How many shark species are there?
There are more than 440 described species of sharks split across eight orders of sharks, listed below in roughly their evolutionary relationship from more primitive to more modern species: Hexanchiformes: Examples from this group include the cow sharks, frilled shark and even a shark that looks on first inspection to be a marine snake. Squaliformes: This group includes the bramble sharks, dogfish and roughsharks, and prickly shark. Pristiophoriformes: These are the sawsharks, with an elongated, toothed snout that they use for slashing the fish that they eat. Squatiniformes: Also known as angel sharks, they are flattened sharks with a strong resemblance to stingrays and skates. Heterodontiformes: They are generally referred to as the bullhead or horn sharks. Orectolobiformes: They are commonly referred to as the carpet sharks, including zebra sharks, nurse sharks, wobbegongs and the whale shark. Carcharhiniformes: These are commonly referred to as the groundsharks, and some of the speci
