FISH, AMPHIBIAN AND REPTILES- high school version

  1. Fish
  2. All have notchord (support – eventually replaced by backbone)
  3. All have nerve chord
  4. Two chambered heart-
  5. Atria – receiving chamber
  6. ventricle – pumping chamber
  7. All are aquatic
  8. All have gill slits
  9. All are ectothermic (cold blooded)
  10. Most reproduce by spawning
  11. All use gills to breathe
  12. Body is streamline for speeding through water
  13. Consumption of fish is only second to beef
  14. Have internal skeleton made of cartilage or bone
  15. First vertebrates to evolve
  16. 2 distinct sexes usually
  17. most are oviparous – they lay eggs
  18. all are ectotherms – cold blooded – environment determines body temperature
  19. Vertebrates belong to the phylum Chordata
  20. Three groups
  21. Jawless fish- (Agnathans )
  22. no jaw – use suction cup technique
  23. round sucking mouth
  24. two chambered heart
  25. no paired fins
  26. no scales
  27. endoskeleton is all cartilage
  28. notchord all it’s life
  29. have numerous teeth on their tongue
  30. examples: hagfish (scavenger) and lamprey (parasite)

1)Hagfish –

a)live in salt water only

b)scavengers

c)short tentacles around mouth that act as nose

2)Lamprey

a)parasite

b)live in both fresh and salt water

  1. Cartilage fish (Chondrichthes)
  2. endoskeleton is all cartilage
  3. First fish type to have jaws, scales and paired fins
  4. Endoskeleton made entirely of cartilage
  5. Internal fertilization
  6. Sharks
  7. rows of teeth
  8. large curving tails
  9. torpedo shaped body
  10. 3000 replaceable teeth in 6-20 rows
  11. goes through 20000 teeth in a lifetime
  12. have placoid scales: boney, spiny rojections with enamel-like covering
  13. most are meat eaters
  14. keen smellers
  15. Many critters in this CLASS have electroreceptors in their heads that allows them to sense the weak electrical charge that is produced by muscle contractions
  16. Rays
  17. Large paired fins extend on body sides like wings
  18. live near ocean floor
  19. feed on small fish, mollusks and crustaceans
  20. generally a meter long (up to 7 meters)
  21. Bony Fish (Osteichthyes)
  22. largest class of fish (15,000 to 40,000)
  23. huge variety
  24. scales and paired fins
  25. both fresh and salt water
  26. gills have gill cover (operculum) to increase water flow
  27. lateral line – detects vibrations
  28. nostrils – odor sensitive/better than sight
  29. air bladder – (swim bladder) regulated swim depth
  30. examples: guppies to salmon to eels to tuna
  31. all are Ray-finned fish (refers to the way fins are formed)
  32. scales are pigmented – many camouflage
  33. fins stabilize position in water or move the fish
  34. have inner ear for equilibrium and hearing
  35. reproduction called spawning
  36. some reproduce cyclicly, others only once in a lifetime
  1. Amphibians
  2. Examples: frogs, toads, salamanders, and newts
  3. Greek word meaning “double life”
  4. Use their thin, moist skin to breathe in water or land too
  5. Always hairless
  6. Lack external ears, but have well developed internal ears
  7. Many lack eardrums so can’t hear high frequency sounds
  8. Tetrapods (2 forelimbs, 2 hindlimbs, strong bones
  9. Common in moist temperate regions, but also found other places
  10. Also use simple lungs to breathe on land
  11. Indicator species
  12. External nares
  13. Tympanic membrane
  14. Cold-blooded (ectotherm)
  15. During winter they hibernate (become inactive)
  16. In hot temperature they may estivate (same as hibernate)
  17. Fertilized eggs lack shells, so they must be laid in water
  18. 2 main stages of metamorphosis: larval stage in water and adult stage on land
  19. larval stage has gills, but adults has lungs
  20. lifespan – 10-40 years
  21. 2 pair of limbs as adults, one pair as larvae
  22. three chambered heart- 2 atria, 1 ventricle
  23. have a cloaca: area common to both reproduction and urinary system
  24. must return to the water to reproduce
  25. will protect eggs but abandon tadpoles
  26. external fertilization usually
  27. two groups:
  28. Tailed (Caudates)
  29. examples: salamanders and newts, mudpuppies
  30. never lose their tails
  31. long body, neck and tails
  32. salamander may keep feathery gills (mudpuppy)
  33. newts begin with gills, end with lungs
  34. mostly found in northern hemisphere
  35. limbs extend at right angles from the long narrow body
  36. all 4 legs about the same size
  37. Tailess (Anurans)
  38. examples: frogs and toads
  39. no tail (adult stage)
  40. adapt to environments all over the world
  41. short body
  42. no neck
  43. frogs – smooth moist skin
  44. toads – dry rough skin
  45. metamorphosis: eggstadpole (legless)  legged  frog with tail  frog
  46. Wormlike Amphibians
  47. Includes caecilians
  48. No legs, most have no tails
  49. 3-60 inches long
  50. smooth skin and small eyes
  51. blind or nearly so
  52. feeds on worms and insects
  53. lives in burrows
  54. Reptiles
  55. Examples: snake, turtle, lizard and crocodile
  56. Cold-blooded (ectotherm)
  57. Lay water-tight, leathery eggs on land or give birth to live young
  58. Internal fertilization
  59. No metamorphosis
  60. Breathe with lungs entire life
  61. Three chambered heart
  62. Most have four legs (except snakes)
  63. Most have claws – to dig, climb and run
  64. Scales prevent drying out and injuries
  65. First animals to adapt completely to life on land
  66. Live on both land and water
  67. Live on all continents except Antarctica
  68. 4 groups
  69. Snakes
  70. have no ears (tympanic membrane instead)
  71. use tongues for “smelling”
  72. tongue picks up chemicals from the air and transfers them to a sensing organ (Jacobs organ) in the roof of the mouth
  73. Pit vipers and some pythons, have heat-sensitive pits on their face
  74. All snakes are predators
  75. All swallow their prey whole
  76. Venom is a protein
  77. Have vestigial bones of his and leg bones
  78. Some snakes kill their prey by constriction
  79. Some snakes inject venom into the prey through hollow fangs
  80. Most are harmless
  81. Almost all are beneficial to humans because they prey on rodents
  82. Non-moveable eyelids
  83. Molt when they grow
  84. Eat only meat
  85. Flexible jaw allows it to engulf prey much larger than themselves
  86. All are ectotherms
  87. Have at least 100 vertebrae
  88. Produce pheromones for mating
  89. Many live 20-30 years
  90. Largest anaconda
  91. Most poisonous in world: sea snake in U.S: coral snake
  92. Lizards
  93. Dry, scaley skin
  94. Examples: iguana, gecko, skink, chameleon
  95. Some can loose their tail for defense
  96. Moveable eyelids
  97. Temperature of eggs determine the sex of the offspring
  98. Some have long, sticky tongue for capturing food
  99. Omnivore
  100. Eat over large prey
  101. As small as a quarter or up to 600 pounds
  102. Fragile detachable tail
  103. Tail provides balance
  104. Tail provides fat storage
  105. Smell with tongue
  106. Eat spiders, grasshoppers, worms, slugs, and small insects as well as members of their own order
  107. Komodo dragons are largest
  108. Some are poisonous – gila monster
  109. Crocodiles and alligators
  110. eat any type of animal or can canabalize also
  111. can live for up to 100 years
  112. lay about 50 eggs
  113. temperature of egg, determines the sex of offspring
  114. alligators may have 80 teeth and get up to 19 ft long
  115. swallow prey whole
  116. crocodiles have survived for over 200 million years
  117. crocks have narrower snout than alligator
  118. crocks can stay under water for up to 2 hours
  119. most live in shallow water
  120. only reptile with a 4 chambered heart
  121. young are protected by adults for up to a year
  122. skin is armored black plates called skutes
  123. tail is half the animal’s length
  124. able to digest bones, hooves and horns
  125. may allow birds to eat out of the teeth like a tooth pick
  126. Turtles and Tortoises
  127. have two hard bony shells
  128. top shell is called a carapace
  129. omnivores
  130. may live 120 to 200 years
  131. hand and water types
  132. have no teeth
  133. use beak to feed
  134. 4 legs with clawed feet
  135. eat worms, fish and insects, some are also herbivores
  136. some can completely hide inside their shells
  137. some swim faster than you can run
  138. turtle more dependent on water environment, tortoise is land dweller only.

