Their skeletal system is actually comprised of cartilage, like what we have in our ears. Even more, the flexibility of cartilage gives sharks the capability to bend more elastically than boned fishes.Ī shark actually has 0 bones in its body. Instead, they have a softer tissue called cartilage which is much lighter than bones and helps them to swim faster. Sharks do not have bones like other fish. What does the shark have instead of bones? Sharks make some bone material for their teeth and fin spines but for the most part, they are made up of cartilage, the same soft flexible material that makes up the end of a human nose. Sharks do not have bones, instead, they have cartilage that makes up their skeleton. Unlike most fish, sharks possess skeletons made completely of cartilage. Having this cartilage though is what allows them to move at unbelievable speeds through the water. This is very different from humans and most types of land animals. All sharks have cartilage for their skeleton rather than bones. Other sharks such as the bronze whaler shark which we also see here in Gansbaai, have a nictitating membrane or third eyelid (also found in some reptiles and birds). Do sharks have 2 eyelids?Īlthough, a shark’s eyelid does not close all the way so they have developed extra eye protection. And the dermal denticles (“skin teeth”) that sharks have instead of true scales are very toothlike and can fossilize. They don’t many are made from fossilized teeth of long-dead sharks-white teeth are usually from a recently dead shark, while darker teeth are usually fossilized. They are a special type of fish known as “elasmobranchs”, which translates into fish made of cartilaginous tissues-the clear gristly stuff that your ears and nose tip are made of.

Sharks use their gills to filter oxygen from the water. A good example of composite or stratovolcano is the majestic Mayon Volcano for its near. Vent is a passageway through which magma travels to reach the Earth’s surface. Most sharks have heterocercal caudal fins, meaning that the backbone extends into the (usually longer) upper lobe.ġ. Active volcanoes are those that have a record of eruption or those that erupted 10,000 years ago based on analysis of their materials. The tail of a shark consists of the caudal peduncle and the caudal fin, which provide the main source of thrust for the shark. This protects the delicate spinal cord inside. The shark’s spine is made up of a long chain of cartilage. This is what makes them vertebrates, just like us humans. Shark skeletons are made up of cartilage, other connective tissues, and some muscle. Not having bones does not stop sharks from having a skeleton. They have a backbone (vertebrae), a spinal cord, and a notochord. If sharks did have bones, they wouldn’t be able to catch their prey as efficiently as they do now, and thus, they probably wouldn’t be at the top of the food chain. What does the shark have instead of bones?ĭo sharks have vertebrae? Sharks do have vertebrae.

Does a shark have a backbone