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Lamnidae is a family of sharks, commonly known as mackerel sharks or white sharks. They are large, fast-swimming sharks, found in oceans worldwide.

These sharks have pointed snouts, spindle-shaped bodies, and gigantic gill openings. The first dorsal fin is large, high, stiff and angular or somewhat rounded. The second dorsal and anal fins are minute. The caudal peduncle has a couple or less distinct keels. The teeth are gigantic. The fifth gill opening is in front of the pectoral fin and spiracles are sometimes absent. They are heavily-built sharks, sometimes weighing nearly three times as much as sharks of comparable length from other families. Many in the family are among the fastest-swimming fish, although a few like the massive Carcharodon are slower due to their great size.

Genera and species

The family contains five living species in three genera:^[1]

• Genus Carcharodon Smith, 1838
  • Carcharodon carcharias (Linnaeus, 1758) (Great white shark)
  • Carcharodon megalodon (Agassiz, 1843) †
  • Carcharodon hubbelli †
• Genus Isurus Rafinesque, 1810
  • Isurus oxyrinchus Rafinesque, 1810 (Shortfin mako)
  • Isurus paucus Guitart-Manday, 1966 (Longfin mako)
  • Isurus retroflexus †
  • Isurus desori †
  • Isurus escheri †
  • Isurus planus †
  • Isurus hastalis (Broad-toothed mako) †
• Genus Lamna Cuvier, 1816
  • Lamna ditropis Hubbs & Follett, 1947 (Salmon shark)
  • Lamna nasus (Bonnaterre, 1788) (Porbeagle)

See also

• List of sharks
• Shark
• List of prehistoric cartilaginous fish

References

• Froese, Rainer, and Daniel Pauly, eds. (2006). "Lamnidae" in FishBase. March 2006 version.

Wikispecies has information related to: Lamnidae