Outline of sharks

• Ichthyology – branch of zoology devoted to fish (including sharks)
• Meristics – branch of ichthyology that relates to counting features of fish, such as the number of fins or scales

A shark, also called a "selachimorph", can be described as all of the following:

• Animal – multicellular, eukaryotic organism of the kingdom Animalia or Metazoa. An animal's body plan eventually becomes fixed as it develops, although some types of animal undergo a process of metamorphosis later on in their life. Most kinds of animal are motile, meaning they can move spontaneously and independently.
• Chordate – Chordates (phylum Chordata) are animals which are either vertebrates or one of several closely related invertebrates.
• Fish – gill-bearing aquatic vertebrate (or craniate) animal that lacks limbs with digits.
• Chondrichthye (cartilaginous fish) – jawed fish with paired fins, paired nares, scales, two-chambered hearts, and skeletons made of cartilage rather than bone.
• Elasmobranch – member of the subclass Elasmobranchii, which includes sharks, rays, and skates.
• Predator – organism that attacks and feeds on prey (the organism that is attacked).Begon, M., Townsend, C., Harper, J. (1996). Ecology: Individuals, populations and communities (Third edition). Blackwell Science, London. {{ISBN|0-86542-845-X}}, {{ISBN|0-632-03801-2}}, {{ISBN|0-632-04393-8}}.
• Apex predator – some shark species are apex predators, that is, predators with no predators of their own, residing at the top of their food chain.{{cite web|url=https://www.pbs.org/kqed/oceanadventures/glossary/ |title=apex predator |publisher=PBS |access-date=2010-01-25}}

Image:Extant Shark Orders.svg shark orders|alt=Diagram showing shark "family tree"]]

{{Further|Biological classification}}

• Kingdom: Animalia
• Phylum: Chordata
• Class: Chondrichthyes
• Subclass: Elasmobranchii
• Superorder: Selachimorpha

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List of sharks

Subdivisions of the biological classification Selachimorpha include:

• Carcharhiniformes – ground sharks
• Heterodontiformes – bullhead sharks
• Hexanchiformes – the five extant species of the most primitive types of sharks
• Lamniformes – mackerel sharks
• Orectolobiformes – includes carpet sharks, including zebra sharks, nurse sharks, wobbegongs, and the whale shark
• Pristiophoriformes – includes sawsharks
• Squaliformes – includes gulper sharks, bramble sharks, lantern sharks, rough sharks, sleeper sharks and dogfish sharks
• Squatiniformes – angel sharks
• † Cladoselachiformes
• † Hybodontiformes
• † Symmoriida
• † Xenacanthida (Xenacantiformes)

Image:PhiladelphiaInquirerJuly151916.gif report of Jersey Shore shark attack|alt=Photo of front page of newspaper showing photo of large shark with open mouth]]

• Predation
• Apex predator
• Shark threat display – Behaviour shown by some sharks when threatened
• Spy hopping – Raising the head out of the water

Shark attack

• International Shark Attack File
• List of fatal shark attacks in the United States
• Jersey Shore shark attacks of 1916 – series of shark attacks along the coast of New Jersey between July 1 and July 12, 1916Fernicola, Twelve Days of Terror
• Summer of the Shark – the name given to the summer of 2001 by American media outlets capitalizing on a bull shark attack and subsequent shark attacks {{cite magazine| url=http://www.time.com/time/2001/sharks/ | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20010724222409/http://www.time.com/time/2001/sharks/ | url-status=dead | archive-date=July 24, 2001 | magazine=Time | title=Summer of the Shark | date=July 30, 2001 | access-date=May 20, 2010}}

• Bodies of water in which sharks can be found include:
• Seas: all
• Freshwater – some species of shark can live both in seawater and freshwater, and include:
• Bull shark
• River shark
• Sandbar shark
• Depths: from the surface down to depths of {{convert|2000|m|ft}}.

