User:Icedburg824/FinalEdits

Squalidae Edits to be made to introduction of Squalidae page:

Introduction

Original Section (BEFORE Edits)

Squalidae, also called dogfish sharks, dog sharks, or spiny dogfish, are a family of sharks in the order Squaliformes. Dogfish sharks make up the second largest order of sharks at 119 species. They have two dorsal fins, each with smooth spines, but no anal fin, and their skin is generally rough to the touch. Dogfish tend to have slender bodies with a pointed snout. These species are also known to be more compact in comparison to other sharks. As the species reaches adulthood, males usually measure a maximum of 39 inches (990 mm), while females typically measure 49 inches (1,200 mm) long. The species therefore exhibits female-dominant sexual dimorphism. Dogfish sharks earned their name after a group of fishermen observed the species chasing down smaller fish in dog-like packs.

Personal Edits

• remove "tend to have" slender bodies - all dogfish species have streamlined body morphology

• remove "known to be" - In comparison to other shark species, dogfish are smaller and more compact in size

Add Squaliform order comprised of 7 families (see List of sharks page for all), including Squalidae. Squalidae family itself contains only two major genera: Cirrhigaleus (3 species) and Squalus (34 species)

• "Dogfish sharks earned their name... dog-like packs" should probably be moved into beginning of intro as somewhat informal / less important information (^ after "119 species" and before "they have two dorsal fins...")

Final Draft (AFTER Edits)

• note: any personal edits made to sections will be in bold

"Squalidae, more commonly known as dogfish, dog sharks, or spiny dogfish , are one of several families of sharks categorized under Squaliformes, making it the second largest order of sharks, numbering 119 species across 7 families. Having earned their name after a group of fishermen reportedly observed the species chasing down smaller fish in dog-like packs , dogfish have slender, streamlined bodies, usually more compact in comparison to other species, and a pointed snout. Dogfish likewise have two dorsal fins, each with smooth spines, but no anal fin, and their skin is generally rough to the touch.. As the species reaches adulthood, males usually measure a maximum of 39 inches (990 mm), while females typically measure 49 inches (1,200 mm) long. The species therefore exhibits female-dominant sexual dimorphism.

Body

Create Section: breakdown of Squalidae scientific classification including...

Dogfish are scientifically classified as the Squalidae family, categorized under the Squaliform order, which encompasses seven families in total, including Squalidae. The Squalidae family itself contains two separate genera: Cirrhigaleus and Squalus, numbering 37 species between the two.

Squalidae Classification
Order: Squaliformes

Family: Within Squaliforme order, there are 7 families

• Centrophoridae - Gulper Sharks
• Dalatiidae - Kite-fin Sharks
• Echinorhinidae - Bramble Sharks
• Etmopteridae - Lantern Sharks
• Oxynotidae - Rough Sharks
• Somniosidae - Sleeper Sharks
• Squalidae - Dogfish Sharks

Genus: Within the Squalidae dogshark family, are two known genera

• Squalus: The Squalus genus encompasses 34 different species of dogfish, or spurdogs, home to waters all around the world. With the exception of one - Squalus margaretsmithae, or Smith's dogfish shark, known to be a maximum of 21.3 inches (54.3 cm) in length - species classified under the genus are known to range from 22 inches (58 cm) to 63 inches (160 cm) in length. While the majority of the species are characterized by their slate or blue-grey body coloration and white underbelly, only 2 - Squalus acanthias and Squalus suckleyi - are more easily recognizable by the notable, evenly-spaced array of small white dots decorating their darker dorsal sides.

• Cirrhigaleus: In contrast to its counterpart genus, Cirrhigaleus currently includes only 3 species, the most recent of which, Cirrhigaleus australis, was discovered and classified in 2007. Cirrhigaleus species are typically the larger of the two Squalidae genera, ranging from 47 inches (120 cm) to 49.5 inches (126 cm) in length (although the largest species of 63 inches, Squalus acanthias, is classified under the Squalus genus, the vast majority of the species within the same genus remain under or around 39 inches (100 cm) in length, whereas only 3 of 34 total species exceed 47 inches (120 cm)). The genus likewise shares many phenotypic similarities with its Squalus counterpart, namely the blue-grey body coloration, white underbelly, and basic morphology, however with some variation; common body coloration may also be a grey-brown hue, and most notably, Cirrhigaleus differs from Squalus in having extremely long nasal barbels, and an array of speckled black spots, instead of small white dots

for a full list of species: list of sharks

Squalus acanthias, or the Spiny dogfish (adult), with grey-brown body coloration, decorated by evenly-spaced, small, white dots, and lighter underbelly.

Cirrhigaleus barbifer, or the Mandarin dogfish (adult), pictured with gray-brown body coloration, decorated in an array of speckled black dots, with a lighter underbelly, and elongated nasal barbels.