FISH

/ All have notochord (support – eventually replaced by backbone) / All have nerve chord
Two chambered heart / All are aquatic / All have gill slits
All are ectothermic (cold blooded) / Most reproduce by spawning / All use gills to “breathe”
Body is streamline for speeding through water / Consumption of these is only second to beef / Have internal skeleton made of either cartilage, bone or both
First vertebrates to evolve / Two distinct sexes / Most are oviparous – they lay eggs
Belong to the phylum chordata / Three classes /

Jawless Fish

Agnathans / No jaw – use suction cup technique / Round sucking mouth
Two chambered heart / No paired fins / No scales
Endoskeleton is ALL cartilage / Notochord all it’s life / Examples: hagfish (scavenger) and lamprey (parasite)
Hagfish / Live in salt water only / Scavengers
Short tentacles around mouth that act as “nose” / Lamprey / Filter feeders
Live in both fresh and salt water /

Cartilage Fish

/ Chondrichthes
Endo skeleton is all cartilage / First type to have jaws, scales and paired fins / Internal fertilization
Sharks / Rows of teeth / Large curving tails
Torpedo shaped body / 3000 replaceable teeth in 6-20 rows / Goes through 20000 teeth in a lifetime
Have placoid scales: bony, spiny projections with enamel-like covering / Most are meat eaters / Keen smellers
Rays / Large paired fins extend on body sides like wings / Live near ocean floor
Feed on small fish, mollusks and crustaceans / Generally a meter long (u to 7 meters) /

