Many fish have scales and use their fins to swim. Their pursuers include mackerel, tuna, swordfish, marlin, and other larger fish. Flying fish are thought to have evolved this remarkable gliding ability to escape predators, of which they have many. The Classification of Fishes There are about 28,100 species of fishes known to science. Some of … There are a few things that all fish have in common, though. Elizabeth Roberts/CC-BY 2.0. Fish are cold-blooded animals, so their internal body temperature is influenced by the environment. Living in water presents a number of problems such as maintaining salt concentrations and neutral buoyancy and this group of animals has evolved a number of ways to deal with these issues. Fish are a group of aquatic animals with skulls, gills and digitless limbs. What are some characteristics of fish? What Are Some Characteristics of Fish? By Staff Writer Last Updated Mar 27, 2020 1:17:25 AM ET. From the amazingly small to the jaw-dropping mammoths, the types of fish in this world are vast. Fish are fascinating creatures. There are over 30000 known species of fish. Bony fish not only have a hard, calcified skeleton, but a solid cranium protecting their brains as well. FISH. Gills - Water goes into the fish's mouth and then over their gills (which are made up of rows of gill filaments) before leaving the fish out of the gill slits. And then think about a small minnow. Generic fish Graphic: characteristics of fish pectoral fin dorsal fins anal fin pelvic fin barbels snout caudal (tail) fin adipose fin mouth This graphic is a composite illustration that shows a variety of distinguishing characteristics. Both have fish characteristics and are of the same vertebrate group. As in almost all animals with a central nervous system, the nature of a response of an individual fish to stimuli from its environment depends upon the inherited characteristics of its nervous system, on what it has learned from past experience, and on the nature of the stimuli. Characteristics & Physiology of Bony Fish. Think about a Great White Shark. Fish live in the water and breathe by absorbing oxygen through their gills. The General Structures and Characteristics of Fish Elementary Ó2003 7 Question Answer Relationship (continued) Identify a fish that is a bottom dweller, one that lives in the open sea and one that lives among coral reefs. Fish - Fish - Behaviour: Fish behaviour is a complicated and varied subject. They are divided into 4 classes, 59 orders, 490 families and 4,300 or so genera. Vertebrate means they have a spinal cord surrounded by bone or cartilage. They are separated into four groups: cartilaginous fish (such as sharks and rays), bony fish, jawless fish, and hagfish. Oxygen from the water moves into these blood vessels. The classification system of fish is not stagnant and it will change when we have more knowledge, perhaps from DNA analyses. There are many blood vessels in the gills. Fish have gills that extract oxygen from the water around them. Characteristics of fish. Some flatfish use camouflage to hide themselves on the ocean floor. Fish live in the water and are vertebrate animals, which means that they have a spine. Common characteristics of fish in the classes Chondrichthyes and Osteichthyes Efficient respiratory system, closed circulatory system, sexual reproduction, paired fins, developed sensory systems, presence of scales, presence of a jaw, presence of an endoskelaton. Some common distinguishing characteristics of sharks, rays and their kin include the lack of the swim bladder found in many bony fishes; that males fertilize females internally; the possession of five to seven gill arches; and that their skin is composed of toothlike denticles that give the skin an abrasive texture. Fish are vertebrate animals that live in the water. (think and search) How do the different body shapes listed below help fish live successfully in their habitats? Scientists use these and many other characteristics to correctly classify and identify fish. There are over 30,000 different kinds of fish, all of which have their own colors and sizes. For ordinary purpose, however, the […] Escape predators, of which they have a hard, calcified skeleton, but a solid cranium their... Characteristics to correctly classify and identify fish this remarkable gliding ability to predators. To correctly classify and identify fish, 2020 1:17:25 AM ET and digitless limbs and. 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