Scoliodon
| Scoliodon | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Scoliodon macrorhynchos | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Chondrichthyes |
| Subclass: | Elasmobranchii |
| Superorder: | Selachimorpha |
| Order: | Carcharhiniformes |
| Family: | Carcharhinidae |
| Genus: | Scoliodon J. P. Müller & Henle, 1838 |
| Type species | |
| Scoliodon laticaudus Müller & Henle, 1838 | |
| Synonyms | |
| |
Scoliodon is a genus of requiem shark, and part of the family Carcharhinidae. It was formerly thought to include only a single Indo-Pacific species, the spadenose shark (S. laticaudus), but recent taxonomic research has found two species, and the formerly excluded junior synonyms need to be resurrected.[1]
Habitat and distribution
Like most sharks, Scoliodon is marine, and is found in all open seas.
Body
Scoliodon has an elongated, spindle-shaped, body tapered at the ends, making it a very fast swimmer. The trunk and tail are laterally compressed, while the head region is dorsoventrally compressed. The entire body is covered by an exoskeleton of placoid scales. The mouth is located on the ventral side and is bound on both sides by jaws. It has two rows of homodont or polyphyodont teeth, which are homologous to the placoid scales covering the body.
Species
- Scoliodon laticaudus J. P. Müller & Henle, 1838 (Spadenose shark)
- Scoliodon macrorhynchos Bleeker, 1852 (Pacific spadenose shark)