Questions and Answers
What class do the sharks, rays, and skates belong to?
Chondrichthyes
Chondrichthyes have one of the biggest vertebrates. What animal is it?
Whale shark
What do whale sharks eat?
Planktons
What super class do sharks, skates, and rays belong to?
Signup and view all the answers
Why can't sharks maneuver easily?
Signup and view all the answers
What kind of scales do Chondrichthyes have?
Signup and view all the answers
All sharks can detect electric fields with their electroreceptors. What is the electroreceptor called?
Signup and view all the answers
Sharks have good vision up close.
Signup and view all the answers
What does the electrosensor allow the shark to do?
Signup and view all the answers
What do Chondrichthyans use to detect prey?
Signup and view all the answers
What can be used in sharks to find their mate?
Signup and view all the answers
How do sharks respirate?
Signup and view all the answers
What muscles are used for buccal pumping?
Signup and view all the answers
Explain buccal pumping.
Signup and view all the answers
Explain the function of the enlarged spiracle.
Signup and view all the answers
What is it called when a shark keeps swimming to push extra oxygen over its gills?
Signup and view all the answers
With what do sharks force water over their gills?
Signup and view all the answers
What do sharks use to keep afloat?
Signup and view all the answers
All uterine secretions come from what?
Signup and view all the answers
What works together to secrete NaCl solution and regulate ions?
Signup and view all the answers
What is the name of the kidney of the sharks?
Signup and view all the answers
What is the name of the waste secreted by opisthonephric kidney?
Signup and view all the answers
Spermatophores go through where in the claspers?
Signup and view all the answers
What fertilizes the eggs in the shark?
Signup and view all the answers
How do sharks reproduce?
Signup and view all the answers
How big can the shark's egg get?
Signup and view all the answers
How long do the eggs take to hatch?
Signup and view all the answers
How long do sharks take to reach sexual maturity?
Signup and view all the answers
When sexes congregate to mate, what is it called?
Signup and view all the answers
Why do females have thicker skin?
Signup and view all the answers
What ovary in the shark is more developed?
Signup and view all the answers
What are the claspers made of?
Signup and view all the answers
What testes is more developed?
Signup and view all the answers
Sharks that lay yolky eggs in thick capsules usually attach to what?
Signup and view all the answers
Embryos nourished via placenta or uterine secretion, 2-20 pups. Parental care ends after birth. What is this called?
Signup and view all the answers
Most common. Eggs develop and hatch in uterus. Retain developing young in uterus. Less pups. Yolk sac - no direct nourishment from mom. Young may eat other eggs. What is this called?
Signup and view all the answers
What is it called when animals eat each other in the stomach?
Signup and view all the answers
Why is it important for the placoid cells to have blood running to them?
Signup and view all the answers
Is the coating sort of what we have in our teeth around the placoid cell?
Signup and view all the answers
What are the two chambers of the sharks called?
Signup and view all the answers
Study Notes
Classification
- Sharks, rays, and skates belong to the class Chondrichthyes.
- The largest vertebrate is the whale shark.
Dietary Habits
- Whale sharks primarily feed on plankton.
Anatomy and Sensory Systems
- Sharks, skates, and rays fall under the superclass Gnathostomata.
- Heterocercal tails hinder sharks' maneuverability.
- Chondrichthyes possess placoid scales.
- They detect electric fields using electroreceptors, specifically the ampullae of Lorenzini.
- Sharks can locate prey using the ampullae of Lorenzini and have good close-up vision.
Respiratory Mechanisms
- Sharks breathe using a method called buccal pumping, involving the cheek muscles to pull water in over the gills.
- Enlarged spiracles assist in pulling water, which exits through the gill slits.
- Continuous swimming aids respiration through ram ventilation facilitated by the mouth and nostril.
Buoyancy and Excretion
- To maintain buoyancy, sharks utilize squalene.
- Waste is expelled through the cloaca.
- The kidney and rectal gland work together to regulate ions and secrete NaCl solutions.
Reproductive Systems
- Sharks possess opisthonephric kidneys which excrete urea.
- Spermatophores fertilize shark eggs via a groove in the claspers.
- Reproduction occurs through internal fertilization into the cloaca, sometimes involving hooks and spurs for attachment.
Egg Development and Maturity
- Shark eggs vary in size and hatching time, taking a long duration to reach sexual maturity.
- Sharks form mating circles when sexes congregate to mate.
- Males bite females during mating, leading to thicker skin on female sharks.
Developmental Biology
- The right ovary and right testis are more developed in sharks.
- Oviparous species lay yolky eggs in thick capsules; embryos may be nourished in the uterus, leading to viviparous and ovoviviparous reproductive strategies.
- Intrauterine cannibalism describes when developing young eat each other in the womb.
Dentition and Digestion
- Placoid cells with blood supply create hard enamel, while a coating called dentine is akin to human teeth.
- Sharks possess two heart chambers: the atrium and ventricle.
- Digestive processes involve complex mechanisms, though specific details were not provided.
These notes condense information on sharks, skates, and rays focusing on biological classification, sensory and respiratory systems, reproductive strategies, and anatomical features.
Studying That Suits You
Use AI to generate personalized quizzes and flashcards to suit your learning preferences.
Description
Test your knowledge on the fascinating world of Chondrichthyes, which includes sharks, rays, and skates. This quiz covers their anatomical features, dietary habits, and respiratory mechanisms. Dive in to explore the unique adaptations that enable these incredible creatures to thrive in aquatic environments.