A bronze whaler shark, also known as a copper shark, swims through the waters of the Neptune Islands, in South Australia. Copper sharks are among the shark species that give birth to live young. A copper shark litter can be from 13 to 20 pups. Other sharks lay eggs, which drop to the sea floor or float in the water until they hatch.

A shark's skeleton is made of cartilage—the flexible substance in your ears and the end of your nose—instead of bone. The cartilage is stiffened by lime, making it strong enough to support the shark's body. Sharks, skates, and rays are the only remaining fishes with cartilage instead of bone in their skeletons. The shark family has survived for 350 million years.

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