Background InformationObserving Deeply

Fish are members of the phylum Chordata and they, like humans, have backbones. There are several major characteristics that all fish have in common. Most have backbones, are aquatic, breathe through gills, and are cold-blooded. Fish also have several features that enable them to survive in their environment. They are all covered ith scales and a mucus lining, hich serve as a protective outer covering. Fins enable the fish to s im, turn, stop and remain upright in the ater. Fish have adapted ell to their environment, and this is seen in their body shapes, camouflage, mouth positions and various behaviors. !y observing a fish"s body shape, behavior, mouth and fin positions, and s imming style, one can describe here the fish probably lives, ho it moves, and sometimes, hat it eats. #. Fins: Fins give fish mobility, stability and maneuverability. They are used in s imming, turning $steering%, stopping $braking%, and perching. &ach fin is moved by a set of muscles. 'ome fish have developed special uses for fins. There are t o types of fins( paired $one on each side% and unpaired, or median $single% fins. a. Dorsal fins are unpaired median fins that have spiny or soft rays. They act as keels and prevent the fish from spinning or rolling. They keep fish upright in ater or stabili)ed so they can s im straight. 'ome fish use their dorsal fins to s im. 'ome fish ill have only one dorsal fin hile others may have t o or three. The front part of the dorsal fin is generally thicker than the rear part, hich is thinner and ithout spiny rays. 'ome fish, like the triggerfish, undulate the dorsal fins for s imming po er. The dorsal fin of remora is modified into a suction disk for attachment to larger fish. b. The Caudal fin, or tail fin, is also an unpaired median fin. The caudal fin helps to propel and maneuver fish. *t is most often used to generate s imming po er and to assist in braking, turning, or stopping. Caudal fins appear in a variety of shapes, and the shape determines ho fast a fish can s im. Caudal fins ith lobes of equal si)e are homocercal and caudal fins ith lobes of unequal si)e are called heterocercal and give lift to the fish. The caudal peduncle is here the tail is attached to the body. *f the caudal peduncle is narro and the caudal fin is forked, the fish is a fast s immer.

c. The anal fin is an unpaired median fin that is located near the tail. The anal fin, like the dorsal fin, is a stabili)ing fin. d. The pectoral fins are paired fins. They ork like arms and legs and are used for turning and braking. 'ome fish have unusual adaptations for their pectoral fins( sea robins use them to cra l, skates and rays use them to s im, and flying fish use them for gliding through the air. e. Pelvic fins are also paired fins. They are used for stabili)ing and braking. 'ome fish have special adaptations for pelvic fins. 'ome fish use their pelvic fins for alking or perching. Male skates use their modified pelvic fins for mating. +elvic fin is absent from some fish, like eels, enabling them to s im through tight places. ,. Body Shape: Fish tend to have body shapes that are most suited for here they live and feed. &ach shape is advantageous for a different lifestyle. a. The fusiform body shape is rounded or torpedo shaped and streamlined, hich is an ideal shape for fast, continual s imming. Fish ith this body shape are ell adapted for feeding and survival in open ater because the fusiform shape creates minimal drag as the fish s ims through the ater. b. The compressed body is flattened from side to side, allo ing the fish to turn easily and move quickly. Fish ith a compressed body shape rely on quickness and agility rather than speed or camouflage to capture prey and avoid predators. This body shape is ell suited for schooling, maneuvering around obstacles and coral reefs, and living around recks, rocks, or pilings. c. Fish ith a depressed body shape are flattened from top to bottom. This body shape is good for living on the bottom. d. Fish that have an elongate or attenuated body shape are long and thin. This body shape allo s fish to hide in holes and burro s, in plants and crevasses. Fish ith elongate bodies are often quickaction, lie-in- ait predators.

