Select the one animal that has all of the cartilaginous fish traits listed above.
Great white sharks use rows of jagged teeth to catch their prey. They have fins instead of limbs, and their skeleton is made of cartilage. Great white shark eggs do not have shells for protection. Instead, the eggs grow and hatch inside the mother shark. Western rattlesnakes have scaly, waterproof skin. They can use their fangs to inject venom into their prey. Western rattlesnakes lay eggs with shells and are usually found in dry areas.
Cartilaginous fish are a group of animals with similar traits. The following traits can be used to identify cartilaginous fish:
They have fins, not limbs.
They live underwater.
They have a skeleton made of cartilage.
They make eggs with no shells. Observe the animals and read the descriptions.
Scientists sort animals with similar traits into groups. This is called classification. Classification helps scientists learn about how animals live.
How do scientists classify animals? First, they make observations about an animal. Scientists observe the animal's traits, including its body parts and behavior. Then, scientists compare the animal's traits to other animals' traits. Scientists classify animals with similar traits into a group.
To decide if an animal is part of a group, look at the traits of the group.
Cartilaginous fish have the following traits:
They have fins, not limbs.
They live underwater.
They have a skeleton made of cartilage.
They make eggs with no shells.
Compare each animal's traits to the group's traits. Select the animal with traits similar to the group's traits.
A western rattlesnake has the following traits:
It has scaly, waterproof skin.
It makes eggs with shells.
A western rattlesnake does not have all of the traits of a cartilaginous fish. A western rattlesnake is a reptile.
A great white shark has the following traits:
It has fins, not limbs.
It lives underwater.
It has a skeleton made of cartilage.
It makes eggs with no shells.
A great white shark has the traits of a cartilaginous fish. A great white shark is a cartilaginous fish.