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Updated: Jul 29, 2026
08:02
Dissection and Flat-mounting of the Threespine Stickleback Branchial Skeleton
Published on: May 7, 2016
Skeletal lesions and deformities in large sharks
Journal of Wildlife Diseases
|January 1, 1983
Summary
Abnormalities were found in blunt-snouted sandbar sharks (Carcharhinus plumbeus), including short rostral cartilage rods and vertebral lesions in multiple shark species. The causes of these congenital and unknown skeletal deformities require further investigation.
Area of Science:
- Marine Biology
- Ichthyology
- Vertebrate Zoology
Background:
- Elasmobranchs, including sharks, exhibit diverse skeletal structures.
- Congenital deformities and pathological lesions can impact marine vertebrate health.
- Previous studies have documented various skeletal anomalies in chondrichthyan fishes.
Purpose of the Study:
- To report and describe skeletal abnormalities observed in sharks.
- To document the prevalence of rostral cartilage deformities and vertebral lesions.
- To characterize the nature of these skeletal pathologies in examined shark species.
Main Methods:
- Examination of 555 sharks over a 13-year period.
- Radiographic analysis of shark specimens.
- Gross and potentially histological examination of vertebral columns.
Main Results:
- Four blunt-snouted sandbar sharks (Carcharhinus plumbeus) exhibited skeletal abnormalities.
- One C. plumbeus specimen displayed abnormally short rostral cartilage rods, suggesting a congenital deformity.
- Four cases of vertebral lesions were identified across three shark species (C. plumbeus, Negaprion brevirostris, Odontaspis taurus), characterized by fused centra, ribs, neural arches, and calcified material deposition or erosion.
Conclusions:
- Skeletal deformities, including rostral cartilage abnormalities and vertebral lesions, occur in shark populations.
- The congenital nature of the rostral deformity is suggested, while the etiology of vertebral lesions remains unknown.
- Further research is needed to determine the causes and implications of these skeletal pathologies in sharks.
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