Chapter 32.5, Problem 1SB

Summary Introduction

To review:

The characteristics of sharks and rays that make them more efficient predators than the acanthodians or the placoderms.

Introduction:

Sharks and rays come under the Chondrichthyes class. These fishes are vertebrates possessing cartilage and bony structures. The class of Chondrichthyes is divided into two subclasses, namely, Elasmobranchii, which includes fishes like sawfish shark and rays, and Acanthodians, which are also referred to as spiny sharks come under the class of teleostomi. These fishes share both characteristics, that is, bones and cartilage. The Acanthodians are considered to be the descendants of bony fishes.