Family LAMNIDAE Bonaparte 1835 (Mackerel Sharks)

Revised 6 Nov. 2023
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Carcharodon Smith 1838 carchar-, presumably referring to Carcharias (Carchariidae); odon, Latinized and grammatically adjusted from the Greek nominative ὀδούς (odoús), tooth, “Teeth as in Carchari[a]s, serrated on both edges”

Carcharodon carcharias (Linnaeus 1758) from kárcharos (Gr. κάρχαρος), saw-like or jagged, referring to its teeth (“dentibus serratus”)

Isurus Rafinesque 1810 ísos (Gr. ἴσος), equal; urus, from ourá (Gr. οὐρά), tail, referring to caudal-fin lobes of I. oxyrinchus being equal in length (except that they are not; the upper is clearly longer)

Isurus oxyrinchus Rafinesque 1810 sharp-snouted, from oxýs (Gr. ὀξύς), sharp or pointed, and rhýnchos (Gr. ῥύγχος), snout, referring to its pointed snout

Isurus paucus Guitart Manday 1966 Latin for scarce, referring to its relative rarity compared with I. oxyrinchus

Lamna Cuvier 1816 lámna (Gr. λάμνα), a voracious fish or shark, derived from laimós (Gr. λαιμός), meaning both a monster that devours naughty children and a glutton (the latter referring to its ugliness coupled with a large mouth)

Lamna ditropis Hubbs & Follett 1947 di-, from dis (L.), in two; tropis (Gr.), keel, i.e., double-keeled, referring to the rudder-like projections on either side of tail

Lamna nasus (Bonnaterre 1788) Latin for nose, referring to moderately long conical snout