There are two types of skeletons that a
Fish can have, Bony Fish are fish that have
a skeleton made of bone. There are about
20,000 species of bony fish which include
Royal Angelfish and Butterfly Fish. Cartilaginous
Fish have a skeleton made of cartilage,
which is what our ears and noses are made
out of. Sharks, Rays and Skates are the
only cartilaginous Fish.
Polyps Butterflyfish Polyps Butterflyfish are small tropical
fish that live in and around the coral reefs.
Their skeletons are made out of bone and are
therefore bony fish.
Black
Tip Reef Shark The Black Tip Reef Shark is a type of
Shark and all Sharks have skeletons made ou
of cartilage. Cartilage is softer than bone.
Western
Clown
The Western Clown is also a bony fish, although
their bones are much smaller than ours, they
are still strong.
Common
Lionfish
The Common Lionfish is also a bony fish, all
bony fish have a swim bladder (an air filled
sac that helps them with buoyancy) that opens
into the gullet. Bony fish do not have to
swim to breathe.
Southern
Stingray
The Southern Stingray is a cartilaginous fish
and therefore have skeletons made out of cartilage.
Basking
Shark
The Basking Shark is a type of Shark and has
a skeleton made of cartilage. The Basking
Shark is the second largest fish in the world
and even though cartilage is softer than bone,
it is still strong enough to support its huge
weight.
