Lab #4 Groups Flashcards
Order Gadiformes (Burbot)
Body colouration varies from yellow-brown to brown or even dark olive with black
mottling and blotching, giving it almost a camouflage appearance
* Burbot resembles an eel more than other freshwater fish
* Scales are small, the skin has a slimy feel
* Bottom feeder, has large chin barbel with tubular nostrils similar to catfish, for detecting
food.
* Two dorsal fins, rounded tail
* Two dark lateral bars
Order Batrachoidiformes (Plainfin midshipman)
Spines on dorsal fin, occasionally venomous
* ~ 700 dorsal photophores that emit light and attract prey
* Highly vocal
* Toadfishes are usually scaleless, with eyes set high on large heads
* Their mouths are also large, with both maxilla and premaxilla, and often decorated with
barbels and skin flaps
* They are generally drab in colour, although those living in coral reefs may have brighter
patterns.
* The gills are small and occur only on the sides of the fish
* The pelvic fins are forward of the pectoral fins, usually under the gills, and have one
spine with several soft rays
* There are two separate dorsal fins; the first is smaller with spines, while the second has
from 15 to 25 soft rays
Order Percopsiformes (Trout Perch)
Thick bodied, back and sides pale olive, straw-coloured, or silvery to almost translucent
five distinct rows of black spots on back and sides belly whitish
* Fleshy adipose fin, lateral line present, tail fin is deeply forked
* Large head, mouth is horizontal and large
* Upper jaw not reaching beyond the front of the eye
Order Osmeriformes (Longfin smelt)
Overall body colour is silvery, back appears olive to pink and is iridescent
* Pectoral fins almost reach insertion point of pelvic fin
* Dorsal fin originates behind pelvic fins
* Lacking concentric striae on gill cover
* Adipose fin is present
* Lateral line is incomplete
Order Osmeriformes (Eulachon)
Adult colouration is brown to blue on the back, silvery white on the sides, and white on
the ventral surface
* Dorsal fin originates behind pelvic fins
* Concentric striae or lines on gill cover
* Mouth with moderately developed canine teeth (teeth are lost at maturity)
* Adipose fin is sickle shaped
Order Osmeriformes (Surf Smelt)
Green to dark back with a silver or yellow band on its sides
* Small mouth with upper jaw not reaching beyond middle of pupil
* Short lateral line
* Small scales
* Pelvic fins begin behind dorsal fin
* Rounded adipose fin
Order Osmeriformes (Capelin)
Overall body colour is olive
* Dorsal fin starts behind midpoint of the body and over the pelvic fin bases
* Snout is somewhat pointed with upper jaw reaching to eye centre
* Lateral line is complete
* Low adipose fin
Order Salmoniformes (pink salmon)
Body colour is silver, darker back, large oval spots on back and tail fin
* During breeding the male develops a hump back and slightly hooked jaw
* Body colour turns dark green when getting ready to spawn
* Small scales on body
* Adipose fin present
Order Salmoniformes (Chum Salmon)
Ocean Phase
* Silvery sides with a green or blue back and white tips on the ventral and anal fins
* Some black speckling may be present, and faint indications of a vertical bar pattern may
be visible.
* Absence of large black spots on the body or fins, slender caudal peduncle, and large
scales.
* Dark edges on fins
* Adipose fin present
Spawning Phase
* Body colour typically olive or grey with maroon and black vertical bars
* Vertical pattern of bars along the sides, dark or black ventral surfaces, and white tips on
the ventral and anal fins.
