The elephant shark, Callorhinchus milii, is a cartilaginous fish belonging to the subclass Holocephali. Sharks, rays and skates are the other members of the cartilaginous fish group and are grouped under the subclass Elasmobranchii. Alternative names of the elephant shark include: Australian ghost shark, Makorepe, whitefish, plownose chimaeras or elephant fish. The latter is best avoided as it may be confused with elephantfishes which are freshwater teleost fishes from tropical Africa and the Nile.