Family Cetorhinidae - Basking sharks
Order : Lamniformes Cetorhinidae
Class : Elasmobranchii
No. in FishBase : Genera : 1 | Species : 1 Eschmeyer's Catalog of Fishes
Environment : Fresh : No | Brackish : No | Marine : Yes
Division : Marine
Aquarium : none
First Fossil Record : upper   Cretaceous     Ref. Berg, L.S. 1958
Remark : Marine, all oceans, highly migratory. Gill openings exceptionally large; gill rakers elongate, plankton feeders, teeth reduced. The tail is nearly symmetrical with keel on caudal peduncle. Fifth gill opening in front of pectoral fin. The family contains the world's second largest fish, reportedly reaching 1,520 cm TL (Ref. 247). Ovoviviparous, embryos feeding on yolk sac and other ova produced by the mother (Ref. 50449).
Etymology : Latin, cetus = whale, marine monster + Greek, rhinos = nose ( Ref. 45335).
Reproductive guild : bearers
Typical activity level : normal
Main Ref. : Compagno, L.J.V. 1984
Coordinator : Compagno, L.J.V. 1984
Deep Fin Classification :

Show species images | Show valid names | Nominal species list | CAS specimen photos | References

Ref.
[ e.g. 9948 ]
Glossary
[ e.g. oophagy ]


Species/Synonymy list for the family Cetorhinidae as currently in FishBase

Important recommendation:

The list below must not be used as an authority reference synonymy list like those found in scientific published revisions, which must be the source to be used and cited eventually when they exist.

Rather, it reflects the current content of FishBase, and the progress with respect to synchronization with the Catalog of Fishes. However, we think it can be useful for users to assess the quality of information in FishBase, to start new work on the family, or to cross-check with other lists.

But we appreciate to be cited in publications when this list has been of any working value. In particular, for published scientific, we suggest then to cite it in the Material and Method section as a useful tool to conduct the research, but again, not as a taxonomic or nomenclatural authority reference.

Unless it is explicitly precised, the list is not complete, please search all original names published for the family in the Catalog of Fishes (genera, species), including those with uncertain or unknown status, that are not included in FishBase when they are not attached to a valid species.

This list uses some data from Catalog of Fishes (not shown but used to sort names).

The list ordered as follows:

Please send comments and corrections if you detect errors or missing names.

Show all | Show only accepted name | Show only accepted and original names
Scientifc name Status Senior/Junior synonym Combination
Cetorhinus maximus (Gunnerus, 1765)
acceptedseniornew
Scoliophis atlanticus Anonymous, 1817
ambiguousquestionableoriginal
Hannovera aurata van Beneden, 1871
ambiguousquestionableoriginal
Squalus maximus Gunnerus, 1765
synonymseniororiginal
Halsydrus maximus (Gunnerus, 1765)
synonymseniornew
Selache maxima (Gunnerus, 1765)
synonymseniornew
Selache maximum (Gunnerus, 1765)
synonymseniornew
Selache maximus (Gunnerus, 1765)
synonymseniornew
Squalus gunnerianus Blainville, 1810
synonymjuniororiginal
Squalus homianus Blainville, 1810
synonymjuniororiginal
Squalus pelegrinus Blainville, 1810
synonymjuniororiginal
! Squalus peregrinus Blainville, 1810
synonymjuniororiginal
Tetroras angiova Rafinesque, 1810
ambiguousquestionableoriginal
! Tetraoras angiova Rafinesque, 1810
ambiguousquestionableoriginal
Squalis gunneri Blainville, 1816
ambiguousotheroriginal
Squalis shavianus Blainville, 1816
ambiguousotheroriginal
synonymjuniororiginal
Squalus rostratus Macri, 1819
synonymjuniororiginal
Cetorhinus rostratus (Macri, 1819)
synonymjuniornew
Squalus isodus Macri, 1819
synonymjuniororiginal
Selache elephas (Le Sueur, 1822)
synonymjuniornew
Squalus elephas Lesueur, 1822
synonymjuniororiginal
synonymjuniororiginal
Squalus rhinoceros DeKay, 1842
ambiguousotheroriginal
Squalus cetaceus Gronow, 1854
synonymjuniororiginal
Polyprosopus macer Couch, 1862
synonymjuniororiginal
Cetorhinus blainvillei de Brito Capello, 1869
synonymjuniororiginal
Selachus pennantii Cornish, 1885
synonymjuniororiginal
Tetroras maccoyi Barrett, 1933
synonymjuniororiginal
Cetorhinus maccoyi (Barrett, 1933)
synonymjuniornew
Halsydrus maccoyi (Barrett, 1933)
synonymjuniornew
Cetorhinus maximus f. infanuncula Deinse & Adriani, 1953
synonymjuniororiginal
Cetorhinus maximus infanuncula Deinse & Adriani, 1953
synonymjuniorchange in rank
Cetorhinus normani Siccardi, 1961
synonymjuniororiginal
synonymjuniornew
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