1. Class Chondrichthyes “Cartilaginous Fish” Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Sub Phylum: Verterbrata
Class: Chondrichthyes

2. Class Chondrichthyes Sharks, Rays, Skates, Ratfish
Skeleton made of cartilage

3. General Characteristics
Possess movable jaws that usually have teeth
Mouth is ventral, underneath the head

4. General Characteristics
Paired lateral fins

5. General Characteristics
Rough, sand paper like skin
Made up of scales that have the same composition as teeth

6. Ratfish / Chimaeras Gill slits covered by a flap of skin
Mostly deep-water fish
Eat crustaceans and mollusks

7. Skates & Rays Flattened bodies Dermersal – live on the bottom
Gill slits on the ventral side (bottom)

8. Skates & Rays Pectoral fins are flat and expanded
Head fuses with pectoral fins with eyes on top

10. Sawfish Ventral gill slits Swing blade through schools disabling prey
Similar to saw sharks except for size and gill placement

11. Stingrays Equipped with a stinging spine
Spine connected to venomous glands
Teeth modified into grinding plates

12. Manta & Devil Rays
Not bottom dwellers instead choose to swim

13. Sharks
Living Fossils
Have not needed to evolve for 100 million years

14. Megalodon Ancient shark Largest predatory fish ever
Twice the size of a great white

15. External Structure

16. Paired vs. Unpaired fins
Paired: Pectoral & Pelvic
Comparable to our arms and legs
Unpaired: 1st Dorsal, 2nd Dorsal, Anal, and Caudal
All found along mid-line

17. Scales
Scales are very small and sharp
Same composition as the teeth

18. Jaws Made of bone Contain the disposable teeth
In some species capable of extending jaw out from body

19. Teeth Same composition as the scales
Continually shed and replaced by the rows behind

20. Respiration Must swim to force water through their gills
Some such as nurse sharks can get enough oxygen so they do not need to swim

21. Digestion Very short esophogus
Stomach can be up to 1/3 the length of the shark
Intestine is really small, only about a foot

22. Nervous System
Lateral line used for sensing vibrations in the water

23. Nervous System Ampullae of Lorenzini
Jelly filled canals that can detect electrical fields, magnetic fields, temperature, salinity, water pressure, etc.

24. Nervous System
Paired external nostrils that lead directly to the brain
Very acute sense of smell, can detect concentrations as low as one part per billion

25. Shark Classification Two Super-Orders: Further broken down into orders
Galeomorphs & Squalomorphs
Further broken down into orders

26. Order Heterodontiformes:
Bullhead Sharks
Pig like snout
Bottom dwellers

27. Order Orectolobiformes:
“Carpet Sharks”
Very short mouths
Upper lobe of caudal fin extended with reduced lower lobe
Includes filter feeders

28. Order Lamniformes: “Mackerel Fish” Larger front teeth
Include some of most popular
Most are active predators
Functionally warm-blooded

29. Order Lamniformes: “Goblin Sharks” Mitsukurindidae “Sandtiger Sharks”
Carchariidae

30. Order Lamniformes: “Ragged-Tooth Sharks” Odontaspididae
“Thresher Sharks”
Alopiidae

31. Order Lamniformes: “Megamouth Shark” Megachasmidae “Crocodile Sharks”
Pseudocarchariidae

32. Order Lamniformes: “Basking Shark” Cetorhinidae “Mackerel Sharks”
Lamnidae

33. Order Carcharhiniformes:
“Ground or Whaler Sharks”
Adaptable to many environments, even estuarine and freshwater
Flappable lower eyelids

34. Order Carcharhiniformes:
“Whaler Sharks”
Carcharhinidae
“Hammerhead Sharks”
Sphyrnidae

35. Order Carcharhiniformes:
“Cat Sharks”
Schliorhinidae

36. Order Chlamydoselachi
“Frilled Shark”
Eel like body
Teeth are three pronged
Deep water

37. Order Hexanchiformes
“Cow Sharks”
Deep water
Very little is known

38. Order Echinorhiniformes
“Bramble Sharks”
Thick tail stalk
Has bumps on skin
“hedgehog shark

39. Order Sqauliformes “Dogfish Sharks” Large ranges of sizes
Generally best known shark

40. Order Sqauliformes
Greenland Shark (21 feet +)
Dwarf Laternshark

41. Order Squantiniformes
“Angel Sharks”
Flattened bodies
Gills on ventral side
Mouth at end rather than ventral like rays and skates

42. Order Pristiophoriformes
“Sawsharks’
Similar to sawfish, but skinnier and have sensitive barbs on snout
Alternating long short teeth