bluesdude71
01-15-2009, 05:24 PM
External Fish Anatomy
The following illustration of a largemouth bass shows some of the common external features that are used to describe the differences between fish that are described in more detail below.
http://floridafisheries.com/images/ext-anat.jpg
Fish are animals that are cold-blooded, have fins and a backbone. Most fish have scales and breathe with gills. There are about 22,000 species of fish that began evolving around 480 million years ago. The largemouth bass illustrated above has the typical torpedo-like (fusiform) shape associated with many fishes.
Fins are appendages used by the fish to maintain its position, move, steer and stop. They are either single fins along the centerline of the fish, such as the dorsal (back) fins, caudal (tail) fin and anal fin, or paired fins, which include the pectoral (chest) and pelvic (hip) fins. Fishes such as catfish have another fleshy lobe behind the dorsal fin, called an adipose (fat) fin that is not illustrated here. The dorsal and anal fins primarily help fish to not roll over onto their sides. The caudal fin is the main fin for propulsion to move the fish forward. The paired fins assist with steering, stopping and hovering.
Scales in most bony fishes (most freshwater fishes other than gar that have ganoid scales, and catfish which have no scales) are either ctenoid or cycloid. Ctenoid scales have jagged edges and cycloid have smooth rounded edges. Bass and most other fish with spines have ctenoid scales composed of connective tissue covered with calcium. Most fishes also have a very important mucus layer covering the body that helps prevent infection. Anglers should be careful not to rub this "slime" off when handling a fish that is to be released. (See Scales (http://floridafisheries.com/Fishes/scales.html) for more).
In many freshwater fishes the fins are supported by spines that are rigid and may be quite sharp thus playing a defensive role. Catfish have notably hard sharp fins that anglers should be wary of. The soft dorsal and caudal fins are composed of rays, as are portions of other fins. Rays are less rigid and frequently branched.
The gills are the breathing apparatus of fish and are highly vascularized giving them their bright red cover. An operculum (gill cover) that is a flexible bony plate protects the sensitive gills. Water is "inhaled" through the mouth, passes over the gills and "exhaled" from beneath the operculum.
Fish see through their eyes and can detect color. The eyes are rounder in fish than mammals because of the refractive index of water and focus is achieved by moving the lens in and out, not distorting it as in mammals.
Paired nostrils, or nares, in fish are used to detect odors in water and can be quite sensitive. Eels and catfish have particularly well developed senses of smell.
The mouths shape is a good clue to what fish eat. The larger it is the bigger the prey it can consume. Fish have a sense of taste and may sample items to taste them before swallowing if they are not obvious prey items. Most freshwater fishes in Florida are omnivorous (eating both plant and animal matter). Some are primarily piscivorous (eating mostly other fish). The imported grass carp is one of the few large fishes that are primarily herbivorous (eating plants). Fish may or may not have teeth depending on the species. Fish like chain pickerel and gar have obvious canine-shaped teeth. Other fish have less obvious teeth, such as the cardiform teeth in catfish which feel like a roughened area at the front of the mouth, or vomerine teeth that are tiny patches of teeth, for example, in the roof of a striped bass' mouth. Grass carp and other minnows have pharyngeal teeth modified from their gill arches for grinding that are located in the throat.
The lateral line is a sensory organ consisting of fluid filled sacs with hair-like sensory apparatus that are open to the water through a series of pores (creating a line along the side of the fish). The lateral line primarily senses water currents and pressure, and movement in the water.
The vent is the external opening to digestive urinary and reproductive tracts. In most fish it is immediately in front of the anal fin.
(http://floridafisheries.com/Fishes/anatomy.html#TOP)
The following illustration of a largemouth bass shows some of the common external features that are used to describe the differences between fish that are described in more detail below.
http://floridafisheries.com/images/ext-anat.jpg
Fish are animals that are cold-blooded, have fins and a backbone. Most fish have scales and breathe with gills. There are about 22,000 species of fish that began evolving around 480 million years ago. The largemouth bass illustrated above has the typical torpedo-like (fusiform) shape associated with many fishes.
Fins are appendages used by the fish to maintain its position, move, steer and stop. They are either single fins along the centerline of the fish, such as the dorsal (back) fins, caudal (tail) fin and anal fin, or paired fins, which include the pectoral (chest) and pelvic (hip) fins. Fishes such as catfish have another fleshy lobe behind the dorsal fin, called an adipose (fat) fin that is not illustrated here. The dorsal and anal fins primarily help fish to not roll over onto their sides. The caudal fin is the main fin for propulsion to move the fish forward. The paired fins assist with steering, stopping and hovering.
Scales in most bony fishes (most freshwater fishes other than gar that have ganoid scales, and catfish which have no scales) are either ctenoid or cycloid. Ctenoid scales have jagged edges and cycloid have smooth rounded edges. Bass and most other fish with spines have ctenoid scales composed of connective tissue covered with calcium. Most fishes also have a very important mucus layer covering the body that helps prevent infection. Anglers should be careful not to rub this "slime" off when handling a fish that is to be released. (See Scales (http://floridafisheries.com/Fishes/scales.html) for more).
In many freshwater fishes the fins are supported by spines that are rigid and may be quite sharp thus playing a defensive role. Catfish have notably hard sharp fins that anglers should be wary of. The soft dorsal and caudal fins are composed of rays, as are portions of other fins. Rays are less rigid and frequently branched.
The gills are the breathing apparatus of fish and are highly vascularized giving them their bright red cover. An operculum (gill cover) that is a flexible bony plate protects the sensitive gills. Water is "inhaled" through the mouth, passes over the gills and "exhaled" from beneath the operculum.
Fish see through their eyes and can detect color. The eyes are rounder in fish than mammals because of the refractive index of water and focus is achieved by moving the lens in and out, not distorting it as in mammals.
Paired nostrils, or nares, in fish are used to detect odors in water and can be quite sensitive. Eels and catfish have particularly well developed senses of smell.
The mouths shape is a good clue to what fish eat. The larger it is the bigger the prey it can consume. Fish have a sense of taste and may sample items to taste them before swallowing if they are not obvious prey items. Most freshwater fishes in Florida are omnivorous (eating both plant and animal matter). Some are primarily piscivorous (eating mostly other fish). The imported grass carp is one of the few large fishes that are primarily herbivorous (eating plants). Fish may or may not have teeth depending on the species. Fish like chain pickerel and gar have obvious canine-shaped teeth. Other fish have less obvious teeth, such as the cardiform teeth in catfish which feel like a roughened area at the front of the mouth, or vomerine teeth that are tiny patches of teeth, for example, in the roof of a striped bass' mouth. Grass carp and other minnows have pharyngeal teeth modified from their gill arches for grinding that are located in the throat.
The lateral line is a sensory organ consisting of fluid filled sacs with hair-like sensory apparatus that are open to the water through a series of pores (creating a line along the side of the fish). The lateral line primarily senses water currents and pressure, and movement in the water.
The vent is the external opening to digestive urinary and reproductive tracts. In most fish it is immediately in front of the anal fin.
(http://floridafisheries.com/Fishes/anatomy.html#TOP)