Mechanical properties of sand tiger shark (Carcharias taurus) vertebrae in relation to spinal deformity.

Approximately 35% of sand tiger sharks (Carcharias taurus) in public aquaria exhibit spinal deformities ranging from compressed vertebrae and loss of intervertebral space to dislocated spines with vertebral degeneration and massive spondylosis caused by excessive mineralization both within vertebrae and outside the notochordal sheath. To identify the mechanical basis of these deformities, vertebral centra from affected (N=12) and non-affected (N=9) C. taurus were subjected to axial compression tests on an MTS 858 Bionix material testing system, after which mineral content was determined.