Rie
ger
& W
esth
eid
e “S
pez
ielle
Zoo
logi
e” (2
004)
, Fig
. 215
Pou
gh e
t al
. “Ve
rteb
rate
Life
” (1
999)
‣ 73% of the Earth’s surface is covered by water
‣ yet, only 0.01 % vol. of water is found in rivers and lakes
‣ 40 % of all bony fishes are found in freshwater
Fisheries and aquaculture (worldwide), in million tons
Locomotion
‣ anguilliform, e.g. eel
‣ carangiform, e.g. trout
‣ ostraciiform, e.g. boxfish
Pough et al. “Vertebrate Life” (1999)
undulating oscillating
Locomotion
Pough et al. “Vertebrate Life” (1999)
Feeding
cichlid(Serranochromis)
“suction-feeding”
Pough et al. “Vertebrate Life” (1999)
Buoyancy
‣ streamline shape and constant swimming (e.g. sturgeon, tuna)
‣ in sharks (cartilaginous fish, Chondrichthyes): also lipid layers
‣ buoyancy via swim bladder
ww
w.p
skf.c
a
swim bladder
‣ internal, gas-filled buoyancy organ (oxygen; sometimes also carbon dioxide)
‣ in teleosts and chondrosts
‣ homologous to the tetrapod lung
‣ active regulation of gas pressure via Rete mirabile (‘Wundernetz’) in the gas gland
‣ in bottom dwelling fish: reduction of swim bladders
Swim bladder
real swim bladder (Chondrostei, Teleostei)
pulmonoid swim bladder (Ginglymodi, Halecomorphi)
lung (Dipnoi)
lung (Polypteridae)
lung (Tetrapod)
Swim bladder
physostome swim bladder (e.g. eel) physoclist swim bladder (e.g. perch)
Ductus pneumaticus
Swim bladder
Rete mirabile
lateral line
sensory organs
Pou
gh e
t al
. “Ve
rteb
rate
Life
” (1
999)
“electric fish”
electric organ
electric signalsin mormyrids
electric organ
‣ relative simple circulation system
‣ venous blood is transported from the heart to the gills, and from there into the body
circulation
ventral Aorta heart
veinartery
gillgutliver
swim bladder
heart:
‣ relative simple two-chamber-heart with thin-walled atrium and thick-walled ventricle
ww
w.c
astle
ford
scho
ols.
com
Sinus venosus Atrium
ventricle
Bulbus arteriosus
circulation
gills
ww
w.a
nim
ald
iver
sity
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mz.
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u