Chondrichthyes By Sarah Smith

Who are we?

• Cartilaginous fish such as sharks and rays

• Known for well developed jaws and paired fins

Our Habitat

• Sharks: bottom of coastal waters, open sea– Needs: smaller sea animals to hunt

• Rays: bottom of saltwater or freshwater– Needs: crustaceans, mollusks, warm water

Activities

• Swimming

• Suspension feeding on plankton

• Hunting

• Rays: – Bottom dwelling– Crushing crustaceans and

mollusks with jaws

Advancements

• Ancestors had bony skeletons, we evolved to have cartilaginous skeletons

• shark teeth that evolved from jagged scars, replacement teeth rows

• Large brains about ten times the size of bony fishes

Specializations

• Acute senses: smell, can detect electrical fields, lateral line system detects changes in water pressure

• Spiral valve (digestive system)

• Sharks: powerful swimming muscles, store oil in liver for buoyancy

• Rays: whip-like tail with barbs, enlarged fins

What I am looking for

• A mate with a large brain so that we can connect

• A mate that also reproduces using internal fertilization

• A mate that will let me continue to hunt as a solitary predator

BibliographyCampbell, Neil A. Biology. 6th ed. Benjamin Cummings. 27 Apr. 2008

<http://occawlonline.pearsoned.com>.

This book is targeted toward students taking an introductory level biology course. It provides an overview of the class chondrichthyes and provides particular emphasis on unique characteristics such as skeleton, senses, and eating habits. It also includes several pictures of organisms that are part of the class chondrichthyes. Overall, the information was easily understood and provided a great basis for further research on the class chondrichthyes.

"Cartilaginous Fish, Class Codrichthyes." Gulf of Marine Research Institute. 27 Apr. 2008 <http://www.gma.org/fogm/chondrichthyes.htm>.

This site is targeted toward the general public to provide information on the current projects of the Gulf of Marine Research Institute. However, it also provides overviews on taxonomic classes as well as on individual species. This site summarized the specializations of the class chondrichthyes, and it focused on why this class is different from other bony fish. There is also a lot of information on various species of shark, including sand sharks, basking sharks, and thresher sharks.

"Class Condrichthyes." Texas a&M University. 27 Apr. 2008 <http://users.tamuk.edu/>.

This site was created by the biology department at Texas A&M University, and it is targeted toward college students enrolled in a biology course. This site provides an overview of the unique characteristics of the class chondrichthyes in outline form. It also has a separate section on each of the various subclasses of chondrichthyes with additional information on diet and habitat. Overall, this site contained very specific details and would require background information on the class chondrichthyes in order to be a useful source. The information was very well organized and accessible in the outline format that was used.

"Sharks and Rays." Marine Bio. 27 Apr. 2008 <http://marinebio.org>.

This site, created by a non-profit organization, is targeted toward the general public to provide a more general awareness of current happenings in marine science. This site provides a comprehensive overview of hundreds of marine species, including sharks and rays. It describes the basic characteristics of the organisms and gives general information of their habitat. One of the best assets of this site is that it contains many pictures of marine organisms taken on scuba missions.