Cartilaginous fish: characteristics and examples

Cartilaginous fish: characteristics and examples

By Dr. Kyle Muller

Among the swimming marine animals we can distinguish two different types of fish: bone or osteic and cartilaginous or Condricts. The first are the common fish, while in the second group are sharks, chimeras, stripes and blankets. In this ecology article, we will be addressing this last group, which although we can simplify it in the aforementioned examples of animals that compose it, there are different types. You may think that this is a group of dangerous animals, but did you know that the probability of dying of the flu is 1 between 63, while being attacked by a shark is 1 between 3,700,000(1)?

If you want to learn more about the condricts, we invite you to continue reading this Ecology Verde article to discover the Characteristics of cartilaginous fish and examples of these species.

Classification of cartilaginous fish or condricts

Cartilaginous fish belong to the Chondrichtyes class. This class is divided into two subclasses, with their respective superorders and orders, which are classified as follows:

Holocephali subclass

Most of this group is extinct, and today there is only a living order.

· Chimaeriformes order: It contains ghost chimeras and sharks.

ELASMOBRANCHII subclass

  • SELACHIMORPHA SUPERORDE: It contains sharks.

· Carcharhiniform order: Formed by hammer sharks, cazons, among others.
· Squaliform order: It contains cow sharks, sleeping ones, quevalchos, flashlight sharks, tollos, witches and spurdos.
· Lamniform Order: It contains the white shark, bull shark, fox fish, cailones, pilgrim shark, among others.
· Oectolobiform order: They have their mouths connected to the nose, and they are the cats cat, whale shark, cethera shark, among others.
· Heterodontiform order: They are the SIEN or Cornudos Sharks.
· Squatiniform order: They are angel sharks.
· Hexanchiformes order: They are the oldest living sharks. It has the so -called large -eyed sharks.
· Order prisiophoriforms: They are the Sierra Sharks.

  • Batoid superord: It contains stripes and manta.

· Rajiform order: They are the true stripes. Some have poisonous sting.
· Torpediniform Order: They are electric stripes or torpedoes. They emit electric shocks to their prey.
· Pristiform order: They are the Sierra fish, which should not be confused with the aforementioned Sierra Sharks.
· Myliobatiform order: They are similar to stripes, but more flattened. It contains the butterfly stripes, eagle stripes, river stripes and whip stripes.

We recommend reading these articles on the classification of the fish and the life cycle of the fish.

Cartilaginous fish: Characteristics and examples - Classification of cartilaginous or condricties fish

Characteristics of cartilaginous fish or condricts

These are the most important characteristics of cartilaginous fish:

  • Your skeleton is made of cartilage completely.
  • Classify within Vertebrates. Here you can learn more about vertebrate animals: classification, characteristics and examples.
  • They have jaw.
  • Its fins and nostrils are in pairs.
  • Your skin is hardcovered by scales called PLACOIDS. They are also called dermal denticles because they are the same as our teeth. Only chimeras do not have this type of scales.
  • They breathe through gillsranging from five to seven pairs. They also have spiracles behind the eyes. Know here the animals that breathe by gills.
  • They can perceive electric fields In the water with the help of the so -called blisters of Lorenzini, which are full of a gelatinous substance. They can also perceive with other organs the temperature, movement, water pressure, vibration, aromas, etc. And you can see very well.

Examples of cartilaginous fish

These are some of the Condricties species:

  • White shark (Carcharodon Carcharias)
  • Giant blanket (Mobula Birostris)
  • Whale Shark (Rhincodon Typus)
  • Sierra Peine Fish (Pristis pectinata)
  • Jaspeada stripe (Aetobatus narinari)
  • East Pacific Chimera (Hydrolagus melanophasma)
  • Electric line (Torpedo torpedo)
  • Raya eagle (Aetobatus narinari)
  • Giant hammer shark (Sphyrna Mokarran)
  • Pilgrim shark (Cetorhinus Maximus)
  • Tigre Shark (Galeocerdo Cuvier)
  • Reef blanket (Manta Alfredi)
  • Shark or cornudo worker (Heterodontus Francisci)
  • Sierra Shark (Prostiophorus Japonicus)
  • Clove fish (Echinorhinus Brucus)
  • Australian ghostly shark (Callorhinchus Milli)
  • Atlantic torpedo (Nobilian torpedo)
  • Bishop fish (Pteromylaeus Bovinus)
  • Whip stripe (Dasyatis Pastinaca)
  • Carpet Shark (Oectolobus maculatus)
  • Wide mouth shark (Megachasma Pelagios)
  • Duende Shark (Mitsukurina Owstoni)
  • Cow shark (Hexanchus Griseus)
  • Sleeping Shark or Calocho (LICHA DALATIAS)
  • Butterfly (Gymnura spp.)

