Jawless to Chondrichthyans (Major Fish Group I)

myxinidae (hagfishes)

• 4 pairs of oral tentacles

• 12 pairs of gill slits

Petromyzontidae (lampreys)

• round sucker like mouth

• 7 pairs of gill slits

chimaridae

• if male, 3 tenaculum

• 3 pairs of grinding tooth plates

heterodontidae (bull head or horn sharks)

• distinctive flattened heads

Scyliorhinidae (ground cat sharks)

• elongated, catlike eyes with nictitating eyelids

Squalidae (dog fish sharks)

• characterized by a long, slender body and a pointed snout

Triakidae (houndsharks)

• spineless dorsal and anal fins

• horizontally oval eyes

Carcharinidae (requiem shark)

• usually no spiracles

Sphyrnidae (hammer head shark)

• head laterally expanded

• no spiracle

 Squatinidae (angel sharks)

• flat, bat-like body

• wing like pectoral fins

Rhinobatidae (guitar fishes)

• body intermediate between a shark and a skate

Platyrhinidae (Thonbacks / fan rays)

• firm body, large, flattened subcircular to shovel-shaped disc

Rajidae (skates)

• Tail very slender, with lateral folds, usually 2 reduced dorsal fins and a reduced caudal fin

Torpenidae/Narcinidae (Electric / torpedo rays)

• disc rounded anteriorly

Urobatidae (round rays)

• head barely distinguishable

• mouth positioned forward on ventral disc

Dasyatidae (stingrays)

Myliobatidae (Eagle rays)

Mobulidae (Devil rays)

• head lobes that extend forward on each side

Lamnidae (Mackerel sharks)

• pointed snouts and spindle shaped bodies

Ginglymostomatidae (Nurse sharks)