SHARKS

Sharks: the beginning…or the end??

 Existence of elasmobranchs with little change is a
testament to their evolutionary success and durability
 Appear in fossil record in late Devonian, 500 mybp
(perhaps earlier)
 Last class of fishes to appear in fossil record
Elasmobranch…
plate or strap gill
Classification of Chondrichthyes
Class Chondrichthyes (~850 spp.)

– Subclass Elasmobranchi (~820 spp.)

• sharks, skates and rays

– Subclass Holocephali (~30 spp.)

• chimaeras, ratfishes
Distinguishing Elasmobranch Traits
 cartilaginous skeleton
 absence of swim bladder
 heterocercal tail
 placoid denticles - scales and teeth
 spiracle present with 5-7 gill slits (no operculum)
 urea retained for osmoregulation
 spiral valve in intestine
 males have clasper organs for internal fertilization
 embryonic development with physiological care
 oviparous, ovoviviparous, viviparous
 jaw hyostylic (single connection of upper jaw to neurocranium - adds
protrusibility) or amphistylic (two connection points - anterior and
posterior)
 teeth in rows, are constantly replaced
 eyes small
 Holocephali: traits
 jaw holostylic (= autostylic = fused to neurocranium)
 spiracle absent; gills covered by single operculum
 all oviparous
 cloaca lacking - separate urogenital pore
 skin lacking scales; placoid spines
 males with head claspers
 teeth are plate-like, non-deciduous
 eyes large
Chondrichthian success story?
 Buoyancy control: fatty liver, no swim bladder and no energy required

 Swimming adaptations: rigid fins instead of rays

 Body covering: placoid scales, reduce drag (see Helfman, fig. 12.3)

 Osmoregulation adaptations

 Reproductive adaptations: self-sufficient young

 Feeding adaptations

 Sensory system: tapetum lucetum, ampullae of Lorenzini

 Respiration effectiveness
 Elasmobranch classification
Superorder Galeomorphi
• large, pelagic predators, blade-like teeth
– Heterodontiformes - horn sharks
– Orectolobiformes - nurse sharks, whale sharks
– Lamniformes - mackerel, mako, white sharks
– Carcharhiniformes - requiem sharks (blacktip,
whitetip, reef, bull), tiger sharks, basking
sharks
Heterodontiformes - horn sharks
Orectolobiformes - whale sharks
Rhincodon typus
Orectolobiformes –
nurse sharks
Ginglymostoma cirratum
 Lamniformes - mackerel, mako, white sharks

Mako Great White

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 – tiger sharks
Galeocerdo cuvier
Carchariniformes – basking sharks
Cetorhinus maximus
Superorder Squatinomorphi
– Squatiniformes-angel sharks

• bottom-oriented, enlarged pelvic fins,

spike-like teeth

Atlantic Angel Shark, Squatina dumeril

Superorder Squalomorphi
• smaller, pelagic and benthic sharks, feed on smaller
prey, some with pointed teeth, some with pavement
teeth
– Squaliformes - dogfish sharks
– Hexanchiformes - six & seven-gill sharks (cow
sharks)
– Pristiophoriformes - saw sharks
 Spiny dogfish-Squalus acanthus

Squaliformes
Adipose spine
dogfish sharks
Sevengill Shark
Heptranchias perlo

Hexanchiformes - six & seven-gill sharks (cow sharks)