Sharks and Rays

Elasmobranchs (sharks, skates and rays) differ from other fish in the sea by having a skeletal structure made out of cartilage as opposed to bone.

Elasmobranchs range throughout the oceans and can be found in all oceanic and coastal zones. Scotland has over 30 species of sharks, skates and rays recorded in its waters of which 25 are found in coastal waters.

All elasmobranchs share life history characteristics which make them vulnerable to overfishing and means that once depleted, populations take a long time to recover. Elasmobranchs are slow growing, late to reach maturity and typically have low fecundity, thus the number of individual fish recruited into a population on an annual basis is low.