Unit 6: Fishes Vocab & Root Words

Bio 2

ichthy / ichthyes

fish

chondr

cartilage

actino

ray

ptery

wing / fin

sarco

flesh

myo

muscle

derm

skin

later

side

cardio

heart

pyloro

gatekeeper

caud

tail

dorso

back

ventr

belly

oper

cover

chem

chemical

electro

electricity

viv

live

ovo

egg

para

without

gen

birth

bio

life

aqua

water

Fishes

The most diverse group of vertebrates; aquatic animals with gills and fins

Vertebrate

An animal with a backbone or vertebral column

Ectothermic

Cold-blooded; body temperature depends on the environment

Streamlined

Body shape that reduces drag and allows efficient swimming

Myomeres

Repeating muscle segments along a fish's body wall that power movement

Jawless fishes

Primitive fishes that lack jaws (hagfish, lampreys)

Cartilaginous fish

Fish with skeletons made of cartilage instead of bone

Bony fish

Fish with a bony endoskeleton

Class Myxini

Jawless, slime-producing fishes with no backbone (hagfish)

Class Hyperoartia

Jawless fishes with simple backbones (lampreys)

Class Chondrichthyes

Cartilaginous fishes (sharks, rays, skates)

Class Actinopterygii

Ray-finned fishes; ~95% of all fish species

Class Sarcopterygii

Lobe-finned fishes; ancestors of tetrapods

Ray-finned fish

Fish with fins supported by thin bony rays

Lobe-finned fish

Fish with fleshy, bone-supported fins

Caudal fin

Tail fin that provides propulsion

Dorsal fin

Fin that stabilizes the fish and prevents rolling

Anal fin

Unpaired fin that helps stabilize the fish

Pectoral fins

Paired fins used for steering and lift

Pelvic fins

Paired fins used for steering and balance

Swim bladder

Gas-filled organ that controls buoyancy in bony fish

Buoyancy

The ability to float or stay suspended in water

Gill

Feathery respiratory structure where gas exchange occurs

Operculum

Protective flap covering the gills in bony fish

Gill slits

Openings that allow water to exit after passing over gills (sharks, rays)

Spiracle

Opening behind the eye that allows water intake in some sharks

Two-chambered heart

Heart with one atrium and one ventricle

Closed circulatory system

Blood stays within vessels

Lateral line

Sensory system that detects vibrations and water movement

Chemoreception

Ability to detect chemicals (smell and taste)

Electroreception

Ability to detect electrical fields from living organisms

Ampullae of Lorenzini

Electroreceptors near the mouth of sharks and rays

Pyloric caeca

Finger-like digestive organs that increase absorption

Liver

Organ that aids digestion and buoyancy (oil-filled in sharks)

Internal fertilization

Fertilization occurs inside the female's body

External fertilization

Eggs and sperm released into water

Claspers

Male shark reproductive structures

Cloaca

Single opening for waste and reproduction

Oviparity

Eggs develop outside the mother

Ovoviviparity

Eggs develop inside mother using yolk

Viviparity

Embryos develop using a placenta

Parthenogenesis

Development of an embryo without fertilization

Indeterminate growth

Growth continues throughout life

Apex predator

Predator at the top of the food chain

Bycatch

Accidental capture of non-target species

Shark finning

Removal of shark fins and discarding the body

Invasive species

Non-native species that harms ecosystems

Countershading

Dark top, light bottom coloration for camouflage