Shark Skeleton

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A 1.8m long skeleton was hauled up on a bottom set line from a depth of approximately 150 m in the Tathra Canyons off Tathra New South Wales in 2003.

Shark skeleton
A shark skeleton hauled up from a depth of 150 m of Tathra, New South Wales, 2003. The skull is at the left of the image. Image: D. Stephens
© D. Stephens

The images were taken by D. Stephens and sent to the Australian Museum by DPI Fisheries Officer, Ian Merrington. It shows the skull and vertebral column of a shark, most likely a member of the family Lamnidae* or possibly Carcharhinidae. This family Lamnidae includes the White Shark, Shortfin Mako and Porbeagle Shark. Carcharhinidae includes the Whaler Sharks and Tiger Shark.

Shark skull
A shark skull hauled up from a depth of 150m off Tathra, New South Wales, 2003. Image: D. Stephens
© D. Stephens

Unlike the skeleton of bony fishes, the elasmobranchs have skeletons made of cartilage, not bone.

Tail region of a shark skeleton
The tail region of a shark skeleton hauled up from a depth of 150 m of Tathra, New South Wales, 2003. Most elasmobranchs have heterocercal tails, in which the vertebral column extends into the upper lobe of the tail. Image: D. Stephens
© D. Stephens

References:


Helfman, G.S., Collette, B.B. & D.E. Facey. 1997. The Diversity of Fishes. Blackwell Science. Pp. 528.

* Thank you to Dr John Stevens CSIRO Marine & Atmospheric Research, Hobart, for his help identifying the skeleton.