What is the main difference between the skeleton of a bony fish and that of a shark?
The key difference between sharks and bony fish is that the shark has an internal skeleton made from cartilages while bony fish has an internal skeleton made from calcified bones. Fish are one of the five vertebrate groups belonging to Kingdom Animalia. They are multicellular aquatic organisms.
Is a lamprey a bony fish?
Among the most primitive of all vertebrate species, the sea lamprey is a parasitic fish native to the northern and western Atlantic Ocean. Unlike “bony” fishes like trout, cod, and herring, lampreys lack scales, fins, and gill covers. Like sharks, their skeletons are made of cartilage.
What makes a teleost different from other bony fishes?
In general, teleosts tend to be quicker and more flexible than more basal bony fishes. Their skeletal structure has evolved towards greater lightness. While teleost bones are well calcified, they are constructed from a scaffolding of struts, rather than the dense cancellous bones of holostean fish.
What kind of social structure does a bony fish have?
Bony fish species show great diversity in social behavior and social organization. For example, in many wrasse species, social structure includes a large dominant male and many smaller, subordinate females. In contrast, most large predatory bony fishes such as groupers (family Serranidae) are mostly asocial except during breeding seasons.
How are bony fish different from other vertebrates?
Evolution of Bony Fish. Cartilaginous species are sometimes seen as more primitive, and for good reason. The evolutionary appearance fo bony fish eventually led to land-dwelling vertebrates with bony skeletons. And the gill structure of bony fish gill was a feature that would eventually evolve into air-breathing lungs.
Why do bony fishes eat so much food?
The amount of food a bony fish eats is directly related to its size, its metabolic rate, and the temperature of its environment. Smaller fishes generally have a higher metabolic rate than large fishes of the same species. Thus, small fishes generally eat proportionately more.
How are sea turtles different from other reptiles?
As reptiles, they require air to breathe and land to lay their eggs. However, the majority of their lives are spent underwater. Unlike their freshwater relatives, the head and limbs of sea turtles are fixed outside the shell and cannot retract into the shell.
How does the carapace bone develop in a turtle?
The carapace bones develop from ribs which grow sideways and develop broad flanges that join up to cover the body.
Why are leatherback sea turtles classified as amniotes?
However, because of their high metabolic rate and adaptations to conserve heat, leatherback sea turtles have a body temperature noticeably higher than that of the surrounding water. Turtles are classified as amniotes, along with other reptiles, birds, and mammals.
Why do sea turtles have flatter shells than land turtles?
Land-dwelling turtles tend to have more domed shells, which appear to make them more resistant to being crushed by large animals. Aquatic turtles have flatter, smoother shells which allow them to cut though the water. Sea turtles in particular have streamlined shells which reduce drag and increase stability in the open ocean.