Section 19.1- The Bony Fish Flashcards
cold-blooded, water-dwelling vertebrates with gills and scales
fish
the world’s largest fish
whale shark
scientists who study fish
ichthyologists
fish whose skeletons are made either partially or wholly of bone
comprise over 95% of all known fish species
bony fish
among the most nourishing of all foods
fish
ichthyologists speak of all fish as having ____________ main body regions
three
the body region of the fish that extends from the mouth to the back of the gill covers
head
the portion extending from the back of the gill covers to the urogenital opening
trunk
portion extending from the rear of the trunk to the base of the tail fin
tail
usually located at the very front of the fish’s body
mouth
the structure of a bony fish’s teeth is dependent on the fish’s
diet
ordinarily, gills are not visible because they are concealed beneath large, flat gill covers located at the back of the head on each side known as
opercula
the largest part of a fish’s body
trunk
the most prominent features of the trunk and tail are the fish’s
fins
most bony fish have two sets of paired fins:
pectoral fins
pelvic fins
fins located just behind the head on each side of the body
pectoral
fins located to the rear and lower on the trunk
pelvic fins
unpaired vertical fins that project from the centerline of the body
median fins
the type of median fin which projects upward from the fish’s back
dorsal fin
the type of median fin that projects downward from the rear of the fish’s trunk
anal fin
a median fin that projects from the fish’s tail and serves as the fish’s propeller and rudder
caudal fin
produce a slimy substance that makes the fish slippery and gives them their odor
mucous cells
contained in a fish’s skin
special pigment cell that give them their richly varied color
chromatophores
most bony fish have a protective covering of small, bony plates called
scales
fish that lack scales
eel
catfish
can be counted to estimate a fish’s age
fish’s growth rings
provides the central framework ad chief means of support for the trunk and tail
backbone
encloses and protects the brain and provides support for the mouth and gills
cranium
the pectoral fins of most bony fish are attached to the back of the skull by a
pectoral girdle
part of fish mostly composed of skeletal muscle
flesh
W-shaped bands in which a fish’s skeletal muscles are arranged into
controlled by a separate nerve, allowing the fish to move its body in a wavelike, undulating motion
myomeres
