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Published byBritton Sparks Modified over 9 years ago
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Fish Form and Function Why does it look like that?
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The Basic Fish
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The Basic Shark
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Scales The Fish Scales – Made from bone and look like shingles The Shark Scales or Dermal Denticles – tiny toothe like structures – smooth and feel like sandpaper
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Fins Move, Stabilize and Protect Paired – pectoral and pelvic Unpaired – anal, caudal, and dorsal Placement and purpose varies Bony fish – visible supporting rays and spines Cartilaginous – no visible support
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Gills Oxygen enters at gills Found along the side of the head – Feathery in structure Appear bright red when healthy Sharks have 5-7 gill slits that allow water to pass out of the gill cavity Bony fish gills covered by a bony plate – the operculum
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Gills and “Breathing”
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Eyes Most well developed Sharks – Pupils that dilate and constrict, eyelid that closes from the bottom up Fish – Lack both
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The Mouth Location and Size can determine food and ecosystem. Terminal – can chase and capture things or pick at things. Located on the front end Up-Pointing: long lower jaw & feeds near the surface. The mouth opening is toward the top of the head.
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Sub-Terminal: on the underside of the head, usually feed on the bottom. Some fish have specialized mouths. The seahorse has a tiny mouth at the end of a straw-like snout that is used to "slurp"zooplankton. The Sharks’ mouth is located on the underside of its head.
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Body Shapes Fusiform or streamlined - capable of swimming very fast, usually live in open water. Laterally compressed: usually do not swim rapidly, exceptionally maneuverable.
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Depressed: flattened from top to bottom (like stingrays) live on the bottom. Eel-like: snake-like body shape Some fish fit into no categories, they tend to have protective outer coverings and are slow swimmers.
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Tails – indicate speed Crescent-shaped: Fish with crescent-shaped tails are fast swimmers and constantly on the move. Forked: Fish with forked tails are also fast swimmers, though they may not swim fast all of the time. The deeper the fork, the faster the fish can swim. Rounded: Fish with a rounded or flattened tail are generally slow moving, but are capable of short, accurate bursts of speed.
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Color Red – Common color in fish – deep water or nocturnal Countershading – Dark on top light on bottom Disruptive coloration – camouflage Eyespot – mimicry, spot usually near tail Warning Coloration- advertise defense mechanism Camouflage – blend into the background
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Senses Sight – Most have good sight. Smell – nares are two blind sacs that detect odor. Taste – Taste buds are in lining of mouth and gills, Barbels are “whiskers” that are covered with taste buds Hearing – Inner ears are well developed and pick up sound waves through the fish’s body Lateral Line – Feel movements in the water Electricity – Some have special pores that detect electricity.
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Several methods for getting around Waves passing down the body Flex the posterior (caudal) portion of the body Flap pectoral fins and (sometimes) tail Move just the tail
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Getting Around
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