What is Classification and how does it work?
All things on our planet have a name. This name identifies each thing from another, may it be Object, Animal, or Plant. Things are sorted together according to their similarities, forming Groups. Groups that have close resemblance are then collectively known as Class.
Sharks belong to the class of boneless fish known as Elasmobranchii {Bonaparte, 1838}. Elasmobranchii includes Sharks, Rays and Chimeras. We than have a Infraclass just for Sharks and this is called selachii {Nelson, 1994}.
Selachii is than divided into two Superorders. These are Galeomorphii {Compagno, 1973} and Squalomorphii {Compagno, 1973}. Similar species of sharks are than placed in groups called Orders. At present we know about 557 different types of sharks and these are grouped under 8 Orders.
Superorders are divided as follows:
Superorder Galeomorphii {Compagno, 1973}
Order Carcharhiniformes {Compagno, 1977}
Order Heterodontiformes {L.S. Berg, 1940}
Order Lamniformes {L.S. Berg, 1958}
Order Orectolobiformes {Applegate, 1972}
Superorder Squalomorphii {Compagno, 1973}
Order Echinorhiniformes {Gill, 1862}
Order Hexanchiformes {F. de Buen, 1926}
Order Pristiophoriformes {L. S. Berg 1958}
Order Squaliformes {Goodrich, 1909}
Order Squatiniformes {F. de Buen, 1926}
Because some sharks are known with different names in different parts of the world, scientists give each Species a Scientific name. A clear example of this is the Sandtiger. This shark is known also as Ragged Tooth {South Africa} and Grey Nurse {Australia} so these 3 different names refer to the Sandtiger Carcharias taurus. So if one had to follow the line down for the Sandtiger as classified in the Animal kingdom, It would read like this:
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata Subphylum: Vetrebrata
Infraphylum: Gnathostomata Parvphylum: Chondrichthyes
Class: Elasmobranchii Subclass: Neoselachii
Infraclass: Selachii Superorder Galeomorphii
Order: Lamniformes Family: Carchariidae
Genus: Carcharias Species: Taurus
Scientific Name: Carcharias taurus
Common Name: Sandtiger Shark
It is for this reason that whenever we refer to a specific shark, we write down both common and scientific name. {i.e. Sandtiger (Carcharias taurus)}
Todate, 552 Shark species have been identified.
As new species are discovered regularly this is not a complete list.