Image:Male whale shark at Georgia Aquarium.jpg|alt=Photo of whale shark with silhouettes of human observers at bottom of picture]]

• White Shark Cafe – remote mid-Pacific Ocean area noted as a winter and spring habitat of otherwise coastal great white sharks

Sharks in captivity

• Shark tank
• Shark tunnel – underwater tunnel that passes through an aquarium that keeps sharks

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Image:Parts of a shark.svg

• Physical characteristics of sharks – shark skeleton, respiration and skin
• Dermal denticle – small outgrowths which cover the skin of sharks
• Ampullae of Lorenzini – sensing organ that helps sharks and fish to sense electric fields
• Electroreception – the biological ability to perceive electrical impulses (see also Ampullae of Lorenzini)
• Lateral line – sense organ that detects movement and vibration in the surrounding water
• Shark cartilage – material that a sharks' skeleton is composed of
• Shark teeth
• Spiracle – pumps water across gills
• Clasper – the anatomical structure that male sharks use for mating
• Fish anatomy – generic description of fish anatomy

{{see also|Category:Shark attack prevention}}

Image:Shark net example.svg

• Drum lines
• Shark net – submerged net placed around beaches to reduce shark attacks on swimmers
• Shark proof cage – cage from which a SCUBA diver can examine sharks more safely
• Shark repellent – method of driving sharks from an area, object, person, or animal
• Magnetic shark repellent – use of permanent magnets to repel sharks
• Protective oceanic device – first successful electronic shark repellent
• Shark suit

File:Ecuadorian fishing boat.jpg, Ecuador|alt=Photo of single-masted boat at sea]]

• Drivers of the shark trade
• Land-based shark fishing – fishing for sharks from land such as a beach, shoreline, jetty, pier, or bridge
• Shark finning – the removal of shark fins for commercial purposes

File:Grey Nurse Shark at Fish Rock Cave, NSW.jpg.]]

• 1992 cageless shark-diving expedition – first publicized cageless dive with great white sharks which contributed to changing public opinions about the supposed "killing machine"
• Shark Alliance – coalition of nongovernmental organizations dedicated to restoring and conserving shark populations by improving European fishing policy
• Shark Conservation Act – proposed US law to protect sharks
• Shark sanctuary – Palau's first-ever attempt to prohibit taking sharks within its territorial waters
• Shark tourism – form of ecotourism showcasing sharks
• Shark Trust – A UK organisation for conservation of sharks

• Stronsay Beast – large, dead creature washed ashore on Stronsay, in the Orkney Islands, after a storm in 1808, later presumed to be a basking shark

Image:Hans Hass.jpg

• Peter Benchley – author of the novel Jaws, later worked for shark conservation
• Eugenie Clark – American ichthyologist researching poisonous fish and the behavior of sharks; popularly known as The Shark Lady
• Leonard Compagno – international authority on shark taxonomy, best known for 1984 catalog of shark species (FAO)
• Jacques-Yves Cousteau – French naval officer, explorer, ecologist, filmmaker, innovator, scientist, photographer, author and researcher who studied the sea and all forms of life in water including sharks
• Ben Cropp – Australian former shark hunter, who stopped in 1962 to produce some 150 wildlife documentaries
• Richard Ellis – American marine biologist, author, and illustrator.
• Rodney Fox – Australian film maker, conservationist, survivor of great white shark attack and one of the world's foremost authorities on them
• Andre Hartman – South African diving guide best known for free-diving unprotected with great white sharks
• Hans Hass – diving pioneer, known for shark documentaries
• Mike Rutzen – great white shark expert and outspoken champion of shark conservation; known for free diving unprotected with great white sharks
• Ron and Valerie Taylor – ex-spearfishing champions who switched from killing to filming underwater documentaries
• Rob Stewart (filmmaker) – Canadian photographer, filmmaker and conservationist. He was best known for making and directing the documentary film Sharkwater

{{portal|Sharks}}

• List of ichthyology terms
• List of megamouth shark specimens and sightings
• List of prehistoric cartilaginous fish genera
• List of sharks in the Red Sea

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{{sisterlinks|Shark}}

• [http://elasmodiver.com/elasmobranch_taxonomy.htm Taxonomy of sharks and rays]

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