Sharks Kingdom- Animalia Phylum- Chordata Class: Chondrichthyes Sub-class: Elasmobranchii Includes Sharks, Skates, Rays, and Ratfish 1

Sharks living fossils Skeleton made of cartilage Movable jaws Well-developed teeth Paired lateral fins for efficient swimming

Body Shape Fusiform body shape (spindle-shaped)

BODY SHAPE: TAIL Caudal fin (tail) is well developed and powerful Heterocercal tail – upper lobe is longer than the lower lobe 4

Caudal Fin                                               Dogfish Shark, Tail Detail (Scale ~ 1:2) Heterocercal Tail

3 adaptations Ampullae of Lorenzini Placoid Scales Spiracle

Ampullae of Lorenzini sense organ to sense electric fields in the water mucous filled pores

Placoid Scales Rough sand paper skin homologous to teeth

Spiracle On top of head How they take in water when resting on sea floor

BODY SHAPE: FINS 2 DORSAL fins 2 PECTORAL fins 2 PELVIC Fins are small 1 ANAL Fin

Two Dorsal Fins Gill Slits Anal Fin Paired Pectoral Fins Pelvic Fins

2 dorsal fins -FIRST is LARGER and TRIANGULAR 2 Pectoral fins are LARGE and POINTED

1 Anal Fin is usually equal to the 2nd dorsal fin PELVIC FINS 2 Pelvic Fins are SMALL 1 Anal Fin is usually equal to the 2nd dorsal fin 13

Swim continuously to force water over the gills How do they breathe? Swim continuously to force water over the gills They have 5-7 gill slits

Teeth Powerful jaws have rows of triangular teeth Replace lost teeth

Tooth Replacement

Sharks and People People eat shark meat Threatened by overfishing Fished for their oil Skin is turned into leather and used as sandpaper Fins are used for soup

Size Range of Sharks Adults varies Spiny Pigmy Sharks are no longer than 25 cm (10”) Whale Sharks are the largest of all 18 m (60’)

Sawshark Long flat blade armed with teeth

Thrasher Shark Upper lobe of tail is very long

Lamniformes - mackerel, mako, white sharks Great White Mako Isurus oxyrinchus Mako Great White, Carcharodon carcharias

Carcharhiniformes - requiem sharks (blacktip) Carcharhinus limbatus blacktip shark

Carcharhiniformes - requiem sharks (whitetip) Triaenodon obesus

Carchariniformes – bull sharks Carcharhinus leucas copyright FLMNH

Carchariniformes – basking sharks Cetorhinus maximus

Shark Habitat

Heterodontiformes - horn sharks

Orectolobiformes – nurse sharks Ginglymostoma cirratum

Orectolobiformes - whale sharks Rhincodon typus