What is a Cartilaginous Fish?
Cartilaginous Fish are fish without bones. Instead of bones, they have softer stuff called cartilage. Our skeletons are made of bone, but we also have some cartilage in our bodies. For example, if you hold your nose and wobble it, you’ll see the middle bit is a bit hard, but not as hard as bone. That’s cartilage! So, if you’re having trouble spelling Cartilaginous, just remember it comes from the work Cartilage. That’s why it’s not Cartiligenous, or Cartileginous, or Cartilogunous or anything else! The most common types of cartilaginous fish are sharks and rays. like most other fish, Cartilaginous fish mostly • Have gills, and breathe water, • Are “cold-blooded” – their body temperature will be the same as the surrounding water, and • Cannot survive in air. The things make cartilaginous fish different from other fish are • They have cartilage, instead of bone. This means that cartilaginous fish don’t make good fossils. For example, the only fossils we have of the Megalodon are of its t
