BIO 21: FISH IDENTIFICATION WORKSHEET
Use this website to fill in the missing information for the following marine fish. All of these fish are found here in southern California waters so make sure you are looking up species whose distribution includes southern California.
1.Common Name: Pacific Angel Shark
a.Scientific Name:
b.Photo (copy and paste a photo of this fish here):
c.NativeRange Map (copy and paste the native range map of this fish):
d.What is the maximum reported age of this fish?
e.Describe what type of environment (i.e. pelagic, benthic, in reefs, etc.) this fish would live in based on fin position, body shape, and coloration pattern.
f.Click on the photo of this fish to view more photos. Click on the photo of the mouth so you can see it up close. Describe what type of food this fish would eat based on mouth shape/size and tooth shape/size (carnivore, herbivore, filter feeder etc.).
To identify fish in which you only have a photo of, use FishBase and click on “Quick Identification”. Use the provided photoand read the group description on FishBase to determine what group of fish the unidentified fish would belong to and then click on that group. Again, use the photo to determine what order of fish the unidentified fish would fall under and click on that order. Keep going until you identify the fish. Remember, that these fish are found off of southern California so make sure you select the fish whose distribution includes southern California.
2.Common Name:
a.Scientific Name:
b.Photo:
c.Distribution:The species appears in warm and temperate zones of all oceans. Eastern Pacific: British Columbia, Canada to Peru and Chile. Eastern Atlantic: Scandinavia to South Africa (occasionally western Baltic, Mediterranean). Western Atlantic: Newfoundland, Canada to Argentina.
d.Describe what type of environment (i.e. pelagic, benthic, in reefs, etc.) this fish would live in based on fin position, body shape, and coloration pattern.
e.What does this fish eat?
f.Why is this fish in the Guinness Book of World Records?
g.Watch this video:
Using the diagram below, state which fins this fish mainly uses to swim.
3.Common Name:
a.Scientific Name:
b.Photo:
c.Distribution: This fish is highly migratory and so is found in many places, including southern California.
d.Describe what type of environment (i.e. pelagic, benthic, in reefs, etc.) this fish would live in based on fin position, body shape, and coloration pattern.
e.What does this fish use its large caudal (tail) fin for?
4.Common Name:
a.Scientific Name: Hypsypops rubicundus
b.Photo:
c.Distribution (write in the distribution of this fish):
d.Describe what type of environment (i.e. pelagic, benthic, in reefs, etc.) this fish would live in based on fin position, body shape, and coloration pattern.
e.Check out this website:
What California state designation does this fish have?
5.Common Name: Spotted Ratfish
a.Scientific Name:
b.Photo:
c.NativeRange Map:
d.Watch these videos and answer the following questions:
1.What type of environment does this fish live in (pelagic, benthic, in reefs, etc.).
2.Using the previous diagram, state which fins this fish mainly uses to swim.
6.Common Name: California Flounder
a.Scientific Name:
b.Photo:
c.Distribution:
d.How old can this fish get to be?
e.Describe what type of environment (i.e. pelagic, benthic, in reefs, etc.) this fish would live in based on fin position, body shape, and coloration pattern.
f.Check out this website and read why flatfish look the way that they do:
And watch this video of flatfish larvae development (watch the eyes really closely):
1.Do these fish start out life with both eyes on the same side of their heads?
2.What changes in the head occur when this fish is about a month old?
3.What’s the advantage of exhibiting this asymmetry and body shape?
7.Common Name: Hatchetfish
a.Scientific Name: Argyropelecus gigas
b.Photo:
c.What deep layer of the pelagic zone is this fish found in?
d.Check out this website:
1.Describe the type of eyes and eye positioning that this fish has and explain why they have such eyes.
2.What special organsrun along the underside length of their bodies and explain what they are used for.
8.Common Name:
a.Scientific Name: Sebastes ruberrimus
b.Photo:
c.Distribution:
d.Does this fish spawn (oviparous) or give birth to live young (viviparous)?
e.Is this fish commercially and recreationally fished?
f.What is the maximum reported age of this fish?
g.Check out this website: listen to the audio segment “Never Eat Anything Older Than Your Grandmother”
Also check out “The Love Lab Homepage”
1.According to this audio segment, why should wenot eat long-lived fish?
2.According to this audio segment, what type of fishes should we be eating?
9.Common Name:
a.Scientific Name: Gymnothorax mordax
b.Photo:
c.Distribution:
d.Describe what type of environment (i.e. pelagic, benthic, in reefs, etc.) this fish would live in based on fin position, body shape, and coloration pattern.
e.What type of food does this fish eat based on mouth shape/size?
f.What is the maximum reported age of this fish?
10.Common Name:
a.Scientific Name: Oligocottus maculosus
b.Photo:
c.NativeRange Map:
d.In what marine habitat are these fish commonly found in? (Hint: look at the common name)
e.Look at their picture and describe how their coloration pattern would be an advantage in this type of habitat.
f.What can this fish do when out of the water?