Cartilaginous fish – slits and sharks
Cartilaginous fish have five to ten sets of gill slits, unlike bony fish which have plates that cover their gills. Gills are the fish’s “breathing” organs which allow them to absorb an oxygen supply from the water.
If you look closely at the go kart (cartilage) you will see it is shaped like a shark and has five slits down its side.
Example
Typical cartilaginous fish are sharks and stingrays. These fish have gills that open to the ocean through slits.
Bony fish have a plate that sits in front of their gills.
Lifting the plate that covers a bony fish’s gills.
What the gills look like with the covering plate removed.
