ABSTRACT
The body form of sharks is notable for the distinctive heterocercal tail with external morphological asymmetry present in most taxa and the ventrolateral winglike pectoral ns extending laterally from the body (Figure 5.1) that give the appearance of powerful yet effortless locomotion. In contrast, expansion of the pectoral ns coupled with a dorsoventrally attened body in rays and skates resulted in modication of locomotor mode from trunk based to pectoral based, while the chimaera body shape is similar to that of actinopterygian shes in terms of lateral compression. These features are distinct from the variety of body forms present in actinopterygian shes (Lauder, 2000) and have long been of interest to researchers wishing to understand the functional design of sharks (Aleev, 1969; Garman, 1913; Grove and Newell, 1936; Harris, 1936; Magnan, 1929; Thomson, 1971).
