Dr. Karen Walter’s zoology class dissect Dogfish sharks, Jan. 24. Students study different fish species as they begin their new unit, Chondrichthyes.

The class will dive into the anatomy of various animals like bullhead sharks and stingrays. Walters typically has several dissection labs in zoology each year, however this class was the first to dissect sharks.

The purpose of the lab was to reinforce learning of chondrichthyes and have hands-on experience with a real animal, being able to feel, analyze and smell. Students were given the task to identify different parts of the shark while they dissected them.

Dogfish sharks are typically small in size and are one of the popular species of the Squalidea family of sharks.

The zoology class also welcomed a new class pet. Walters and the class will be taking care of a gecko that will serve as a live specimen for observation. The class has yet to name the gecko, however they are open to name suggestions.

Go to The Feather’s Instagram page and comment what you think the gecko should be named, or leave a comment on this post!

The slideshow below shows images from Karen Walter’s Zoology class dissecting sharks, Jan. 24. 

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