The most familiar cartilaginous fish is the _____.

salmon
cod
chimaeras
whales
shark

shark

The largest kind of shark is the _____ shark.

black
white
whale
ray
hammer

whale

The most familiar cartilaginous fish is the shark.

To arrive at this answer, you can start by understanding the different options given. In this case, all the options listed are various types of fish. So, we can eliminate "whales" from contention since they are not fish but mammals.

Next, we need to identify which fish belong to the category of "cartilaginous." Cartilaginous fish are those that have a skeleton made of cartilage rather than bone. Options like "salmon" and "cod" have skeletons made of bone, so we can eliminate them as well.

Now, we are left with two options: "chimaeras" and "shark." Both of these are types of cartilaginous fish. However, sharks are more commonly known and recognized by most people, making them the more familiar choice.

Therefore, the correct answer is "shark."