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Mackerel Sharks. Order Lamniformes
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Mackerel Sharks. Order Lamniformes
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Great White Shark
(Carcharodon carcharias)
Porbeagle Shark
(Lamna nasus)
Basking Shark
(Cetorhinus maximus)



Illustrations: R. Aidan Martin

Mackeral Sharks include the most famous sharks, such as the Thresher, Mako, and the most famous of them all, the Great White Shark. (Many biologists and shark enthusiasts call it by its less theatrical name of White Shark). Most Mackerel Sharks are the apex predator of their habitat. However, two of the great filter-feeding sharks, Basking and Megamouth Sharks, eat mostly plankton.

Click to view gallery

Characteristics of Mackerel Sharks, Order Lamniformes

# of species
15
Body shape
Rounded. Range from 3.6 feet (Crocodile Shark) to 32 feet (Basking Shark)
Mouth position
Underneath (subterminal), extends well past eyes
Anal fin
Yes
Dorsal fin
2
Fin spines
No
# of gill slits
5
Reproduction
Ovoviviparous (eggs developing in the female's body with no placenta and born alive). Some species are oviphagous (fetuses eat unfertlized eggs). Sandtiger pups will feed on siblings in-utero.
Unique qualities
"lamnoid dental pattern" in many species: large anterior teeth, smaller intermediate, large laterals and smaller posteriors.
Habitat
Marine; coastal to open-ocean; cold temperate to tropical , Atlantic, Pacific, and Indian Oceans
Food
Fish, squid, up to sea mammals. 2 species filter plankton

Comparison of the Mackerel Shark Families

Family
Goblin Shark
Sandtiger Shark
Ragged-
Tooth
Sharks
Thresher Sharks
Megamouth Shark
Crocodile
Shark
Basking
Shark
Mackerel Sharks
Mitsukur-
inidae
Carchariidae
Odontas-
pididae
Alopiidae
Megacha-
smidae
Pseudo-
carchariidae
Cetorhinidae
Lamnidae
# of species
1
1
2
3
1
1
1
5
Body
Snout has long projection. Jaws open to protrude signifcantly. Pink, soft skin. Up to 7.5 ft.
Small eyes. Can achieve bouyancy by gulping air. Brown with spots. Grows to 10 feet
Two rows of anterior teeth. Pointy snout, small eyes, large gills. Grows to 12 feet
Long upper lobe of caudal fin; small mouth; small gills Circulatory system retains metabolic heat. 11 to 20 ft. depending on species.
Large, blubbery; head large and relatively long: Grows to 16 feet
Large eyes. Gills are large and extend to top of head. Thin, long body, grows to 3.5 feet.
Very long gills; many small teeth, long body, Caudal lobes almost same size. Very large, grows to 37 ft.
Solidly-built. Tiny second dorsal. Pointy conical snout. Circulatory system retains heat as if "warm-
blooded".
Food
Fish, squid
Many kinds of fish. Sometimes feeds cooperatively.
Small fish, rays, squid, crustaceans
Fish, squid
Plankton
Not known.
Plankton
Fish, squid, and some marine mammals
Habitat

Depth between 130 to 3 940 feet. Mostly near Japan
Shallow reefs, coastal areas of temperate and tropical seas
Deep-water warm temperate and tropical seas; Mostly bottom; depth 43 to 1,380 ft
Coastal and oceanic waters; cool temperate to tropical zones of Atlantic, Pacific, and Indian oceans
Migrates vertically from 40 to 550 feet
Oceanic waters, near the bottom; depth from the surface to 1,940 feet.
Coastal to pelagic; boreal to warm temperate waters.
Coastal and oceanic; cool temperate to tropical zones of the Atlantic, Pacific, and Indian oceans


The 15 Species of Mackerel Sharks

Red indicates inclusion on the IUCN Red List of Endangered Species.

Order Lamniformes - Mackerel Sharks
Species
Common name
Family Mitsukurinidae - Goblin Shark
Genus Mitsukurina
Mitsukurina owstoni
Goblin Shark
Genus Carcharias

Carcharias taurus
Sand Tiger Shark, Spotted Ragged-tooth Shark
Family Odontaspididae - Ragged-Tooth Sharks
Genus Odontaspis
Odontaspis ferox
Smalltooth Sandtiger
Odontaspis noronhai
Bigeye Sandtiger
Family Alopiidae - Thresher Sharks
Genus Alopias
Alopias pelagicus
Pelagic Thresher
Alopias superciliosus
Bigeye Thresher
Alopias vulpinus
Thresher Shark
Family Megachasmidae - Megamouth Shark
Genus Megachasma
Megachasma pelagios
Megamouth Shark
Family Pseudocarchariidae - Crocodile Shark
Genus Pseudocarcharias

Pseudocarcharias kamoharai
Crocodile Shark
Family Cetorhinidae - Basking Shark
Genus Cetorhinus

Cetorhinus maximus
Basking Shark
Family Lamnidae - Mackerel Sharks
Genus Carcharodon

Carcharodon carcharias
Great White Shark
Genus Isurus

Isurus oxyrinchus
Shortfin Mako
Isurus paucus
Longfin Mako
Genus Lamna

Lamna ditropis
Salmon Shark
Lamna nasus
Porbeagle