- Fish is an animal which lives and breathes in water.
- All fish are vertebrates (have a backbone) and most breathe through
gills and have fins and scales.
- Fish make up about half of all known vertebrate species.
- A combination of the number of fins and their characteristics, scale
counts, general features, colour, maximum length and distribution are
used for their identification
- Difference between male and female fish - In some species the males
and females have different shaped bodies or different colouring; in
other species there is no visible difference.
- Some fish have lungs and breathe air, but most breathe through gills.
- The lateral line is a row of scales that most fish have along their
sides, stretching from their head to tail. Under these scales are a
system of fluid-filled canals and specialized cells which transmit vibrations
to the brain.
- The lateral line helps fish to detect objects including predators
and prey.
- Fish secrete a type of mucus from their skin. This slime coating is
important because it provides protection against parasites and diseases,
covers wounds to prevent infection and helps fish move through the water
faster.
- Some species release toxins in their slime which ward off attacking
creatures while others use their slime to feed their young.
- Fish Diet: Detritus, diatoms, aquatic macro-invertebrates (particularly
insect larvae, crustaceans and worms), molluscs, aquatic plants, algae,
zooplankton, fish and their eggs, terrestrial insects, water birds,
turtles, frogs, snakes and mice etc .
- In various parts of the world there are animals such as wild cats,
wild pigs and bears that feed on fish.
- Freshwater fish inhabit all sorts of environments: streams, rivers,
lakes, springs, lands, lagoons, billabongs, backwaters, estuaries, swamps,
dune lakes, reservoirs, ponds and drains.
- Some freshwater fish also spend part of their lifecycle at sea.
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