Bony Fish

Osteichthyes / Largest class (15,000-40,000) / Huge variety
Scales and paired fins / Both fresh and salt water / Gills have gill cover (operculum) to increase water flow
Lateral line- detects vibrations / Nostrils – odor sensitive/ better than sight / Air bladder (swim bladder) regulates swim depth
Examples: guppies to salmon to eels to tuna / All are ray-finned fish (refers to the way fins are formed) / Scales are pigmented – may camouflage
Fins stabilize position in water or move the animal / Have inner ear for equilibrium and hearing / Reproduction by spawning
Some reproduce cyclically, others only once in a lifetime /

AMPHIBIANS

/ Examples: frogs, toads, salamanders, and newts
Greek word meaning “double life” / Use their thin, moist skin to breathe in water or land too / Always hairless
Lack external ears, but have well developed internal ears / Have a tympanic membrane covering “ear” / Many lack eardrums so can’t hear high frequency sound
Tetra pods (2 forelimbs, 2hindlimbs, strong bones) / Common in moist temperate regions, but also found other places / Use simple lungs to breathe on land in adult life only
Ectotherm / During winter they hibernate (become inactive) / In hot temperature they may estivate (same as hibernate)
Fertilized eggs lack shells, so they must be laid in water / 2 main stages of metamorphosis: larval stage in water and adult stage on land / Larval stage has gills, but adults have lungs
Lifespan 10-40 years / 2 pair of limbs as adults, one air as larvae / Three chambered heart – 2 atria, one ventricle
Have a cloaca: area common to both reproduction and urinary system / Must return to the water to reproduce / Will protect eggs but abandon tadpoles
External fertilization usually / External nares to breathe when in water / Two groups
Tailed / Examples: salamanders and newts, mudpuppies / Never lose their tails
Long body, neck and tails / Salamander may keep feather gills (mudpuppy) / Newts begin with gills, end with lungs
Mostly found in northern hemisphere / Limbs extend at right angles from the long narrow body / All 4 legs about the same size
Tailess / Examples: frogs and toads / No tail (adult stage)
Adapt to environments all over the world / Short body / No neck
Frogs – smooth moist skin / Toads – dry rough skin / Metamorphosis: eggs  tadpole (legless)  legged  frog with tail frog
Wormlike Amphibians / Includes caecilians / No legs, most have tails
3-60 inches long / Smooth skin and small eyes / Blind or nearly so
Feeds on worms and insects / Lives in burrows /

REPTILES

Temperature of eggs determine the sex of the offspring
Examples: snake, turtle, lizard and crocodile / Ectotherm / Lay water-tight, leathery eggs on land or give birth to live young
Internal fertilization / No metamorphosis / Breathe with lungs entire life
Three chambered heart / Most have 4 legs / Most have claws – to dig, climb and run
Scales prevent drying out and injuries / First animals to adapt completely to life on land / Live on both land and water
Live on all continents except Antarctica / 4 groups /

Snakes

Have no ears (tympanic membrane instead) / Use tongues for “smelling” / Tongue picks u chemicals from the air and transfers them to a sensing organ (Jacobs organ) in the roof of the mouth
Pit vipers an some pythons, have heat sensitive pits on their faces / All are predators / All swallow their prey whole
Venom is a protein / Have vestigial bones of hip and leg bones / Some snakes kill their prey by constriction
Some snakes inject venom into the prey through hollow fangs / Most are harmless / Almost all are beneficial to humans because they prey on rodents
Non-moveable eyelids / Molt when they grow / Eat only meat
Flexible jaw allows it to engulf prey much larger than themselves / All are ectotherms / Have at least 100 vertebrae
Produce pheromones for mating / Many live 20-30 years / Largest: anaconda
Most poisonous in US: coral / Most poisonous in world: sea variety /

Lizard

Dry, scaley skin / Examples: iguana, gecko, skink, chameleon / Some can loose their tail for defense
Moveable eyelids / Some have long, sticky tongue for capturing food / Omnivore
Eat over large prey / As small as a quarter or up to 600 pounds / Fragile detachable tail
Tail provides balance / Tail provides fat storage / Smell with tongue
Eat spiders, grasshoppers, worms, slugs, and small insects as well as members of their own order / Komodo dragons are largest / Some are poisonous – gila monster

Crocodiles and alligators

/ Eat any type of animal or can cannibalize also / Can live for up to 100 years

Lay about 50 eggs

/ Alligators may have 80 teeth and get up to 19 ft. long / Swallow prey whole

Crocodiles have survived for over 200 million years

/ Crocks have narrower snout than alligator / Crocks can stay under water for up to 2 hours

Most live in shallow water

/ Only reptile with a 4 chambered heart / Young are protected by adults for u to a year

Skin is armored black plated called skutes

/ Tail is half the animal’s length / Able to digest bones, hooves and horns

Turtles and Tortoises

/ Have two hard bony shells / Top shell is called a carapace

Omnivores

/ May live 120-200 years / Land and water types

Have no teeth

/ Use beak to feed / Eat worms, fish and insects, some are also herbivores

Some can completely hide inside their shells

/ Some swim faster than you can run / Turtle more dependent on water environment, tortoise is land dweller only