| Noun | 1. | subclass Elasmobranchii - sharks; rays; dogfishes; skates Chondrichthyes, class Chondrichthyes - cartilaginous fishes elasmobranch, selachian - any of numerous fishes of the class Chondrichthyes characterized by a cartilaginous skeleton and placoid scales: sharks; rays; skates family Hexanchidae, Hexanchidae - primitive sharks family Lamnidae, Lamnidae - oceanic sharks Cetorhinidae, family Cetorhinidae - in some older classifications considered the family of the basking sharks Alopiidae, family Alopiidae - thresher sharks family Orectolobidae, Orectolobidae - nurse sharks and carpet sharks Carchariidae, family Carchariidae, family Odontaspididae, Odontaspididae - sand sharks; in some classifications coextensive with family Carcharhinidae family Rhincodontidae, Rhincodontidae - small-toothed sharks comprising only one species family Scyliorhinidae, Scyliorhinidae - small bottom-dwelling sharks Carcharhinidae, family Carcharhinidae - largest family of living sharks; found worldwide especially in tropical waters; dorsal fin lacks spines: requiem sharks including tiger sharks and soupfin sharks family Triakidae, Triakidae - small sharks with smooth skins and lacking spines on their dorsal fins family Squalidae, Squalidae - dogfishes having a spine in each dorsal fin family Sphyrnidae, Sphyrnidae - hammerhead sharks; bonnethead sharks family Squatinidae, Squatinidae - bottom-dwelling ray-like sharks order Torpediniformes, Torpediniformes - rays with bodies shaped like torpedoes Batoidei, order Batoidei, order Rajiformes, Rajiformes - fish with dorsoventrally flattened bodies; includes: rays; skates; guitarfishes; sawfishes class - (biology) a taxonomic group containing one or more orders |