The Shark Order Squaliformes
A few basic characteristics can be presented for this shark group.
- squaliformes have five pairs of gill slits.
- two dorsal fins; often with a spine along the leading edge.
- the first dorsal originates in front of pelvic fin.
- they lack an anal fin.
- many species are bioluminescent to some degree.
- exclusively marine most species are bottom oriented.
- their habitat ranging from shallows to the abyss.
The squaliform sharks are creatures of extreme, they range from very small to the very largest; they inhabit a wide range of depths warm sunny shallows to chill blackness of the bottomless abyss. Beyond the basic no generalization can be made about this large and diverse group of sharks
Before we go into the uniqueness of this shark order, their significance to humans should be summed up. It is no exaggeration to say that these sharks have more fully been put to use than any other group of sharks. They have played a role in myth, in cultural rituals and medicine and a great biological understanding regarding vertebrate physiology. In addition there is no authenticated record of an attack on a human by any dogfish shark.
The Unique:
Cookie-cutter Shark
All squaliformes are predators and opportunistic scavengers; however, none has achieved the notoriety of the Cookie-cutter Shark. It is only 1.5 feet but is known to remove pieces from such large open-ocean creatures as the yellow-fin tune, mahi mahi, wahoo, marlins and sailfishes, swordfish, Blue and much more. It is the most bioluminescent of all sharks seducing its prey with the greenish glow. During the 1970's several American subs were forced to return to base due to Cookie-cutter damage to their neoprene-covered sonar domes. Since has been circumvented.
Angular Roughsharks
The most endearing squaloid diversity are the angular Roughsharks. These chubby smallish deepwater sharks feature oversized scales, a small mouth fringed with finger like lip papillae(a soft, fleshy projection, usually small and nipple-like) floppy sail-like dorsal fins with deeply embedded spines, a triangular cross-section, dermal ridges along the spine that resemble 'love handles' .To see these mysterious squaloids alive moving gives one appreciation of these animals.
The order Squaliformes (Dogfish Sharks) has three families and eighty species
Family Echinorhinidae - Bramble Sharks
Two Species| species in the Family Squaliformes | |
|---|---|
| Echinorhinus brucus | Bramble shark |
| Echinorhinus cookei | Prickly shark |
Family Squalidae - Dogfish sharks
Seventy Species| species in the Family Squalidae | |
|---|---|
| acoleola nigra | Hooktooth dogfish |
| Centrophorus acus | Needle dogfish |
| Centrophorus granulosus | Gulper shark |
| Centrophorus harrissoni | Dumb gulper shark |
| Centrophorus lusitanicus | Lowfin gulper shark |
| Centrophorus moluccensis | Smallfin gulper shark |
| Centrophorus niaukang | Taiwan gulper shark |
| Centrophorus squamosus | Leafscale gulper shark |
| Centrophorus tesselatus | Mosaic gulper shark |
| Centrophorus uyato | Little gulper shark |
| Centroscyllium fabricii | Black dogfish |
| Centroscyllium granulatum | Granular dogfish |
| Centroscyllium kamoharai | Bareskin dogfish |
| Centroscyllium nigrum | Combtooth dogfish |
| Centroscyllium ornatum | Ornate dogfish |
| Centroscyllium ritteri | Whitefin dogfish |
| Centroscymnus coelolepis | Portuguese dogfish |
| Centroscymnus crepidater | Longnose velvet dogfish |
| Centroscymnus cryptacanthus | Shortnose velvet dogfish |
| Centroscymnus macracanthus | Largespine velvet dogfish |
| Centroscymnus owstoni | Roughskin dogfish |
| Centroscymnus plunketi | Plunket shark |
| Cirrhigaleus barbifer | Mandarin dogfish |
| Dalatias licha | Kitefin shark |
| Deania calcea | Birdbeak dogfish |
| Deania hystricosum | Rough longnose dogfish |
| Deania profundorum | Arrowhead dogfish |
| Deania quadrispinosum | Longsnout dogfish |
| Etmopterus baxteri | New Zealand lanternshark |
| Etmopterus brachyurus | Shorttail lanternshark |
| Etmopterus bullisi | Lined lanternshark |
| Etmopterus carteri | Cylindrical lanternshark |
| Etmopterus decacuspidatus | Combtooth lanternshark |
| Etmopterus gracilispinis | Broadband lanternshark |
| Etmopterus granulosus | Southern lanternshark |
| Etmopterus hillianus | Carribean lanternshark |
| Etmopterus lucifer | Blackbelly lanternshark |
| Etmopterus perryi | Dwarf lanternshark |
| Etmopterus polli | frican lanternshark |
| Etmopterus princeps | Great lanternshark |
| Etmopterus pusillus | Smooth lanternshark |
| Etmopterus schultzi | Fringefin lanternshark |
| Etmopterus sentosus | Thorny lanternshark |
| Etmopterus spinax | Velvet belly |
| Etmopterus unicolor | Brown lanternshark |
| Etmopterus villosus | Hawaiian lanternshark |
| Etmopterus virens | Green lanternshark |
| Euprotomicroides zantedeschia | Taillight shark |
| Europtomicrus bispinatus | Pygmy shark |
| Heteroscymnoides marleyi | Longnose pygmy shark |
| Isistius brasiliensis | Cookiecutter or cigar shark |
| Isistius plutodus | Largetooth cookiecutter shark |
| Mollisquama parini | Softskin dogfish |
| Scymnodalatias sherwoodi | Sherwood dogfish |
| Scymnodon ichiharai | Japanese velvet dogfish |
| Scymnodon ringens | Knifetooth dogfish |
| Scymnodon squamulosus | Greenland sleeper shark |
| Somniosus pacificus | Pacific sleeper shark |
| Somniosus rostratus | Little sleeper shark |
| Squaliolus laticaudus | Spined pygmy shark |
| Squalus acanthias | Piked dogfish |
| Squalus asper | Roughskin spurdog |
| Squalus blainvillei | Longnose spurdog |
| Squalus cubensis | Cuban dogfish |
| Squalus japonicus | Japanese spurdog |
| Squalus magalops | Shortnose spurdog |
| Squalus melanurus | Blacktail spurdog |
| Squalus mitsukurii | Shortspine spurdog |
| Squalus rancureli | Cyrano spurdog |
Family Oxynotidae - Roughsharks
Five Species| species in the Family Oxynotidae | |
|---|---|
| Oxynotus bruniensis | Prickly dogfish |
| Oxynotus carribaeus | Carribean roughshark |
| Oxynotus centrina | Angular roughshark |
| Oxynotus japonicus | Japanese roughshark |
| Oxynotus paradoxus | Sailfin roughshark |