e. Fish ith a square or truncate body shape are slo s immers. They rely on camouflage and other special adaptations to capture prey and avoid predators. f. Fish ith round bodies have a globiform body shape. These fish are also slo s immers, relying on camouflage and other special adaptations to capture prey and avoid predators. g. Other( 'ome fish have body shapes don"t fit the above descriptions( -. outh Position: .o and here a fish eats is determined by the position of the mouth. a. Fish ith a terminal mouth position have a mouth in the middle, at the end of the head. These fish either chase their food or feed on hat is ahead of them. They are usually aggressive, fast s immers. *f they are fast s immers, they may be predators. Those that can maneuver quickly are probably gra)ers or pickers. b. The superior mouth position is hen the mouth is upturned or near the top of the head. Fish ith this mouth position feed on food that is above them and are either a predator or a strainer. c. *f a fish"s mouth is do n-turned or on the bottom of the head, it is in the inferior position. These fish usually feed off the bottom and are either predators or bottom d elling scavengers or gra)ers. /. Color and Pattern: The color and pattern of designs on the fish"s body creates camouflage, hich provides protection from predators. a. Striped( lines run from tail to head b. Banded or barred( colors run around the body i. banded( colors run completely around the body from top to bottom ii. barred( colors run part ay around the body from top to bottom c. Spotted or Spec!led( i. Spotted( large spots ii. Spec!led( small spots d. arbled( colors all run together ith no particular pattern, but they are not solid.

e. Countershading( Many fish are dark on the top and light on the bottom. This serves as a good camouflage. 0hen looking do n on the fish it blends ith the darker deeper ater, and hen looking up, the fish blends ith the light from above. f. Brightly colored reef fish blend in ith the coral.

1. S"imming Style: Fish have developed a variety of s imming styles to aid them in feeding, escaping from predators and in moving around in their habitats. a. Carangiform is the most common s imming style and is used by fast, strong s immers in open pelagic ater. The tail makes ide s eeps through ater. Most fish ith the carangiform s imming style are active predators. b. Fish that s im ith the ostraciform s imming style keep their body rigid hile vibrating the tail. They are usually slo s immers, relying on camouflage or spines for protection. c. 2 fish that uses the anguilliform s imming style moves like a snake through the ater. This s imming style is typical of elongated fish and fish ith small fins. d. 'ome fish do not fit into the above categories of s imming styles. 'ome fish use fins other than the caudal fin for s imming. These fish use precise maneuvers and usually feed on stationary food. !urrfish ro ith their pectoral fins. Triggerfish and angelfish undulate their dorsal and anal fins to s im. 'eahorses vibrate their dorsal and pectoral fins. 3. #abitats: Fish in a particular habitat ill not all look or act alike. .o ever, they ill e4hibit the body structures, s imming styles and behaviors that are advantageous to living in their particular habitat. 0hen attempting to determine here a fish lives, one must consider the combination of body shape, mouth position, and s imming style, as ell as fin shape and placement. a. *n the pelagic $one or open ater, fish must rely on speed to capture prey and escape predators. They must be capable of s imming continuously and producing high speed ith quick acceleration. The typical body shape of the pelagic )one is fusiform. 'chooling fish typically possess a some hat compressed body. +elagic )one fish usually have a forked or lunate tail and s im in carangiform style. The mouth position of predators is usually terminal and upturned if the fish is a plankton eater. b. Fish that live around under"ater structures such as recks, rock, reefs, or pilings must be able to maneuver around obstacles. Maneuverability is much more important to these fish than speed. The most common body shape is compressed, and the s imming style is either ostraciform or ith fins other than the tail. The mouth is usually in middle of head because these fish are mostly gra)ers and pick food off of under ater structures. c. !ottom- or benthic%d elling fish either rest on or s im close to the bottom. *f they rest on bottom, their body shape is usually depressed and they rely on shape, coloration, and

camouflage to escape predators and capture food. !ottom-feeding fish typically have a mouth in the do n-turned position. *f a benthic fish feeds on animals s imming above it, its mouth ill probably be upturned. There are, of course, e4ceptions5 drums have compressed bodies that may be slightly flattened on the ventral side ith mouths set lo on the head, usually in a do n-turned position. Flounders have a compressed body and mouths in the center of their head $they lay on their sides on the bottom%.

Source( 2dapted from an original activity, 6How to Read a Fish,7 by Margaret 8lsen for the 8cean 'ociety Fish Curriculum. The fish dra ings are provided by Marsha 0ard.