Ma'anar ƙamus na "kifin cartilaginous" yana nufin ƙungiyar kifi waɗanda ke da kwarangwal da aka yi da guringuntsi maimakon kashi. Misalan kifin cartilaginous sun haɗa da sharks, haskoki, da chimaeras. Ana kuma kiran waɗannan kifi "chondrichthyans" ko "elasmobranchs". Kifayen cartilaginous an san su da gyare-gyare na musamman kamar yadda ake iya gano siginar lantarki, haƙoransu masu kaifi, da kuma sassan jikinsu waɗanda ke taimaka musu yin iyo cikin ruwa yadda ya kamata.