| Dalatiidae | |
|---|---|
| |
| Kitefin shark, Dalatias licha | |
Scientific classification 
| |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Chondrichthyes |
| Subclass: | Elasmobranchii |
| Order: | Squaliformes |
| Family: | Dalatiidae J. E. Gray, 1851 |
| Type species | |
| Squalus licha Bonnaterre, 1788
| |
| Diversity | |
| Eight genera, 13 species, See text. | |
The Dalatiidae are the family of kitefin sharks of the order Squaliformes (the term "kitefin shark" also refers specifically to the species Dalatias licha). Members of this family are small, under 2 m (6.6 ft) long, and are found worldwide. They have cigar-shaped bodies with narrow heads and rounded snouts. Several species have specialized bioluminescent organs.[2] Though eight genera are in this family, four of them are monotypic.
- ^ MANNERING, HILLER, AL A., NORTON (2008). "AN EARLY CENOZOIC NEOSELACHIAN SHARK FAUNA FROM THE SOUTHWEST PACIFIC". Palaeontology. 51 (6). doi:10.1111/j.1475-4983.2008.00812.x.
{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) - ^ Hamlett WC, ed. (1999). Sharks, Skates, and Rays: The Biology of Elasmobranch Fishes. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press. pp. 16–17. ISBN 0-8018-6048-2.