Shark Notes: Class Chondrichthyes
368 different species including Diversity 368 different species including rays & skates.
Shark Anatomy Bodies covered in sandpaper-like tiny placoid scales for protection. Placoid scales under a microscope No swim bladder for buoyancy, so they must stay moving or they will sink.
Shark Anatomy 5-7 gill slits on each side of the body that are not covered with an operculum. 40+ teeth in a jaw, plus 7 extra rows of developing teeth behind them.
Shark Reproduction Sharks reproduce sexually. Male sharks have claspers on their belly. Click!
Sharks can be born in 3 ways: 1. Eggs are laid (like birds) Horn’s Shark egg Swell Shark egg
Sharks can be born in 3 ways: 2. Eggs hatch inside the mother & then are born
Sharks can be born in 3 ways: 3. Pup sharks grow inside the mother (like humans) Click!
Ancient Sharks Megalodon! 40+ ft long based on tooth fossils. Lived 25 - 1.6 mya. Probably ate whales.
Sharks in Medicine Sharks are resistant to cancer & disease, so research is being done on shark cartilage. =
Biggest Threat to Sharks: Shark Fin Soup