Great info on different types of sharks.
Calm Seas,
Catherine French
Writer, mentor, naturalist
805.570.0432
We are given only so many days, make each one count.
Sent from my iPad Air
Begin forwarded message:
From: Ocean Conservancy <ourocean@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Date: July 24, 2020 at 6:16:37 AM PDT
To: cfrench1366@xxxxxxx
Subject: Do you know these famous shark relatives?
Reply-To: Ocean Conservancy <ourocean@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
LEARN MORE
Catherine,
Sharks are some of the ocean’s most famous residents—and for good reason.
These predators are jaw-some and deserve all the attention they get. But did
you know sharks have some pretty exceptional relatives, too?
We’re shifting the spotlight to some of the lesser-known members of the shark
family tree.
Sharks are part of the class Chondrichthyes, which includes more than a
thousand species of fish with skeletons made of cartilage rather than bone.
Cartilage is more flexible than bone but is sturdy enough so the fish can
grow to very large sizes. Chondrichthyans can trace their evolutionary roots
back more than 400 million years—that’s long before the dinosaurs appeared.
Here are a few relatives of sharks we think you should know:
Stingrays: Stingrays can give sharks a run for their money—some species can
grow to 6.5 feet and weight almost 800 pounds. Stingrays have at least one
venomous barb on their tails that can be used for self-defense. Stings from
these venomous barbs can be fatal to humans, so always do the “stingray
shuffle” by moving your feet close to the sand when in areas with lots of
stingrays.
Bonus: Learn how to tell the difference between stingrays and skates.
Sawfish: Sawfish have the body of a shark, the wings of a stingray and the
nose of a … chainsaw. Their most distinctive feature is without question
their toothy-looking snout, also known as a rostrum. Sawfish slice their
rostrum back and forth to either impale swimming prey or find food buried in
the seafloor. There are five species of sawfish alive today, and all are
considered endangered or critically endangered.
Chimaeras: The chimaera (not to be confused with the chimera, a mythological
Greek lion/goat/snake hybrid) is also known as a ghost shark or ratfish.
These strange creatures are found at depths of up to 8,200 feet, so we know
very little about them. They use their large eyes and electric signals to
hunt for their prey in the deep, dark ocean. There are only about 50 species
of chimaeras, and they diverged from the group containing sharks, skates and
rays about 400 million years ago.
Can’t get enough of the fabulous fish of class Chondrichthyes? Want to delve
deeper into the shark family tree? Read more about animals who are related to
sharks.
LEARN MORE
For our ocean,
Michelle Frey
Senior Director, Digital Outreach
Ocean Conservancy
1300 19th Street NW • 8th Floor • Washington, DC 20036 • 800-519-1541
Ocean Conservancy is a 501(c)3 — Donations are 100% tax-deductible as allowed
by law.
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