Shark Dissection!

Hello!

As a start to our third day, we had our first quest. A quest is a combination of a quiz and a test due to its length being similar to a quiz and content being similar to a test. So far we have covered topics such as the anatomy of a squid, Charles Darwin’s theory of convergent evolution, and the phylum classifications of different invertebrates.

Now onto sharks! After our test we learned about various aspects of a shark’s anatomy and life style. Did you know that a shark’s skeleton is made out of cartilage and not out of bone? We are now able to identify the differences between sharks, bony fish, skates, and rays. We learned the impressive ways that sharks hunt and the various different ways that they can give birth. In using the DyKnow program for our lectures, we are able to see the images and notes that Mr. Daly and Mrs. Becker provide for us and write our own notes alongside them.

When we finished the shark biology lecture we dove into the shark dissection movie. Now, after watching the first two dissection videos we have gotten used to see the gruesome insides of sea animals. There is nothing better than watching Joy, one of the specialized scientists, rip apart the insides of the shark. We learned a lot about how the great white shark survives and how it evolved over time. It was a very interesting movie. After the movie, we went to lunch and prepared to dissect our own sharks!

Check out Joy and her Great White specimen! (Courtesy of PBS: Inside Nature's Giants)

After we got back from lunch, we pulled out the two small dogfish sharks! They were compacted into an airtight baggie with this greenish-yellow liquid. We have never smelled anything worse than when we cut open that bag and pulled out the dead shark. The room reeked for hours after- we learned the smell was from the preservatives. During the dissection, we looked at the fins and took a look at the rough scales on the shark. 

The female dogfish specimen!

Finally, we were allowed to cut open the shark! We snipped off the bottom jaw and took a look inside at their gill system and teeth. One group had the male dogfish and the other group had the female. The female shark was pregnant and there were three little baby sharks inside! They were each still attached to a yolk sac. After the dissection, the group left the smelly room and went on break to let it air out. 

Evan, Laura, and Seysha show us the baby sharks attached to yolks.

 Mr. Daly shows Michael how to cut into the shark.

As even more preparation for our journey into the unknown land of the Bahamas, we were given a crash course into 52 different species of birds and fish that we are likely to see during our trip. Our favorite bird was the Belted Kingfisher and our favorite fish was the Four-Eye Butterfly Fish. Hopefully we get to see both!

To finish our day we sang the Bahama national anthem. Although our singing is still a little off key, we will be singing like natives when we get there! 

Goodnight, 

Laura and Nick