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Sharks and other cartilaginous fish (skates and rays) have skeletons made of cartilage and connective tissue. Cartilage is flexible and durable, yet is about half the normal density of bone. This reduces the skeleton's weight, saving energy. [29] Because sharks do not have rib cages, they can easily be crushed under their own weight on land. [30]
Sharks are cartilaginous fish. The skeleton of a shark is mainly made of cartilage. They belong to the class of Chondrichthyes. In particular, the endoskeletons are made of unmineralized hyaline cartilage which is more flexible and less dense than bone, thus making them expel less energy at high speeds.
Chondrichthyes (/ k ɒ n ˈ d r ɪ k θ i iː z /; from Ancient Greek χόνδρος (khóndros) 'cartilage' and ἰχθύς (ikhthús) 'fish') is a class of jawed fish that contains the cartilaginous fish or chondrichthyans, which all have skeletons primarily composed of cartilage.
Elasmobranchii is one of the two subclasses of cartilaginous fish in the class Chondrichthyes, the other being Holocephali . Members of the elasmobranchii subclass have no swim bladders , five to seven pairs of gill clefts opening individually to the exterior, rigid dorsal fins , and small placoid scales .
Chondrichthye (cartilaginous fish) – jawed fish with paired fins, paired nares, scales, two-chambered hearts, and skeletons made of cartilage rather than bone. Elasmobranch – member of the subclass Elasmobranchii, which includes sharks, rays, and skates. Predator – organism that attacks and feeds on prey (the organism that is attacked). [2]
All sharks and rays are cartilaginous fish, contrasting with bony fishes. Many rays are adapted for feeding on the bottom. Many rays are adapted for feeding on the bottom. Guitarfishes are somewhat between sharks and rays, displaying characteristics of both (though they are classified as rays).
Ghost sharks, also called chimaeras, are a group of cartilaginous fish closely related to sharks and rays. They are, however, not actual sharks.
In sharks and some primitive bony fish the spiracle, a small extra gill opening, is found behind each eye. The skull in fishes is formed from a series of only loosely connected bones. Jawless fish and sharks only possess a cartilaginous endocranium, with the upper and lower jaws of cartilaginous fish being separate elements not attached to the ...