Lamniformes

The Lamniformes (from Greek lamna "predatory fish") are an order of sharks commonly known as mackerel sharks, although this term can also specifically refer to the family Lamnidae. They include some of the most well-known shark species, such as the great white shark, and more unusual representatives like the goblin shark and the megamouth shark.

Distinctive Characteristics

Lamniformes are distinguished by having two dorsal fins, an anal fin, five gill slits, eyes without nictitating membranes, and a mouth that extends behind the eyes. Specifically, two families within the Lamniformes (Lamnidae and Alopiidae) have the ability to maintain a body temperature higher than the surrounding water.

Diversity and Ecology

This group includes large predators, generally medium to large in size, such as the extinct Otodus megalodon, the largest macro-predatory shark of all time. It also includes large plankton filter feeders.

Evolutionary History

The small Palaeocarcharias, similar to a carpet shark and about 1 meter long, known from the Middle and Late Jurassic, shares the distinctive dental histology of most Lamniformes, which lack orthodentin, and is considered the oldest lamniform or a sister group to all Lamniformes. Lamniformes underwent significant adaptive radiation during the Cretaceous, becoming prominent elements of ocean ecosystems. They reached their greatest diversity during the Late Cretaceous but declined drastically during the K-Pg extinction, before recovering to a high, though lesser, diversity peak during the Paleogene.

Decline and Current Diversity

In the last 20 million years, Lamniformes have significantly declined, with only 15 living species today, compared to over 290 existing species of Carcharhiniformes, which have evolved towards medium and large body sizes during the same period. The causes of this decline are unclear but likely include both biotic factors such as competition, and abiotic factors such as changes in temperature and sea level.

Species of the Lamniformes Order

The Lamniformes order includes 10 families with 22 species, of which seven families and 17 species are currently alive:

Family Alopiidae Bonaparte, 1838 (thresher sharks)

• Genus Alopias Rafinesque, 1810
  • Alopias pelagicus Nakamura, 1935 (pelagic thresher)
  • Alopias superciliosus R. T. Lowe, 1841 (bigeye thresher)
  • Alopias vulpinus (Bonnaterre, 1788) (common thresher)

Family Anacoracidae Capetta, 1987 (extinct, Cretaceous period)

• Genus Squalicorax (crow sharks)
• Genus Scindocorax
• Genus Nanocorax
• Genus Ptychocorax

Family Aquilolamnidae Vullo et al., 2021 (eagle sharks) (extinct, Upper Cretaceous period)

• Genus Aquilolamna Vullo et al., 2021
  • Aquilolamna milarcae Vullo et al., 2021

Family Cetorhinidae Gill, 1862

• Genus Cetorhinus Blainville, 1816
  • Cetorhinus maximus (Gunnerus, 1765) (basking shark)
  • Cetorhinus huddlestoni (Welton, 2014) (extinct)
  • Cetorhinus piersoni (Welton, 2015) (extinct)
• Genus Keasius (Welton, 2013) (extinct)

Family Eoptolamnidae (extinct, Upper Cretaceous period)

• Genus Eoptolamna
  • Eoptolamna eccentrolofa (extinct)
• Genus Leptostyrax
  • Leptostyrax macroriza (extinct)
• Genus Protolamna
  • Protolamna sokolovi (extinct)
  • Protolamna borodini (extinct)
  • Protolamna carteri (extinct)
  • Protolamna compressidens (extinct)
  • Protolamna gigantea (extinct)
  • Protolamna roanokeensis (extinct)

Superfamily Lamnoidea Bonaparte, 1835 Family Lamnidae J. P. Müller and Henle, 1838 (mackerel sharks or white sharks)

