Fishies

Question 1

what are the bilaterally paired anterior fins, typically located just behind the gill pouches
or operculum?

Answer 1

Pectoral fins

Question 2

what are the bilaterally paired posterior fins, typically located in the posterior half of the body
along the ventral (lower) margin

Answer 2

Pelvic fins

Question 3

what are the usually one or two fins located medially (along the midline) along the dorsal
(upper) margin of the body.

Answer 3

Dorsal fin(s)

Question 4

what Present in some groups, the adipose fin is a small fleshy lobe located behind the
dorsal fin and anterior to the caudal fin

Answer 4

Adipose fin

Question 5

a single median fin located on the ventral (lower) margin of the body named for its
proximity to the anal pore

Answer 5

Anal fin

Question 6

a single median fin located at the posterior end of the vertebral column. Commonly
called the tail fin

Answer 6

Caudal fin

Question 7

cylindrical or oval in cross section and tapered at both ends. Typical of fast moving
fishes in open water

Answer 7

terete

Question 8

laterally (side to side) flattened shapes that are tall and narrow. Typical of slower moving fish that inhabit highly structured habitats like coral reefs or weed beds

Answer 8

compressed

Question 9

dorso-ventrally (top to bottom) flattened shapes that are short and wide. Typical of
bottom dwelling or sedentary species

Answer 9

depressed

Question 10

named for the genus Anguilla (eels) this type of swimming involves alternating contractions of longitudinal muscles along most of the length of the body. The resulting lateral undulations move from the head to tail, applying posterior and lateral force on the surrounding water, propelling the fish forward. Typical of long, thin fish that move relatively slowly.

Answer 10

Anguilliform

Question 11

the lateral undulations are restricted to the posterior half of the body. Typical ofterete shaped fish with faster movement.

Answer 11

Carangiform

Question 12

undulations are restricted to the caudal peduncle and fin due to an inflexible body. Limited to fishes with an extremely rigid body

Answer 12

Ostraciiform

Question 13

movement through flapping motion of the pectoral fins. Typical of wrasses and other fish who rely on a lot of vertical movement in complex three-dimensional habitats like coral reefs.

Answer 13

Labriform

Question 14

coordinated undulations of the dorsal and anal fins create forward and backward movement. Typical of triggerfish and others that rely on anterior-posterior movements in complex three-dimensional environments like coral reefs.

Answer 14

Balistiform

Question 15

most fish maintain vertical
position in the water column passively through the regulation of a ______ organ

Answer 15

Buoyancy

Question 16

gas filled ______ ______ of actinopterygians

Answer 16

Swim bladder

Question 17

fish deal with ___ because density of water is greater than that of air

Answer 17

Drag

Question 18

the friction created between the surface of the fish’s body and the water
surrounding it

Answer 18

viscous drag

Question 19

pressure differences created by the displacement of water as a fish
moves

Answer 19

inertial drag

Question 20

evolutionary trend in the
jaw mechanics of Actinopterygian (ray-finned) fishes

Answer 20

jaw protrusion

Question 21

Carp and Perch skulls – more advanced actinopterygians develop varying degrees of increased
jaw mobility

Answer 21

premaxilla and maxilla

Answer 22

dentary

Question 23

the mouth is located at the anterior tip of the fishes head. ______ mouth
are typical of fishes that move throughout the water column in search of food

Answer 23

terminal mouth

Question 24

the mouth is located on the upper surface of the head. ______ mouths are
seen in fishes that specialize in swimming just below and take food from the water surface.

Answer 24

superior mouth

Question 25

the mouth is located on the underside of the head. ______ mouths are typical of bottom dwelling fish that either search the sediment for food (rays, sturgeon) or graze on food growing on the substrate (sucker, plecostomus).

Answer 25

inferior mouth

Question 26

recurved, sharp and conical teeth arranged in rows. ________ teeth are found in predatory fishes and are used to pierce and hold prey.

