Nekton - Teleost Fish

Fish diversity:

• agnatha (ca 85 species)

• chondrichtyes (ca 850 spp.)

• osteichthyes (6 spp.)

Teleosts

• wide variety of sizes and body forms - length between 1cm to 8m and max 2300kg

• most teleosts are poikilothermic (body temp is the same as the environmental temp)

• theyre oviparous - shed eggs to reproduce

• mostly carnivorous - some are herbivorous (feed on algae, important to coral reefs preventing

Life history variation:

• growth

• age/size at maturity

• hermaphroditism

• fecundity

• planktonic stages