Circuli desrt pupfish
Many species are deemed to be discovered in the sea as it is easy to explore in it than in deep-sea waters. Tetraodontiformes-triggerfishes, ocean sunfish, filefishes, puffers, boxfishes Salmon FishĬredit: How many Species of Fishes Exist Today?Įven though more and more fishes are being discovered with the passage of time and scientists are still not sure precisely as to how many species of fish really exist on planet, scientists have identified more than twenty-five thousand species of fish. Scorpaenformes-rockfishes, stonefishes, scorpionfishes, searobins Pleuronectiformes-flouders, soles (flatfishes) Perciformes-cardinalfishes, basses, angelfishes, pipefish, sunfish, cichlids, jacks, sticklebacks, barracuda, blennies, drums, wrasses, grunts, tuna, mackerel, seahorse, perch, gobies, tuna, gouramis, goatfishes, parrotfishĬyprinodontiformes-topminnows, mollies, guppies, killifishes Salmoniformes-salmon, smelts, trout pikesīeloniformes-needlefishes and flyingfishes This class is further subdivided into subclasses or orders. There are around one thousand species of this class and the most notable amongst these are skates, sharks, and rays.Ĭlass Osteichthyes:the bony fish is the most diverse and contains the bulk of extant fishes today. The examples are eel-like lampreys and hagfishes.Ĭlass Chondrichthyes:these fishes have jaws and their skeleton is made up of cartilage and not of bone. Superclass Agnatha: these types of fish have a cartilage skeleton and give a primitive fish-like appearance, lacking jaws. Fishes are classified into different classes being based on central anatomic differences. One can find a good many number of fishes in just two acres of pacific reef as compared to the number of bird species throughout North America. How are Fishes Classified?įishes are by far the most diverse groups as compared to many vertebrates and other species.
Many of fish types seem to emerged in the Devonian period which is they it is also called the ‘Age of Fishes.’ Ostracoderms were thought to be the first fishes and of course the first vertebrates which lived in the Cambrian period some 510 mya (million years ago) but they became extinct around 350 mya. However, the prime evolution occurred in between 500 – 350 million years ago in the Devonian and Silurian epoch, and still they are evolving. When Did Fishes Evolve?įish has been constantly seemed to evolve from the time they first appeared. They are thought to have evolved from first four-legged land vertebrates (tetrapods). The Lobe-finned Fishes are a group of fish which have a bony skeleton and includes more than 23,000 species among which tarpon, cavefish, lanternfish, salmon, herrings, salmon, electric eels, and cods are most notable. The fish belongs to this group are sharks, chimeras, skates, and rays. The cartilaginous fish includes those species which lacks bony structure and their bodies are tough and flexible enough to adjust with the increasing size.
Fish Facts For Kidsįish are divided into three fundamental groups-bony fishes, cartilaginous fishes, and lobe-finned fishes. Many of these species are shielded with scales and are cold-blooded. Despite all these differences, they do share some of the common behavioral, physical, and reproductive traits. There are several fish which are found in schools as compared to those living solitary lives. The desert pupfishes, for instance, are native to the isolated spring systems of desert regions throughout Mexico and southwest USA with the total populations of 15 – 20 species.Īs far as food is concerned, many species rely on aquatic plants while others are predatory species and they actively chase their prey. Some species are almost entirely restricted to their native range. The fish habitats vary according to the temperature, pH, oxygen content, salinity, light level, and physical features, but also differ considerably in the space available. Fish also varies significantly according to the variety of habitats-some lives in saltwater whereas others in freshwater, some in shallow waters others in deep waters, still some survives in cold water against warm water, and still water against fast flowing water.