Answer 26

Caniniform

Question 27

mall needle-like teeth arranged in patches as opposed to rows. Typical of predatory fish, ________ teeth are used to provide added grip in specific areas of the mouth.

Answer 27

Villiform

Question 28

even smaller than villiform teeth, forming sandpaper like patches. Also seen in predatory fishes, cardiform teeth are too small to pierce but likely increase grip

Answer 28

Cardiform

Question 29

Flat blade-like teeth arranged in rows. Triangular teeth are used for slicing tissue

Answer 29

triangular

Question 30

teeth with flattened or globular surfaces. Molariform teeth are typical of fishes that crush hard shelled animals like clams or snails

Answer 30

molariform

Question 31

– teeth fused into incisor-like shapes sometimes forming a beak-like structure. Coalesced teeth are usually found in fish which scrape food from hard surfaces

Answer 31

coaleced

Question 32

different forms of teeth (pointed or molariform) form on the muscular gill arch and are used in processing food.

Answer 32

pharyngeal teeth

Question 33

projections on the inside of gill arches aid some fish in filter feeding or prevent passage of food particles through gill slits

Answer 33

gill rakers

Question 34

the ______ covering of most fishes provides a protective barrier against abrasion or predation. dermally derived and usually include bone, dentine and enamel

Answer 34

scales

Question 35

sharks scales

Answer 35

placoid

Question 36

gars scales

Answer 36

ganoid

Question 37

most osteichthyans

Answer 37

cycloid and ctenoid

Question 38

Armor-like enlarged scales overlap considerably (catfish) or form thick closely packed plates (trunkfish)

Answer 38

plates

Question 39

elongate scales projecting outward from the body (Spiny puffer, Sculpin, Plecostomus)

Answer 39

spines

Question 40

Poisonous fishes (often aposematic in colour), have toxins in their flesh capable of killing predators that bite or eat them (Puffer).

Answer 40

poison

Question 41

Some fish employ projecting fin spines to delivery toxins into predators (Stonecat)

Answer 41

venom

Question 42

can be used like colouration to obscure the silhouette or startle attackers. Bioluminescence is also used in some species for communication and for luring prey.

Answer 42

bioluminescence

Question 43

Fishes of the family Sciaenidae (known as drums or croakers) create drumming sounds by beating abdominal muscles against their large swim bladders. This mode of sound production is more common in males and is usually associated with breeding

Answer 43

drumming

Question 44

– Sometimes caused by the grinding of pharyngeal teeth, but more commonly as the result of contact between specialized bony processes at the base of the pectoral fin, stridulation is usually used as a distress signal or as part of a territorial display

Answer 44

stridulation

Question 45

– Found in members of the Superorder Ostariophysi – a Taxon you will observe next week. Also known as ‘fear scents’, Schreckstoff is released from the fish’s flesh when damaged. This in turn, warns conspecifics nearby that they should be on the ‘lookout’ for potential danger.

Answer 45

schreckstoff

Question 46

Many fish species are capable of generating weak electrical signals used for navigation and communication among conspecifics (members of the same species). More common are the examples of electrogenic fish which produce strong electric pulses in order to stun prey or possible predators. Note the variety of electric fishes provided.

Answer 46

electrogenesis

Question 47

makes a fish’s body, or part thereof, less visible to predators or prey.

Answer 47

cryptic colouration

Question 48

wavelengths in the red region of the light spectrum are the first to be filtered out as light passes through water. Nocturnal fishes or fishes that live at moderate depths are often coloured red and are thus concealed as red light doesn’t reach them.

Answer 48

red colouration

Question 49

camouflaged fishes have pigmentation that matches well with their habitual environment so they blend in. Common in bottom dwelling species, camouflage is found in both predators and prey. Many freshwater fishes have Par marks (vertical bands) that blend well with aquatic plants (especially common in juveniles).

