The
requiem sharks refer to all members of the
Carcharhinidae family that includes a family of migratory, live-bearing
sharks of warm seas, sometimes also found in brackish or fresh water, such as the
tiger shark,
blue shark,
bull shark, and
milk shark. The name comes from the French word for shark,
requin.
Family members have the usual carcharhiniform characteristics. The eyes are round, and the pectoral fins are completely behind the five gill slits. Most species are viviparous, the young being born fully developed.
Many of the species in this family grow to considerable size, the record holder being a tiger shark measuring 7.4 meters.
Requiem sharks are responsible for a large proportion of attacks on humans. However; due to the difficulty in identifying individual species, there is a degree of inaccuracy in attack records.
Classification
Taxonomic note
Carcharhinidae may be a Superfamily, divided into Galeocerdidae, Isogomphodontidae, Rhizoprionodontidae, Scoliodontidae, Scoliodontidae, Triaenodontidae, and Carcharhinidae.
Cladogram
- Carcharhinidae
- Galeocerdinae
- Scoliodontinae
- Carcharhininae
- Carcharhinini
- Rhizoprionodontini
- Isogomphodontini
- Triaenodontini
References
External links
