# Other than a spine, do sharks (and relatives) have any other skeletal structure?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/other-than-a-spine-do-sharks-and-relatives-have-any-other-skeletal-structure/314454>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [July 27, 2005, 7:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/other-than-a-spine-do-sharks-and-relatives-have-any-other-skeletal-structure/314454 "2005-07-27T19:50:41Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/earl_snake-hips_tucker/32/3269_2.png) [@Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Earl_Snake-Hips_Tucker)\
**Post date:** [July 27, 2005, 7:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/other-than-a-spine-do-sharks-and-relatives-have-any-other-skeletal-structure/314454/1 "2005-07-27T19:50:41Z")

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Title says it all.

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**Author:** ![Orual](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/779978/32.png) [@Orual](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Orual)\
**Post date:** [July 27, 2005, 8:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/other-than-a-spine-do-sharks-and-relatives-have-any-other-skeletal-structure/314454/2 "2005-07-27T20:02:01Z")

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[This](http://www.marinebiodiversity.ca/shark/english/skull.htm) page has a picture of a shark skeleton at the bottom.

> [@the website](#):
>
> Like other fish, sharks possess an internal skeleton. A sharks skeleton differs from that of other fish because it is composed entirely of cartilage … Cartilage found in the jaws and backbones of sharks require more strength then the cartilage found in the fins. These areas are strengthened with calcium salts forming a “calcified cartilage” which has similar strength characteristics of bone without the added weight.

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**Author:** ![Bookkeeper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bookkeeper/32/281_2.png) [@Bookkeeper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bookkeeper)\
**Post date:** [July 27, 2005, 8:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/other-than-a-spine-do-sharks-and-relatives-have-any-other-skeletal-structure/314454/3 "2005-07-27T20:34:17Z")

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You may find your answer in this recent thread - [Are sharks actually fish?](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=327069&highlight=shark)

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**Author:** ![Bookkeeper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bookkeeper/32/281_2.png) [@Bookkeeper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bookkeeper)\
**Post date:** [July 27, 2005, 8:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/other-than-a-spine-do-sharks-and-relatives-have-any-other-skeletal-structure/314454/4 "2005-07-27T20:35:31Z")

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Dang, **Orual** beat me to it and did it better.

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**Author:** ![mhendo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mhendo/32/3159_2.png) [@mhendo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mhendo)\
**Post date:** [July 27, 2005, 9:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/other-than-a-spine-do-sharks-and-relatives-have-any-other-skeletal-structure/314454/5 "2005-07-27T21:32:24Z")

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For everything you want to know about sharks (and fish in general), check out the [Florida Museum of Natural History Ichthyology Department](http://www.flmnh.ufl.edu/fish/Sharks/sharks.htm).