Taxon Description (Wikipedia)
Lamnidae is a family of sharks, commonly known as
mackerel sharks or
white sharks. They are large, fast-swimming sharks, found in oceans worldwide.
These sharks have pointed snouts, spindle-shaped bodies, and large gill openings. The first dorsal fin is large, high, erect and angular or somewhat rounded. The second dorsal and anal fins are minute. The caudal peduncle has one or two distinct keels. The teeth are large. The fifth gill opening is in front of the pectoral fin and spiracles are sometimes absent. They are heavily-built sharks, sometimes weighing nearly twice as much as sharks of comparable length from other families. Many in the family are among the fastest-swimming fish, although the massive
Carcharodon are slower due to their great size.
full article at Wikipedia