• Genus Carcharodon A. Smith, 1838
  • Carcharodon carcharias (Linnaeus, 1758) (great white shark)
  • Carcharodon hubbelli Ehret, Macfadden, Jones, Devries, Foster & Salas-Gismondi, 2012 (Hubbell’s white shark) (extinct)
  • Carcharodon caifassii Lawley, 1876 (extinct)
• Genus Isurus Rafinesque, 1810
  • Isurus oxyrinchus Rafinesque, 1810 (shortfin mako)
  • Isurus paucus Guitart-Manday, 1966 (longfin mako)
• Genus Lamna Cuvier, 1816
  • Lamna ditropis Hubbs & Follett, 1947 (salmon shark)
  • Lamna nasus (Bonnaterre, 1788) (porbeagle)

Family Otodontidae Gluckman, 1964 (extinct, Upper Cretaceous to Pliocene) (megatooth sharks)

• Genus Cretalamna Gluckman, 1958 (extinct)
• Genus Otodus (= Carcharocles) (Agassiz, 1843)
  • Otodus obliquus (Agassiz, 1838) (extinct)
  • Otodus angustidens (Agassiz, 1843) (extinct)
  • Otodus chubutensis (Agassiz, 1843) (extinct)
  • Otodus megalodon (Agassiz, 1843) (megalodon) (extinct)
  • Otodus auriculatus (Jordan, 1923) (extinct)
  • Otodus sokolovi (Zhelezko and Kozlov, 1999) (extinct)
• Genus Megalolamna Shimada et al., 2016 (extinct)
• Genus Palaeocarcharodon Casieer, 1960 (extinct)
• Genus Kenolamna Siversson, 2017 (extinct)

Family Megachasmidae Taylor, Compagno & Struhsaker, 1983

• Genus Megachasma Taylor, Compagno & Struhsaker, 1983
  • Megachasma pelagios Taylor, Compagno & Struhsaker, 1983 (megamouth shark)

Family Mitsukurinidae D. S. Jordan, 1898

• Genus Mitsukurina D. S. Jordan, 1898
  • Mitsukurina owstoni D. S. Jordan, 1898 (goblin shark)

Family Odontaspididae Müller & Henle, 1839

• Genus Carcharias Rafinesque, 1810
  • Carcharias taurus Rafinesque, 1810 (sand tiger shark)
• Genus Odontaspis Agassiz, 1838
  • Odontaspis ferox (Risso, 1810) (smalltooth sand tiger)
  • Odontaspis noronhai (Maul, 1955) (bigeye sand tiger)

Family Pseudocarchariidae Compagno, 1973

• Genus Pseudocarcharias Cadenat, 1963
  • Pseudocarcharias kamoharai (Matsubara, 1936) (crocodile shark)

Family Cardabiodontidae (extinct, Upper Cretaceous period)

• Genus Cardabiodon Siverson, 1999
  • Cardabiodon ricki Siverson, 1999 (extinct)
  • Cardabiodon venator Siverson and Lindgren, 2005 (extinct)
• Genus Dwardius Siverson, 1999 (extinct)
• Genus Parotodus ? Cappetta, 1980 (extinct)

Family Cretoxyrhinidae (extinct, Upper Cretaceous period)

• Genus Cretoxyrhina Agassiz, 1843
  • Cretoxyrhina vraconensis Zhelezko, 2000 (extinct)
  • Cretoxyrhina denticulata Glückman, 1957 (extinct)
  • Cretoxyrhina agassizensis Underwood and Cumbaa, 2010 (extinct)
  • Cretoxyrhina mantelli Agassiz, 1843 (Ginsu shark) (extinct)

Family Serratolamnidae (extinct)

• Genus Serratolamna (extinct)

Family Ptychodontidae (extinct, Cretaceous period)

• Genus Ptychodus (more than 16 species) (extinct)

Notable Lamniform Sharks

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See Also

You can consult the other seven orders of sharks:

• Carcharhiniformes.
• Orectolobiformes.
• Hexanchiformes.
• Squaliformes.
• Pristiophoriformes.
• Squatiniformes.
• Heterodontiformes.