chondrichthyes
cartilaginous fish
what is a chondrichthyes’ endoskeleton like?
entirely cartilaginous
fusiform body aka
streamline body
fusiform body = _______ shaped
torpedo
where is mouth located?
ventral (on bottom of body)
countershading
dark on top, light on bottom
allows for camouflage
placoid scales
scales on skin
rough one way, smooth other way
how do placoid scales help chondrichthyes?
point toward tail & help reduce friction from surrounding water when shark swims
how many chambers in heart?
two (therefore, sharks = fish)
how many atrium(s) & ventricle(s) in sharks?
one atrium, one ventricle
flow of blood in sharks
body → A → V → gills → body
→ = deoxygenated (blue)
→ = oxygenated (red)
do chondrichthyes have exposed gills slits OR an operculum covering their gills?
separate exposed gill slits
no operculum
how do 90% of shark species reproduce?
by internal reproduction
placoid scales can become…
teeth
chondrichthyes constantly…
grow new teeth & lose teeth
what do bony fish have that chondrichthyes DON’T?
swim bladders
swim bladders (bony fish)
used to control buoyancy (stay neutral) by filling w/ & losing air
giant livers (chondrichthyes)
store oils to control buoyancy (stay neutral)
buoyancy depends on amount of lipids/oil
shark senses (6)
smell - works farthest away
hearing
lateral line organ
vision
ampullae of Lorenzini
touch & taste - works closer
lateral line organ
series of sense organs along sides of bony & cartilaginous fish
what does lateral line organ detect?
can detect movement in water, pressure, & vibrations
feels changes in water pressure → doesn’t bump into things swimming around them
ampullae of Lorenzini
organ that detects slight electric fields given off by living things in ocean
how do sharks eat?
open mouth → thrust jaw forward
how does internal fertilization occur?
male claspers insert into female cloaca (where waste also occurs)
ovoviviparous
internal
no parental support given to fertilized egg
ovoviviparous example
dogfish shark embryo
viviparous
live young produced
parents give extensive parental care
viviparous examples
great whites
porbeagle embryo
oviparous
external eggs
no additional parental support
oviparous example
cat shark egg
tapetum lucidum
reflects light in in back of eye to get a second chance of seeing as it reflects out
tapetum lucidum allows sharks to…
to see in dark well
whale shark
world’s largest fish (46 ft long)
where are whale sharks found?
found in worldwide tropical oceans
why are whale sharks named after whales?
b/c both are large & filter feeders (eat plankton)
why are there not many chondrichthyes fossils?
cartilage skeleton = hard to fossilize
guitarfish
one of few chondrichthyes fossils
elasmobranchii
subclass that includes familiar sharks, skates, rays, & strange fossil relatives
elasmobranchii characteristics
upper jaw not fused to braincase
separate slit-like gill openings
rays
tails have barbs w/ mild toxin
viviparous (live bearing)
skates
tails have blunt, thorny projections; no barbs
oviparous (egg laying)
mermaid’s purses
eggs in rectangular cases released by only skates
both rays & skates (5)
dorsoventrally flattened; not fusiform
gill slits open on ventral (bottom) surface of head
spiracles
feed primarily on mollusks & crustaceans
teeth modified for crushing
dorsoventrally flattened
flattened on top & bottom
spiracles
openings on top of head
direct water over gills → prevent sludge from clogging delicate gills
why are there no spiracles on bottom of rays & skates?
b/c there’s sand, dirt, & sludge on bottom
top is relatively cleaner