Sharks, rays, skates, and chimaera have a skeleton made of cartilage. This strong and flexible connective tissue allows for increased movement. It's also less dense (weighs less) than bone, which helps sharks stay afloat and use less energy to move.
Sharks have two types of muscle: red and white.
Red muscle is slow contracting and helps the shark swim a long time (marathon). These muscles require an oxygen-rich environment (good blood supply) and work by breaking down fat in the shark’s body.
White muscle is relatively fast contracting and helps with bursts of speed (sprinting). These muscles use energy created from the breakdown of sugars (glycogen) in the body.
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