Hexanchiformes

Hexanchiformes
Temporal range: Middle Jurassic–Recent
[1]
Frilled shark, Chlamydoselachus anguineus
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Chondrichthyes
Subclass: Elasmobranchii
Superorder: Selachimorpha
Order: Hexanchiformes
de Buen, 1926
Families

Chlamydoselachidae
Hexanchidae

Hexanchiformes is the order consisting of the most primitive types of sharks, and numbering just five extant species. Fossil sharks that were apparently very similar to modern sevengill species are known from Jurassic specimens.[2]

Hexanchiform sharks have only one dorsal fin, either six or seven gill slits, and no nictitating membrane in the eyes.

The frilled shark, Chlamydoselachus anguineus, is very different from the cow sharks, and it has been proposed that it be moved to its own order Chlamydoselachiformes.

Contents

Classification

Extant species

Extinct species

See also

References

  1. ^ Froese, Rainer, and Daniel Pauly, eds. (2009). "Hexanchiformes" in FishBase. January 2009 version.
  2. ^ Allen, 45