Notes: Cartilaginous Fish

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Notes Cartilaginous Fish

• Rays and Skates

Bat Ray
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Rays and Skates

• General characteristics
• Dorso-ventrally flattened bodies
• Bottom dwellers are called demersal.
• Always have 5 pairs of gill slits
• Pectoral fins are flattened like wings
• Eyes on the top of the head (adult stage)
• Spiracles for breathing since gill slits on
  underside.

3
Rays
Giant River Ray Thailand

• Characteristics
• Pelvic fin has one lobe
• whip-like tails stinging spines
• Manta Ray largest species -23 feet across,
  40-50 lb babies. Give birth to live young.
• When walking in water with stingrays you should
  shuffle your feet as you walk to flush them out
  dont run!
• If stung submerge foot in very hot water to
  break down toxins.
• Electric Rays can deliver 200 volt shocksenough
  to knock regulator out of mouth.

4
Skate

• Characteristics
• no whip like tail
• no stinging spines (use them in petting
  tidepools in Aquariums)
• The mother skate deposits egg cases, which have
  tendrils that anchor them to seaweed or rocks.
  The mother does not protect the egg cases during
  the 6-9 months that the skates develop in their
  cases.
• Pelvic fins has two lobes
• Have spines on their back.