fish vocab Flashcards
series of vertebrae extending from the base of the skull to the tailbone
Vertebral Column
group of cells that develop into a variety of tissues
Neural crest
flattened appendage used for propelling/steering/balancing
Fin
hard, bony plates that form the covering of fish
Scale
gill cover of fish & amphibians
Operculum
chamber of the heart that receives blood from the veins and pumps it into a ventricle
fish have 1 atrium
Atrium
fish have 1 ventricle
a chamber of the heart, having thick muscular walls, that receives blood from the atrium and pumps it to the arteries
Ventricle
One of the units of the kidney that filter waste products from the blood and produce urine.
Nephron
A series of sensory pores along the head and sides of fish and some amphibians by which water currents, vibrations, and pressure changes are detected.
Lateral line
offspring of fish
Spawning
A gas-filled structure in many fishes that functions to maintain buoyancy and, in some species, to aid in respiration or to produce sound
Swim bladder
fish that have no jaws or paired appendages
Jawless fish
skeleton consisting of cartilage rather than bone
Cartilaginous fish
skeleton consisting of bone rather than cartilage
Bony fish
fish first appeared in this period
Devonian Period
rounded body shape bioluminescent shark has fin spines mouth underneath body
Bowfin/Dogfish
heavy, rounded body with a large, wide head
four pairs of whisker-like, black barbels
top and side of fish are yellow-brown, olive, grey to almost blue-black
underside of fish is pale yellow to white
Brown Bullhead
back and sides are marked with olive brown to black spots
undersides are white to pearl
dorsal fin is typically yellow-olive, marked with brown to black spots
Brown Trout
looks like a cross between an eel and a catfish
long body with smooth skin and a single whisker under its chin
slimy skin and wraps around your arm
Burbot/Eelpout
forked tails and dark spots scattered around body
slender and have smaller heads than other catfish
Channel Catfish
large scales
long dorsal fin with serrated spine
deep laterally compressed body
barbels on each side of mouth
Common Carp
rounded body
back is greenish
sides silvery with black markings
belly silvery w/out markings
Crappie
has a flathead has smooth scaleless skin whisker-like barbels long spines on dorsal fin typically pale yellow tail fin not deeply forked belly is pale yellow or cream colored
Flathead Catfish
5 rows of bony plates
mouth on bottom side of head
have 4 barbels in front of mouth and beneath snout
have 1 dorsal fin near the tail fin
have no simple scales
young-sandy brown color with black blotches
adults-olive brown to grey with white underneath and lack black blotches
Lake Sturgeon
strongly forked tail
lack of red spots on body
1 dorsal fin with no spines
Lake Trout
bodies are thick and elongated mostly green color white or cream colored belly upper jaw extends beyond eye has clear separation between first and second dorsal fins
Largemouth Bass
has long narrow snout spots on body smaller than spotted gar and less developed fins tinted w/ orange median fins are spotted spots on head less noticeable or absent
Long-nose Gar
1 dorsal fin
upper half of cheek and gill cover has scales
body and dorsal fin have dark spots on lighter backgrounds
Muskellunge
long slender bodies and duck shaped bill green or brassy color to help blend in have needle sharp teeth forked tails single dorsal fin far back on body
Northern Pike
torpedo shaped bodies
blue-green or yellow-green in color with a pink streak along their sides, white underbelly, and small black spots on their back and fins
Rainbow Trout
Large, silvery eye.
Large sharp teeth and anterior dorsal fin with spines.
Dark, mottled coloration often present on sides.
Black spots on dorsal fin.
Distinguished from walleye by black spots on dorsal fin and wider head.Distinguished from walleye by lack of white tip on tail.
Sauger
oval shaped deep body blunt snout silvery to greenish yellow with an olive back
Sheepshead
golden green sides and back
faint wavy olive blotches along the sides
Smallmouth Bass
have 2 dorsal fins
long thin body with purple pink and blue sides
Smelt
large and flattened body
eyes and mouth are small
silvery to brownish gray color
dorsal fin looks like paddle
Sunfish
no barbels
golden skin white belly
Walleye
have thick lips
coarse scales
White Sucker
large heads
dark olive-brown with yellowish sides and belly
small eyes
4 pairs of whiskers
Yellow Bullhead
yellow sides
2 dorsal fins
Yellow Perch
