Lab 3 - Bony fishes Flashcards
What are the four common measurements of length? What must be done when measuring length?
- FORK LENGTH (FL): TIP OF SNOUT to TAIL FORK
- TOTAL LENGTH, (TL): SNOUT TIP to END OF COMPRESSED TAIL; = maximum length of fish
- STANDARD LENGTH (SL): tip of snout to posteriror end of HYPURAL PLATE; most often used in systematic studies – accurate and comparable but difficult to do
- POST-ORBITAL-HYPURAL LENGTH (POH): back of ORBIT to end of HYPURAL PLATE; used for mature Pacific salmon to control for effects of sexual dimorphism and tail damage. One must always indicate the measure which is being referred to and the units used when providing any fish length measures
- GIRTH
What is the hypural plate and how does one find it?
The hypural plate is a series of separate (primitive state) or fused (derived state) bones that connect to the last few vertebra (primtive state) or a single specialized vertebra (UROSTYLE in derived state).
Supports the caudal fin rays
To find the end of the hypural plate on a whole fish, bend the caudal fin towards you and observe the resulting “crease” in skin at the end of the caudal peduncle.
How do true spines differ from soft rays?
TRUE SPINES: - usually hard and pointed - unsegmented - unbranched - solid
SOFT RAYS: - usually soft and not pointed - segmented - usually branced - bilateral, with left and right halves
Which fins are true spines usually found? Are there any exceptions?
- Dorsal fins
- Pelvic fins
- Anal fins
exceptions exist in Siluriformes (catfishes) where soft rays are fused on pectoral fins to create spines.
List the types of scale from primitive (Chondrichthyes) to derived fish (Actinoptyergii).
- Placoid scales (Sharks)
- Ganoid scales (Gars)
- Leptoid scales a. cycloid (primitive teleosts, salmon) b. ctenoid (derived teleosts, rockfish)
What are ganoid scales?
Found in most primitive members of Actinoptyerigians, made up of a hard, thick ganoine (enamel-like inorganic bone salt excreted by the dermis) covered scale that forms a heavy DERMAL ARMOUR.
Usually rhomboid in shape and have articulating peg and socket joints between them.
Describe leptoid scales and the types of leptoid scales that occur.
Reduced and having lost the ganoine layer, leptoid scales are found in teleosts as CYCLOID SCALES usually in PRIMITIVE teleosts and CTENOID scales in more derived teleosts.
Leptoid scales – either types – can be modified to form bony scutes also.
What are the differences between ctenoid and cycloid scales?
Ctenoid scales have teeth-like projections along the backside (posterior).
Cycloid scales have a smooth edge on the posterior side.
What are the primitive and derived states of 1) scales; 2) spines; 3) fin positions; and 4) presence of protrusible jaws found in teleosts?
PRIMITIVE TELEOSTS:
- Scales are cycloid
- Fins lack true spines
- Pelvic and pectoral fins lie ventrally, with pelvic fins lying posteriorly along body and pectorals anteriorly
- No protrusible jaws: pre-maxilla only slightly flexible
DERIVED TELEOSTS:
- Ctenoid scales exist
- True spines are found on the dorsal, pelvic, and anal fins
- Pectoral fins lie behind operculum/are more dorsally located, and pelvic fins are found anteriorly, below pectorals but remain ventral
- Protrusible jaw exists as pre-maxilla becomes more flexible and makes up most of the upper jaw
What are meristic counts? Examples? What are the standards for completing meristic counts?
Meristic counts are those done on serially repeated structures.
Examples include vertebral counts, fin-ray counts, and gill-raker counts, which are important for species identification and population/stock identification within species.
Standards for meristic counts:
- all measurements are done on the left side as the standard side
- true spines designated by Roman numerals, and soft rays by Arabic numbers, and all spines are counted regardless of size but soft ray counts do not include the first anterior rays that are less than half the height of the longest ray. The last two rays are counted as only one.
- Gill rakers counts include all rudiments i.e. small bumps that occur at the end of the obvious gill rakers.
What bones are found in the lower jaw of teleosts? What bones are found in the upper jaw?
Lower jaw are made up of: - the dentary - the angular - basihyal/glossohyal bone of the lower palate
Upper jaw bones: - pre-maxilla - maxilla - palatine - vomer
What are the bones found in Teleost neurocranium?
Frontal Supraoccipital Parietal Orbitosphenoid Parasphenoid Vomer
What are the bones found in the 1) jaws, 2) suspensorium, and 3)opercular apparatus of teleosts?
- JAWS: dentary, angular, basihyal, premaxilla, maxilla, palatine, and vomer
- SUSPENSORIUM: hyomandibular, metapterygoid, endopterygoid, ectoptyerygoid, and quadrate.
- OPERCULAR APPARATUS: angular, preopercle, interopercle, opercle, subopercle
What bones make up the hyoid apparatus and what is its function?
Hyoid apparatus serves as a base for connection of the four complete gill arches to the hypohyal and glossohyal, but also functions in buccal cavity expansion during feeding and respiration
- Basihyal/glossohyal Hypohyal
- Urohyal is connected ventrally to hypohyal
- Ceratohyal
- Epihyal
- Interhyal is on top of epihyal
- Branchiostegals
What is the pectoral girdles form and function?
Includes the cleithra which supports the pectoral fins, where the epaxial and hypaxial musculature are connected to the rest of the hyoid apparatus and the skull.
It makes up the hard back, inside end of the gill cavity.