1. General Vertebrates and Fish

2. Vertebrates – Phylum Chordata Main Characteristics
Dorsal, hollow nerve cord
Notochord – supporting rod just below the nerve cord (usually as embryos)
Pharyngeal pouches – usually as embryos
Tail that extend beyond the anus

3. Other Characteristics
Endoskeleton
Head, neck, trunk, often a tail and generally four limbs
Bilateral symmetry
Skeletal system – provides support and protection

4. Other Characteristics
Muscular system – muscles attached to skeleton for movement
Digestive system – long modified tube with associated glands that help digest food
Respiratory system – moist membranes that exchange gases with the environment
Circulatory system – closed system that transports substances to/from all cells

5. Other Characteristics
Excretory system – removes wastes from blood (kidneys, lungs, skin)
Reproductive system – testes and ovaries
Nervous system – brain, spinal cord, many nerves, sensory organs mainly in head
Endocrine system – glands secrete hormones into blood steam; regulates all functions

6. Fish – General Characteristics
Jaws, paired fins, gills and scales
Scales grow from skin folds
Overlap like shingles
Mucous lubricates the surface

7. Fish – Three Classes Jawless fish – lampreys and hagfishes
Class Chondrichthyes – cartilaginous fishes like sharks and rays
Class Osteichthyes – bony fishes (majority)

8. Fishes - Feeding
Herbivores, carnivores, parasites, filter feeders, detritus feeders
Mouth, pharynx, esophagus, stomach with pyloric ceca, intestines and anus
Liver and pancreas help out

9. Internal Transport
Closed with heart (4 parts), arteries, capillaries and veins
Red and white blood cells

10. Respiration Set of gills below flap (operculum)
Water goes through mouth, over the gills and out the pharynx openings
Swim bladder – fills with gasses from blood or deflates by returning gases

11. Excretion Diffuse through gills
Removed by kidneys which also controls the amount of water in body
Mainly ammonia

12. Response Detects changes in environment and makes simple responses
Brain, spinal cord and many nerves
Big optic lobe to coordinate eye movement
Olfactory lobes for smell
Cerebrum for voluntary activities
Cerebellum to coordinate muscles
Medulla to control internal organs

13. Response Well-developed eyes with colour vision
Chemoreceptors for taste and smell
Sensitive receptors form the lateral line system to tune into currents and vibrations

14. Movement Alternately contract paired sets of muscles
Swim bladder adjust buoyancy

15. Reproduction Separate male and female BUT some species can change
Fertilized either externally or internally
Oviparous – eggs hatch outside of the body
Ovoviviparous – eggs grow and hatch inside the body
Viviparous – embryos get nourishment from the mom not the egg