish.

Categorized based on

Sharks can be categorized according to where they live and feed. Sharks that live primarily in the ocean are called oceanic sharks, whale sharks that live in rivers or other bodies of water are called freshwater sharks. Sharks that live in lakes are called brackish sharks, whale sharks that live in seas are called benthic sharks. Sharks that feed primarily on other sharks and fish called feeders are called feeder sharks.

Sharks also vary in their behaviour. Some sharks are aggressive, others are quiet, some are solitary, and some are social. Some sharks are scavengers, while others are nocturnal and feed at night. Some sharks are omnivores, while others eat meat. Some sharks have a very sensitive sense of smell, others have eyes and hearing that are particularly keen. Others are attracted to the vibrations of other sharks.