Answer 49

camoflage

Question 50

describing a colouration where the dorsal surface is dark and the ventral surface is light. Countershading is very common in open water fishes and serves to allow them to blend in with a uniform background when viewed from above (surrounded by dark deep water) or below (surrounded by light coming from surface)

Answer 50

countershading

Question 51

disruptive colouration may make individuals stand out against a neutral background, but helps to conceal individuals within large groups or deflect a predator’s attention toward less vital parts of the body. Many schooling fishes are striped, blending into one another, while others may bear lines that obscure the eye or fake ‘eyespots’.

Answer 51

disruptive colouration

Question 52

Warning or bright colouration is common to fishes with toxins in their bodies. Would-be predators avoid specific patterns or colours associated with poisonous species.

Answer 52

aposematic colouration

Question 53

– Fishes that display colours related to sex or breeding status. Many fish species display Sexual dimorphism (males and females coloured differently).

Answer 53

Social colouration

Question 54

A plesiomorphic trait of all extant jawed fishes, the lateral line is a system of canals in the skin, housing cells that sense changes in water pressure, movement and vibration.

Answer 54

lateral line system

Question 55

Possibly present in other groups, ampullae of Lorenzini are most abundant and obvious in chondrichthyan fishes. The ampullae are conspicuous pores distributed about the head region that house electro-sensory cells. Sharks and rays use these pores to detect electrical signals produced by muscle activity of other fishes, allowing them to locate cryptically coloured or buried prey.

Answer 55

ampullae of lorenzi

Question 56

Found only in members of the Superorder Ostariophysi, Webberian ossicles are small bones modified from anterior vertebral processes which form a connection between the swim bladder and the canals of the inner ear, thus enhancing the sense of hearing.

Answer 56

webberian ossicles

Question 57

Barbels are sensory, whisker-like appendages located near the mouth on many species of fish. The fact this character appears scattered throughout the fish family tree, suggests that it may have evolved separately several times, or that it may be a primitive feature which has been repeatedly lost.

Answer 57

Barbels

Question 58

Hagfishes (~75 species) Hagfish are scaleless eel-shaped fish lacking jaws and paired fins. They are exclusively marine (salt water) and typically scavenge on carrion. Hagfish are able to produce copious amounts of slime in response to potential predators making them difficult to hold onto and sometimes causing the predator to choke on the slime. Look for – long slender body – no scales visible – no jaws – small eyes covered with skin - sensory barbels (fleshy projections) around mouth

Answer 58

Myxiniformes

Answer 59

Petromyzontiformes

Answer 60

Chondrichthyes

Answer 61

Holocephali

Answer 62

Elasmobranchii

Answer 63

Sarcopterygii

Answer 64

Osteichthyes

Answer 65

Actinopterygii

Answer 66

Polypteriformes

Answer 67

Acipenseriformes

Answer 68

Lepisosteiformes

Answer 69

Amiiformes

Answer 70

Osteoglossiformes

Answer 71

Anguilliformes

Answer 72

Clupeiformes

Answer 73

Ostariophysi

Answer 74

Cypriniformes

Answer 75

Characiformes

Answer 76

Siluriformes

Answer 77

Gymnotiformes

Answer 78

Esociformes

Answer 79

Salmoniformes

Answer 80

Anadromous

Answer 81

Salmo trutta – Brown trout

Answer 82

Oncorhynchus mykiss – Rainbow trout

Answer 83

Salvelinus confluentus – Bull trout

Answer 84

Salvelinus fontinalis – Brook trout

Answer 85

Prosopium williamsoni – Mountain whitefish

Answer 86

Coregonus clupeaformis – Lake whitefish

Answer 87

Percopsiformes

Answer 88

Gadiformes

Answer 89

Gasterosteiformes

Answer 90

Sygnathiformes

Answer 91

Scorpaeniformes

Answer 92

Perciformes

Answer 93

Pleuronectiformes

Answer 94

Tetraodontiformes

Answer 95

Actinistia

Answer 96

Dipnoi