EEB 474 Lab Exam 1

Myxini

Class - fish with viscous skin & mucous

Myxinidae

Hagfish family

No oral disk, vestigial eyes

No dorsal fin or paired fins

1-15 gill openings

(Think if the lamprey was a deep sea fish)

Chondrichthyes

Cartilage fish class

Ginglymostomatidae

Nurse shark family

4th and 5th gill slits overlap

2 spineless doral fins

Spiracles smaller than eyes

Nostrils with barbels (varying length)

Squalidae

Dogfish shark family

Strongly pronounced spine @ front of dorsal fin

Well-developed spiracles

No anal fins

Caudal peduncle w/ pair of lateral keels

Carcharhinidae

Requiem shark family

Upper pre-caudal pit present

No spine (compared to squalidae)

Usually no spiracles

First dorsal fin anterior to pelvic fins

Sphyrnidae

Hammerhead shark family

Pretty straightforward - flattened and laterally elongated heads

No spiracles

Torpedinidae

Torpedo electric rays

Caudal + dorsal fins well developed

Kidney shaped electric organ on sides of head

Oval body shape w/ smooth skin

Rhinobatidae

Guitar fishes

Not a skate nor a shark - intermediate

Two distinct dorsal fins + caudal fin

Large spiracles

Looks like a spear head

Rajidae

Skate family

Rough dorsal surface

Thick tail w/ at least one fin

No caudal spines

Small caudal fins

SIMILAR to stingrays

Dasyatidae

Whiptail stingray family

Thin, whip-like tail w/ 1-2 spines

NO caudal fin

'Typical’ stingray

Myliobatidae

Eagle ray family

Small but distinct dorsal fin

NO caudal fin

Head distinct, elevated from disc

1 or more spines on tail on most members

Chimaeridae

Chimeras + Ratfish family

Short, fleshy, and rounded rostrum

*Large spine(s) in front of dorsal fin*

Prominent lateral line

No scales

Sarcopterygii

Class - lobe finned fish

Lepidosirenidae

South American and African lungfish family

Elongated body

Pairs of (long) fleshy appendages

Actinopterygii

Class - ray finned fishes

Polypteridae

Bichirs + Reedfish family

Rhomic ganoid scales

Dorsal fin w/ 5-18 finlets

Fleshy lobe @ base of pectoral fins

Eel-like in appearance

Osteoglossidae

‘Boney Tongues’ family

Toothed maxilla

Superior mouth

Pelvic fins distinctly behind base of pectoral fins

Pelvic fins with 6 rays

Mormyridae

Elephant fish/'baby whale’ family

Elongated proboscis-like snout w/ terminal mouth

Anal, caudal, and pelvic fins present

Caudal peduncle narrow, caudal fin deeply forked

Albulidae

Bone fish family

Small, inferior mouths that open well behind the snout

Scaleless head (BALD)

Elopidae

Ladyfish family

Fusiform body, slightly compressed

Terminal mouth

Gular bone present

Adipose deposits around eyes

Generally smaller than Megalopidae

Megalopidae

Tarpon family

Fusiform body

Superior mouth

Gular bone present

Long filamentous dorsal fin

Larger than elopidae

Muraenidae

Moray eel family

Elongate body w/o pectoral fins

Lateral line pores on head instead of body

Gill openings restricted to small roundish lateral openings

Mouth w/ many large teeth

Congridae

Conger eel family

Dorsal/anal fins continue around end of tail

Upper jaw protrudes past lower jaw

Pectoral fins present

Complete lateral line

Engraulidae

Anchovy family

Huge mouths relative to size

Bulbous “snout” - inferior mouth

Large eyes near end of snout

No scutes on body

Cobitidae

Cobitid loaches / ‘true loach’ family

Subterminal mouth, worm-like body

3-6 pairs of barbels

Erectile spine below eye

One row pharyngeal teeth

Ariidae

Sea catfish family

Caudal fins deeply forked

Adipose fin present

2-3 pairs of barbels around mouth

Pectoral + dorsal fins have a spine

Loricariidae

Sucker mouthed armored catfish family

Body w/ bony plates

Mouth ventral, barbels sometimes

Ventral lip papillose

Adipose fin (if present) usually has a spine

Largest family of catfish

Synodontidae

Lizard fish family

Large tooth-filled mouth

Lizard-like appearance

Serrasalmidae

Piranhas, Pacus, silverdollar family

Compressed fish w/ terminal mouths

Often very obvious teeth that are shark-like or triangular

Myctophidae

Laternfish family

Large eyes

Relatively large mouth

Many have photophores on ventral side

Ophidiidae

Cusk eel family

Eel-like with large mouths

Dorsal and anal fins are continuous around tail

Maybe barbels, maybe scales

‘Shorter/fatter eel’