Order Salmoniformes (Sockeye salmon)
Ocean Phase (both phases the finless gap between the tail fin and other fins is wide)
* Silvery sides with a green or blue back and white tips on the ventral and anal fins
* No large spots on back or tail, but some may have speckling on the back
* No silver pigment on the tail, and they have a prominent gold eye colour
* Mouth is white with a white gum line and dark tongue
* Small teeth, adipose fin is present
Spawning Phase
* Body colour typically various shades of bright red, head and tail are a greenish colour
* Males may display a vertical pattern of bars along the sides, and spawning females will
usually display a dark vertical stripe
* Only salmon species that displays different spawning colours on the body and head
Order Salmoniformes (Chinook salmon)
Mouth is dark with a black gum line
* Large sharp teeth, dark spots on back
* Spots on both lobes of tail and silver colour is present
* Adipose fin present
Order Salmoniformes (Coho Salmon)
Medium sized needle-like teeth, white gums
* Black spots on upper lobe of caudal fin
* Caudal peduncle compressed and deep
* Spawning individuals have hooked jaws and are generally red on ventral surface on and
below lateral line
* Adipose fin present
Order Salmoniformes (rainbow trout)
Rainbow trout are silvery-grey to dark-green on the back and sides. They have a pinkish
or reddish lateral stripe, sometimes with lavender or orange overtones, from the gill cover
running the length of the fish
* The caudal fin has rows of small dark spots, and there are more small blackish spots
sprinkled on the head and sides, and spotting on the dorsal and adipose fin
* Belly is whitish and lower fins are pale-pink
* Adipose fin present
Order Salmoniformes (cutthroat trout)
Head is blunt, long jaw extends past eye
* Small black spots on head & body extending well below lateral line, and on all fins
* Red to yellow streaks on underside of jaw
* Faint to no red on sides of spawning fish
* Two dark lateral bars
* Adipose fin present
Order Salmoniformes (dolly varden)
Heads do not dominate their profiles and are more blunt, bodies more oval and trout-like
* Somewhat shorter upper jaws that are more straight
* Smaller and more crowded spots on dorsal surfaces, particularly when their backs are
viewed from above
* Teeth at front of roof of the mouth
* Unmarked dorsal fin
* Adipose fin present, pale spots on the back and sides
Order Salmoniformes (bull trout)
Larger, broader, flatter heads with more pointed snouts (and body rises quickly on dorsal
surface after head) than other trout
* Bodies are more slender and ventrally flattened
* Somewhat longer upper jaws which appear to curve downward at their posterior ends
* Red colouring around the lips
* Larger and more separated spots on dorsal surfaces, particularly when their backs are
viewed from above
* Adipose fin present
Order Salmoniformes (brook trout)
Typical trout-shaped body
* White leading edge on the pectoral, pelvic, and anal fins.
* The rest of the fins are yellowish or reddish
* The back is heavily covered with vermiculation or ‘wormy’ marks
* No black or brown spots on the head, back or caudal fin
* Adipose fin present
Order Salmoniformes (lake trout)
Back is green, grey, brown, or almost black; sides are lighter; belly is white
* Light wormlike markings and spots on dark background, no red colour
* White leading edge on lower fins, but no black line
* Deeply forked tail
* Adipose fin present
Order Salmoniformes (Atlantic salmon)
Black x-shaped spots above the lateral line
* Upper jaw does not extend past the rear of the eye
* Large black spots on gill covers distinguish the species from all Pacific species
* May or may not have black spots on tail
* Slender or pinched base of tail
* Adipose fin present
Order Salmoniformes (Arctic grayling)
Greatly enlarged dorsal fin (especially males), small mouth, fine teeth on both jaws
* Dorsal fin reaching adipose fin when depressed, but shorter in females; pelvic fins rather
long, reach anal fin in adult males, but not in females
* Lower lobe of caudal fin often longer than upper
* Dorsal surface dark purple, or blue black to blue grey, sides grey to dark blue with
pinkish iridescence, ventral surface grey to white
* Scattered dark spots on sides, these being more numerous on the young; a dark
longitudinal stripe along lower sides between pectoral and pelvic fins
* Dorsal fin dark with narrow purple edge (rows of reddish to orange or purple to green
spots on body of fin)
* Pelvic fins dark with irregular diagonal orange-yellow stripes; adipose, dorsal, anal,
caudal, and pectorals dusky to dark
* Adipose fin present
Order Salmoniformes (Brown trout)
Brownish in overall tone. The back and upper sides are dark-brown to grey-brown even
gold, with yellow-brown to silvery lower sides, a cream to white-yellow -coloured belly.
* Large, dark black, grey or yellow spots are outlined with pale white halos on the sides,
the back and dorsal fin, with reddish-orange or yellow spots scattered on the sides
* The fins are clear, yellow-brown, and unmarked. This species has a very noticeable
spotted adipose fin between the dorsal and caudal fin.
* There are no spots on the squarish tail or wormy marks on the back
Order Salmoniformes (Inconnu)
Large whitefish, distinctive appearance, bright silvery green/brown on the back
* Long tapered body, long thin broad head
* Lower jaw extends beyond upper jaw
* Lower jaw has rows of densely-packed teeth
* Large fins with dark tips
* Adipose fin, soft and just in front of the strongly forked tail
Order Salmoniformes (Least cisco)
Similar to Cisco but distance from snout to pelvic fin origin equal to distance from pelvic
fin origin to a point on the caudal peduncle (this is a difficult feature to use).
* High falcate dorsal fin
* Brown to green on back, silvery on underneath and sides
* Red colouring around the lips
Order Salmoniformes (cisco)
Colouring is dusky grey to bluish on the back, silvery on the sides, and white on the
underside
* Characterized by an adipose dorsal fin and a forked tail, the cisco has a terminal mouth (a
lower jaw projecting slightly beyond the upper jaw) but mouth appears even with the tip
of the snout
* The body is elongate and slender, with less than 100 scales in the lateral line
* The pelvic axillary process, or dagger-like progression, is well developed
* All fins are relatively clear, although the anal and the pelvic fins may be milky on adults
