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The scientific name of Fish is Vertebrata (subphylum). The term “fish” is often used to represent a form of life than a whole taxonomic group. Therefore, fishes are considered members of the phylum Chordata. The Pisces class are now obsolete. This is mainly because fishes are part of the paraphyletic group (meaning that it contains a common predecessor and some, but not all descendants).
Any clade containing fishes can also include tetrapods, but tetrapods are not fishes. Most fish are usually found to be ectothermic (meaning: "cold-blooded"), which helps them keep their body temperatures as per the changing ambient temperatures. Although some of the large active swimmers, such as the white shark, often hold higher core temperatures.
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Key Terms: Fish, Taxonomy, Kingdom, Phylum, Ectothermic, Vertebrata, Chordata, Opah, Subphylum
Scientific Name of Fish
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Fish is seen under the subphylum Vertebrata. In fact, any of the 34,000 vertebrate creatures (phylum chordata) which can be found in fresh and salt waters are known as fish. The majority of the fish species are typically cold-blooded. However, Opah (Lampris guttatus) is a warm-blooded species. These living organisms typically are gill-bearing and are found in aquatic environment settings for further survival and reproduction. They are usually craniates and do not have limbs with digits.
- Fish refers to a life form, rather than a taxonomic group.
- Class Chondrichthyes (cartilaginous fishes), Superclass Agnatha (jawless fishes), and superclass Osteichthyes (cartilaginous fishes) are the three groups of bony fish.
- The infraphylum Gnathostomata, which incorporates jawed vertebrates, includes the last two families.
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Classification of Fish
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Fish can be further classified as:
| Type of Fish | Classification |
|---|---|
| Agnatha | Jawless Fish |
| Chondrichthyes | Cartilaginous Fish |
| Osteichthyes | Bony Fish |
Alongside these few, there are more, like the Ray-finned group and the Lobe-finned group.
Structural Diversity of Fish
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Fish have been around for almost about 450 million years. Most fishes are known to have taste buds all over their body. However, sharks are the only type of fish that have eyelids. Land vertebrates, in many cases, are just highly modified fish, while when fish inhabited land habitats, they started evolving in form of tetrapod land vertebrates.
Characteristics of Fish
Some of the important characteristics of Fish are:
- Fish have separate sexes.
- Fish are either oviparous or ovoviviparous.
- Fish are usually found in marine, freshwater, saltwater, and brackish water.
- They are mainly carnivorous, while very few species are herbivorous.
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Previous Year Questions
- Which of the following taxonomic categories of housefly is… (KEAM)
- Which one of the following statements about certain given animals is correct?... (NEET 2010)
- Which of the following organisms possesses characteristics of a plant and an animal? (NEET 1995)
- Which one of the following is oviparous?... (NEET 2015)
- Small mammals and birds are rarely found in polar regions … (KCET 2021)
- Which of the following is not an attribute of a population … (NEET 2020)
- The process of growth is maximum during … (NEET 2020)
- A biologist studied the population of rats in a barn … (NEET 2013)
- Bladderworm/cysticercus is the larval stage of… (NEET 1991)
- Edaphology is… (KCET 2007)
- A sedentary sea anemone gets attached … (NEET 2013)
- Read the statements given below and identify the incorrect statement… (KCET 2012)
Things to Remember
- Fish is a term used for life forms, rather than a taxonomic group.
- Fish is considered under the subphylum Vertebrata.
- Any clade which contains fishes can also include tetrapods, but tetrapods are not fishes.
- Fish are either oviparous or ovoviviparous.
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Sample Questions
Ques. Are fish cold-blooded? Give reasons. (1 mark)
Ans. Typically, most fish are found to be ectothermic, which means that they are cold-blooded. This basically helps them keep their body temperatures as per the changing ambient temperatures.
Ques. What subphylum does fish belong from? (1 mark)
Ans. Fish belongs from the subphylum Vertebrata.
Ques. Does fish have a closed circulatory system? (1 mark)
Ans. Fish typically have a closed circulatory system. It comes with a single circuit that helps in blood flow, alongside a two-chambered heart with a single atrium and a single ventricle.
Ques. What are some important characteristics of fish? (2 marks)
Ans. Some characteristics of fish are:
- Fish are found in marine, freshwater, saltwater, and brackish water.
- They are primarily carnivorous, whereas very few species are herbivorous.
Ques. Which is the only type of fish that has eyelids? (1 mark)
Ans. The only type of fish that has eyelids is shark.
Ques. What is the taxonomic hierarchy of fish? (1 mark)
Ans. As per the taxonomic hierarchy, fish are known to belong from the kingdom Animalia, phylum Chordata and class Pisces.
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