Fish Anatomy: External and Internal

Outline
General review of fishes External anatomy How to key out fish using external characteristics Internal anatomy What well look for during dissections What youll write for your fish paper

Jawless Fish
Lampreys and hagfishes Primitive No jaws suctorial mouth No paired fins No scales Hagfish
Blind Scavengers

Lampreys
Parasitic: attach to hosts and suck body fluids

Jawless Fish Anatomy

Cartilaginous Fish
Skeleton made of cartilage Well-developed lower jaw Males have claspers for internal fertilization Placoid scales (skin feels like sandpaper) Paired and unpaired fins Includes sharks, skates, rays, and chimaeras

Shark Anatomy

Bony Fish
Skeleton made at least partially of bone Dorsal, anal, and caudal fins Paired pectoral and pelvic fins Bony gill cover (operculum) Lateral line (vibration detection) Cycloid (smooth) or ctenoid (spiny) scales Swim bladders Variety of shapes

Bony Fish Anatomy

Comparison of Scales

How to Key Out (Identify) Fish

Sequenced observations of key characters like a Choose Your Own Adventure book Dichotomous taxonomic key: at each step of the Choose Your Own Adventure, you never have more than two choices Start with general characteristics, and progress to finer characteristics

Examples of Characters
Anal soft rays Gill rakers on first gill arch Scales along lateral line Pelvic fins present or absent, thoracic (chest area) or abdominal (belly area) Percent of head or eye diameter of standard length How many dorsal fins? What are they made out of?

Example of Character List

Fish Internal Anatomy

Two-chambered heart and gills: circulation, gas exchange Stomach / intestine / liver: digestion, breakdown of macromolecules into molecules the fish can use for growth, energy, etc. Swim bladder: buoyancy Red muscle: slow twitch, holds lots of oxygen, endurance swimming White muscle: fast twitch, holds little oxygen, fast bursts of swimming

Things to Look For During Dissections

Operculum Type of scales Lateral Line Countershading Internal organs Swim bladder Red and white muscle Body and tail shape (how do these affect swimming?) Mouth shape (how does this affect feeding?) Gill area in relation to activity level of fish

Fish Writing Assignment

Page 48 in your reader Pick two fish. Write 2 pages about the feeding strategy of one, and the locomotion strategy of the other Can use the Internet, cite all sources Be careful not to plagiarize easy to do with this assignment! Include a picture of each of your fish Be as detailed as possible, but make sure you understand what youre writing

Fish Body Forms

Fish Mouth Parts

Fish Tails