Ichthyes: The Fish
What is a Fish? Aquatic vertebrate, usually with paired fins, scales and gills. -fins for movement -scales for protection -gills for respiration -Very diverse group composed of many classes of fish. -
Evolution of Fish -Fish were the first vertebrates -Two important developments : - jaws - paired fins The First Fish -Strange, jawless animals with bone armour. -Lived 500 million years ago and didn’t change for 100 million years
The Age of Fish -400 million years ago -large adaptive radiation created new types of fish -the new fish species spread around the world -all were jawless -both soft-skinned and armoured fish appeared
The Arrival Of Jaws and Paired Fins
Jaws Paired Fins -allowed fish to eat new types of food -gave them protection Paired Fins -paired pectoral and pelvic fins -fins attached to girdles, b0ne structures in the body -fish could now swim quickly, hunt and protect themselves
ModernFish Agnatha: jawless fish Chondrichthyes: cartilage fish Osteichthyes: Bony fish
Feeding Respiration every mode of feeding Some will eat anything, others are very specialized Food: Enters mouth Into esophagus Stomach Broken down further in the Pyloric Seca Intestine Anus Respiration Most fish move water over their gills and take out the oxygen Most fish have a single gill opening protected by the operculum Lungfish have organs like lungs and can breathe air
Circulation Excretion Response Closed circulatory system (blood is in vessels) A heart moves the blood in a loop around the body: heart-gills-body-heart Complex, four-chambered heart Excretion -Waste is removed in the form of ammonia Kidneys help fish control the water in their bodies Response -Well-developed brain with different parts -Most fish have good sense organs -Lateral Line System lets fish feel movement in the water
Movement: -muscles bend their bodies in a S-shaped movements -fish move forward -fins stabilize and steer -body is streamlined -many fish have a swim bladder to help them float
Reproduction -can be either internal or external fertilization -fish that hatch from eggs are oviparous Fish that are born alive are: Ovoviviparous (embryos inside eggs) Viviparous (embryos connected to the mother)