Here you can learn more types of sharks and types of mantarya.

CARTILAGINOUS FISH: characteristics and examples - examples of cartilaginous fish

Feeding cartilaginous fish

Cartilaginous fish have different types of food, which are the following:

  • Predation: They can use techniques such as shark ambush, or electric shocks in torpedoes. It is worth mentioning that only 12 shark species, of the more than 350 that exist, are potentially dangerous for the human. Some sharks can feed on vertebrates of considerable size such as turtles or marine lions, but others can limit themselves to the intake of small fish, mollusks or crustaceans. Stripes, blankets and chimeras feed on organisms of seabed, such as different types of invertebrates. We recommend you read more here about predators: what are, types and examples.
  • Filtration: Although it could be thought that all sharks are dangerous, not all are hunters. For example, pilgrim sharks and whale sharks suck large amounts of water to catch small organisms, such as Krill.
  • SCOPES: Predators can complement their diet with the intake of dead, injured or decomposition animals, especially large dead whales that float. In this other post you can read about what are the scavengers.

Cartilaginous fish habitat

Condricts have cosmopolitan distribution. Most live in warm to temperate areasbut there are some species of sharks living in Arctic areas such as, Greenland’s shark (Somniosus microchalus).

The blankets swim near the surface or under the water column, while the stripes swim attached to the ground. Likewise, chimeras and ghost sharks live near the seabed. As for sharks, there are species of mainly benthic habits, while others swim more freely through the water column.

CARTILAGINOSOS PESCES: Characteristics and examples - Habitat of cartilaginous fish

Reproduction of cartilaginous fish or condricts

The condricts have Internal fertilization. The males have an appendix called Classper that serves for intercourse, both to hold the female and to transfer the sperm. There is no care of the young On the part of the parents once they are born. There are species that reproduce in different ways:

  • Ovoviviparous species: They retain the eggs inside them to release them when they hatch. Here you can meet various animals that put eggs, both ovovivopara and Ovípara.
  • Oviparous species: They put the eggs outside them. Here you can read about what oviparous animals are.
  • Viviparous species: They are few and give birth to young after gesturing them within them. In this other post you can read about lived animals: what are, characteristics and examples and you can also inform yourself about the live fish: examples and characteristics.

Differences between cartilaginous and bone fish

Finally, we explain the main differences between cartilaginous and bone fish:

  • The primary difference is that cartilaginous fish have a skeleton made of cartilagewhile Bone fish have it made of bone.
  • Bone fish can have fresh or salted water species, while The condricts are only of salad waterfor a few exceptions.
  • The condricts have the exposed gillsand bone fish have them covered.
  • Bone fish have external fertilization, while cartilaginous have internal fertilization.

Here you can learn more about bone fish: characteristics and examples. Once you know more cartilaginous or condrictions, we advise you to continue discovering the fish. Here you can read about how fish breathes.

If you want to read more articles similar to Cartilaginous fish: characteristics and exampleswe recommend that you enter our biology category.

References
    1. National Geographic (2011). Are sharks dangerous? Available at: https://www.nationalGeographic.es/animales/son-peligroso-los-tiburones
          Kyle Muller
          About the author
          Dr. Kyle Muller
          Dr. Kyle Mueller is a Research Analyst at the Harris County Juvenile Probation Department in Houston, Texas. He earned his Ph.D. in Criminal Justice from Texas State University in 2019, where his dissertation was supervised by Dr. Scott Bowman. Dr. Mueller's research focuses on juvenile justice policies and evidence-based interventions aimed at reducing recidivism among youth offenders. His work has been instrumental in shaping data-driven strategies within the juvenile justice system, emphasizing rehabilitation and community engagement.
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