Subclass ELASMOBRANCHII
Introduction
The subclass Elasmobranchii includes the sharks and rays. Members of this group are distinctive in having five to seven gill openings on each side of the head. The classification used here largely follows Nelson (1994) for sharks and McEachran & Aschliman (2004) for rays. The group includes 13 orders of living sharks and rays as well as four orders known only from fossils. Nelson (2006) separated Echinorhinidae from the order Squaliformes, assigning it to Echinorhiniformes.
Generally two groups are recognised, the sharks (Selachii) and the rays and skates (Batoidea). However, Shirai (1992) proposed on morphological studies that batoids were more closely related to sawsharks and angelsharks than to other sharks. More recently molecular work has supported two separate monophyletic groups of sharks and rays (Douady et al. 2003; Winchell et al. 2004; Human et al. 2006). See Nelson (2006) for a more detailed discussion. We do not here separate the two groups, but only treat the orders in a similar arrangement to Nelson (2006). Future studies will undoubtedly alter the classification of the group.
A considerable number of books and other works are available on the systematics and biology of sharks and rays, including: Whitley (1940), Stead (1963), Steel (1986), Compagno (1988, 2001), Pepperell et al. (1993), Last & Stevens (1994), Coleman (1996), Cox & Francis (1997), Taylor (1997), Aitken (1998), Bright (1999), Hamlet (1999), Perrine (1999), Rotman (1999), Stevens (1999), Allen (2001), Hennemann (2001) and Daley et al. (2002). The most recent work by Compagno et al. (2005) summarises the known world species of sharks. Some changes to the Australian fauna are indicated, that may result in name changes for some species and the description of new species.
Closing Date
The closing date for entries in this section of the database was 15 January, 2010.
General References
Aitken, K. 1998. Sharks and Rays of Australia. Sydney : New Holland (Australia) 96 pp.
Allen, T.B. 2001. Shark Attacks: Their Causes and Avoidance. New York : Lyons Press 293 pp.
Bright, M. 1999. The Private Life of Sharks. London : Robson Books 285 pp.
Coleman, N. 1996. Australia's Sharks & Rays. Frenchs Forest : National 63 pp.
Compagno, L.J.V. 1988. Sharks of the Order Carcharhiniformes. Princeton, New Jersey : Princeton University Press 572 pp.
Compagno, L.J.V. 2001. Sharks of the World. An annotated and illustrated catalogue of shark species known to date. Bullhead, mackerel and carpet sharks (Heterodontiformes, Lamniformes and Orectolobiformes). Rome : FAO, FAO Species Catalogue for Fisheries Purposes No. 1 Vol. 2 269 pp.
Compagno, L.J.V., Dando, M. & Fowler, S. 2005. A Field Guide to the Sharks of the World. London : Collins 368 pp.
Cox, G. & Francis, M. 1997. Sharks and Rays of New Zealand. Christchurch : Canterbury University 68 pp.
Daley, R.K., Stevens, J.D., Last, P.R. & Yearsley, G.K. 2002. Field Guide to Australian Sharks & Rays. Hobart : CSIRO Marine Research 84 pp.
Douady, C.J., Dosay, M., Shivji, M.S. & Stanhope, M.J. 2003. Molecular phylogenetic evidence refuting the hypothesis of Batoidea (rays and skates) as derived sharks. Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution 26(2): 215-221
Hamlett, W.C. (ed.) 1999. Sharks, Skates, and Rays: the Biology of Elasmobranch Fishes. Baltimore & London : John Hopkins University Press 515 pp.
Hennemann, R. 2001. Sharks & Rays: Elasmobranch Guide to the World. Frankfurt : IKAN 304 pp.
Human, B.A., Owen, E.P, Compagno, L.J.V. & Harley, E.H. 2006. Testing morphologically based phylogenetic theories within the cartilaginous fishes with molecular data, with special reference to the catshark family (Chondrichthyes; Scyliorhinidae) and the interrelationships within them. Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution 39(2): 384-391
Last, P.R. & Stevens, J.D. 1994. Sharks and Rays of Australia. Canberra : CSIRO Australia 513 pp. 84 pls
McEachran, J.D. & Aschliman, N. 2004. Phylogeny of Batoidea. pp. 79-113 in Carrier, J.C., Musick, J.A. & Heithaus, M.R. (eds). Biology of Sharks and their Relatives. Boca Raton, Florida : CRC Press 596 pp.
Nelson, J.S. 2006. Fishes of the World. Hoboken, New Jersey : John Wiley & Sons, Inc. 601 pp.
Pepperell, J., West, J. & Woon, P. (eds) 1993. Shark Conservation. Proceedings of the International Workshop on the Conservation of Elasmobranchs held at Taronga Zoo, Sydney, Australia. Sydney : Zoological Parks Board of NSW 147 pp.
Perrine, D. 1999. Sharks and Rays of the World. Stillwater : Voyageur Press 132 pp.
Rotman, J.L. 1999. Shark!. New York : Ipso Facto Publishers 226 pp.
Shirai, S. 1992. Squalean Phylogeny. A new framework of "squaloid" sharks and related taxa. Sapporo : Hokkaido University Press 151 pp.
Stead, D.G. 1963. Sharks and Rays of Australian Seas. Sydney : Angus & Robertson 211 pp. 63 figs
Steel, R. 1986. Sharks of the World. New York : Facts on File 192 pp.
Stevens, J. (ed.) 1999. Sharks. Sydney : Weldon Owen 240 pp.
Taylor, L.R. (ed.) 1997. Sharks & Rays. San Francisco : Time-Life Books 288 pp.
Whitley, G.P. 1940. The Fishes of Australia. Part 1. The sharks, rays, devil-fish, and other primitive fishes of Australia and New Zealand. Sydney : Roy. Zool. Soc. N.S.W. 280 pp. 303 figs
Winchell, C.J., Martin, A.P. & Mallat, J. 2004. Phylogeny of elasmobranchs based on LSU and SSU ribosomal RNA genes. Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution 31(1): 214-224