04021613012
JAVERIA SHAMAS
BS ZOOLOGY 8TH SMESTER
DEPARTMENT OF ANIMAL
SCIENCES
QUAID-E-AZAM UNIVERSITY,
ISLAMABAD
DIVERSITY IN
MORPHOLOGICAL FEATURES:
FINS, OPENINGS
FINS OF FISH:
• Most distinctive anatomical features of a fish.
• Composed of bony Spines or Rays.
• They give a fish lift, steering capability, braking and momentum.
• Principle function is to help the fish swim.
• Used to hold on to the substrate in some species.
• In others allow fish walking or even to fly.
• Many fishes can locomote without fins but only at low speeds.
• The shape and position of fins depends upon the shape of fish and center
of buoyancy.
KINDS OF FINS:
• Paired fins:
There are two kinds of fins of fish.
Median fins Pelvic fins
Paired fins Pectoral fins
Median fins:
Caudal fin Fins are only supported by
muscles.
Anal fin
No direct connection with spines
Adipose fin except caudal fin.
Dorsal fin
TYPES OF FINS:
CAUDAL FIN: • EXAMPLE:
• Also known as the Tail fin. • Agnatha had caudal fin.
• Either Homocercal(bony fishes) • Primary locomotion organ in
or Heterocercal(cartilaginous Trunk fishes.
fishes).
• Enlarged in Flying fishes.
• Caudal peduncle: Base of
• Absent in Eel relatives.
caudal fin.
• Groupers: strong wide base of
• It is used by fish for forwarding
the tail(caudal peduncle) for
propulsion and speed.
faster acceleration.
TYPES OF FINS
ANAL FIN
• Also known as Cloacal fin. • EXAMPLE:
• Located on the ventral side • Moderately long based in
just behind the anus. Trigger fishes and File fishes.
• Most stable Median fin. • In male livebearers it serves as
an intromittent organ.
• It supports dorsal fin and
• Lacking in modern Rays and
stabilizes the fish during relatives.
swimming.
TYPES OF FINS
ADIPOSE FIN
• Soft and fleshy fin. • EXAMPLES:
• Present on the back, behind the • Present mainly in Salmonidae,
dorsal fin and just forward to the Characins and Cat fishes.
caudal fin.
• Serves as a “pre caudal flow
• Not present in all fishes.
sensor” to improve
• It helps fish to Navigate in rough maneuverability in turbulent
water. water.
TYPES OF FINS
DORSAL FIN
• Present on the back of fish EXAMPLES:
• A fish can have up to three dorsal • Angler fish: highly specialized
fins(haddocks), Two dorsal fins first dorsal fin that is used as a
in Sharks and yellow fin Tuna. lure called as Illicium/Esca.
• One in most fishes. • Absent in Gymnotiformes and
• Helps in quick turn or stops.
knifefishes.
• Only rudimentary in Notopterus.
• Also helps fish against rolling.
• Rarely reduced or absent in
• Long based in Bowfin for
forward and backward movement. Eagle Rays and Sting Rays.
TYPES OF FINS
PECTORAL FINS EXAMPLES:
• They are located on each side, just • Help to perch at the bottom and on
behind the Operculumn. coral reef areas(hawk fishes).
• Primarily responsible for control of • Flying fishes: Extremely long
directional movement, up and down or pectoral fins for gliding over water.
side to side. • Polynemidae family have taste buds
• Found low down on the body(older and touch receptors on their
fish species). pectoral fins to locate food.
• Higher upon the body(modern fishes) • Basic locomotor structure in Skates,
• Often thought of as the fish’s arm. Sting rays(Rajiformes).
• Absent in living Lampreys.
TYPES OF FINS
PELVIC FINS EXAMPLES:
• Also known as Ventral fins. • Gouramis can taste with their
• Located ventrally below and behind modified Pelvic fins.
the pectoral fins. • Gobies: pelvic fins are fused into a
single sucker disc to attach to objects.
• In many fish families, may be
present in front of the pectoral fins. • Butterfly fish: pelvic fins for gliding
E.g Cods over water.
• Homologous to tetrapod’s hindlimbs. • Absent in Lampreys, Hag fishes and
Eels.
• Assist the fish in going up or down,
Turning sharply and Stopping • Blennies: pelvic fins are present
quickly. under the throat.
OPENNINGS
• MOUTH:
• Situated anteriorly on the head, in terminal position, But adaptively its
position may be superior or inferior.
• Fish mouths fall into three general types.
Superior Mouth •Ambush predators
•Bottom feeder
Inferior Mouth •Eats things such as Crustaceans or Shell fish
Terminal Mouth •Feed on other fish
Mouth:
Agnatha: jawless fishes
Lampreys: Circular mouth and full of suckers
Hag fishes: Lipless mouth, Rudimentary snout in addition to tongue
Gnathostomata: jawed fishes
Sucker shaped mouth: Carp, Sucker ( feed on very small plants and
animals)
Elongated upper jaw: Sturgeons, Spoon bill (feed on prey they look
down on)
Elongated lower jaw: Barracuda (feeds on prey they see above)
Extremely large jaws: Groupers ( surround prey)
ANUS:
• Also known as Vent.
• Present on the mid-ventral line of the body.
• The anus is located immediately anterior to the Cloaca in Lampreys.
• In Sharks and their relatives, and in Lung fishes, the anus opens into
depression on the ventral body surface the cloaca.
• Rarely it is located anteriorly as in the adult Pirate Perch, where it is
jugular, in position.
• In most fishes, the openings of the urogenital ducts are at the surface,
behind the anus.
GILL APERTURES:
• Single opening on each side of the head present in many fishes with
gill covers.
• Normally present in front of the pectoral fin bases, But in Batfishes,
this opening is behind them.
ABDOMINAL PORES:
• An excretory, usually paired aperture opening within or behind the
cloacal region in many fishes and affording communication between
the abdominal cavity and the exterior.
• They open anteriorly in the vent of some fishes including Lampreys
and Sharks.
• Normally paired one on each side of the mid line, but only one present
in some individual.
• Lost entirely by higher fish groups.
SENSORY ORGANS
NARES:
• One or two nares on each side of the snout leading to a blind sac
represent the organ of smell externally among fishes.
• Used to detect odour in water and can be quite sensitive.
• In most fishes the narial openings are present dorsolateraly.
• In other fishes such as Elasmobranchs nares are present on the
ventral surface of the snout.
• Hag fishes and Lampreys: Single and median nostrils.
• Osteichthyes and Chondrichthyes: Paired nostrils.
• Eels and Cat fishes: Well developed sense of smell.
EYES:
• Lidless eyes that cannot be closed are situated in orbits.
• Most oftenly lateral but in many bottom dewellers including Skates,
most Sculpins and Goosefishes, eyes are dorsal.
• Lampreys: well developed eyes
• Hag fishes: Only primitive eye spots
• Adult Flounders: both eyes on one side of the head
• Absent or reduced in Cave fishes.
• Some deeper water fishes have tubular eyes with big lenses and only
rod cells.
SKIN ORGANS:
• Numerous microscopically small openings of skin sensory organs are
developed on the surface of the fish body.
• Widely scattered in some fishes including Northern pike and
Silversides.
• In a few fishes taste buds occur in the skin.
• Lamprey’s skin has photoreceptors, light sensitive cells, most of them
concentrated in the tail which help them to stay buried.
