10 Facts about Cartilaginous Fish
If you are interested to learn more about the fish with the skeleton made of cartilage, you need to check Facts about Cartilaginous Fish. The cartilage is very different from the bones. The examples of the cartilaginous fish include the southern stingrays, rays, skates and sharks. All of them are included in elasmobranchs group. Find out other facts about cartilaginous fish below:
Facts about Cartilaginous Fish 1: the gills
You will not find any bony covering on the cartilaginous fish for it features the gills which open through the slits. The number of gill slits depends on the type of species.
Facts about Cartilaginous Fish 2: spiracles
Spiracles can be found on the top of the head of the cartilaginous fish. They are used by the fish to breathe. Due to the presence of spiracles, the cartilaginous fish can stay at the bottom of the ocean and get the oxygenated water.
Facts about Cartilaginous Fish 3: the skin
The skin of cartilaginous fish and bony fish is totally different. The bony fish has the flat scales. The cartilaginous fish has the tooth like scales that people call dermal denticles or placoid scales.
Facts about Cartilaginous Fish 4: classification
Do you know the classification of cartilaginous fish? It is included in the kingdom animalia with the phylum Chordata. It is included in the class of Elasmobranchii.
Facts about Cartilaginous Fish 5: the evolution of the earliest sharks
The experts believe that the earliest shark evolved around 400 million years ago. It was based on the shark teeth fossil.
Facts about Cartilaginous Fish 6: the arrival of sharks
The shark species such as white sharks, megalodon and hammerheads arrived around 23 million years ago, while modern sharks were presented around 35 years ago. Check facts about box jellyfish here.
Facts about Cartilaginous Fish 7: the fossils of skates and rays
The presence of skates and rays were traced back 150 million years ago based on the fossil record.
Facts about Cartilaginous Fish 8: the habitat of cartilaginous fish
You can find cartilaginous fish living in many parts of the ocean all over the world. The sharks often live in the open and deep oceans. If you want to spot rays, you can go to the sandy bottom or shallow water.
Facts about Cartilaginous Fish 9: the diet
The diet of cartilaginous fish depends on the species. The bottom dwelling creatures like shrimp, oyster, clams, and crabs are included as the main diet of skates and rays. Sharks like to eat whales and seals. Get facts about butterfly fish here.
Facts about Cartilaginous Fish 10: the reproduction process
The internal fertilization is reproduction process of all cartilaginous fish. Talking about the life span, they can live from 50 to 100 years.
What do you think on facts about cartilaginous fish?