Passover_Answers

Question:

Is shark kosher?  I would have thought it a fish and therefore safe, but I
have a friend who thinks that since a shark has no scales it isn't "really"
a fish ….  (biologically, this is bogus:  it's a cartilaginous fish;  but
for determining if it's kosher, I don't know how a "fish" is defined)  How
is this resolved?  Does it matter if the particular type of shark is a
scavenger or not?

Answer:

For a fish to be kosher, it must have both fins and scales.  The scales must
be able to be removed from the fish without damaging the skin of the fish.
Sharks are thought of as being without scales but they actually do have
extremely small scales.  If you remove the scale of a shark, you damage its
skin.  Therefore, shark is not kosher.  Other fish that fall in the same
category are eels, lumpfish, sturgeon, and swordfish.