PARTS OF A FISH DORSAL FIN GILL CAUDAL FIN EYE PECTORAL FIN MOUTH SCALES VENT PELVIC FIN ANAL FIN PARTS OF A FISH

Fish have no eyelids. Their eyes are always open.

GILL MOUTH The mouth is used to catch and eat food. Only some fish have teeth. Fish use their gills to breathe. They take in water through their mouth and force it through their gills, which removes the dissolved oxygen. The oxygen then moves into the blood and travels to the fish’s cells.

SCALES The body of a fish is protected by a thin, hard coat of overlapping scales and a coating of slime.

FIN FIN FIN FIN FIN Fins are used for swimming and sometimes for protection. They are made of skin and tiny bones or cartilage.

DORSAL FIN The dorsal fin is a spiny, hard fin that helps to keep the fish upright and to help make sudden turns when swimming. Fish can have up to three dorsal fins.

The pectoral fins help fish move from side to side and maintain depth.

PELVIC FIN The pelvic fin helps the fish to turn sharply, stop quickly, and move up and down.

ANAL FIN The anal fin is used to stabilize the fish when swimming, keeping it from wobbling in the water.

CAUDAL FIN The caudal fin swings from side to side to move the fish forward, left, and right in the water.

The vent is where waste is removed.