Classifying Fish
Understanding the Classification
of Fish and the Vertebrate
Animal Kingdom
Classifying Vertebrates
• Objectives
Understand the classification and
identification of the animal kingdom
Become confident with the organization of
fish in the animal kingdom
Organization of Vertebrates
The vertebrates of the animal kingdom are
divided into five main groups. Choose one
of the groups to learn more about them.
1. Fish
2. Amphibians
3. Reptiles
4. Birds
5. Mammals
Fish
The Water Dwellers
Most fish are cold blooded vertebrates
that live in water. Scientists believe that
fish were the only vertebrates on Earth
for about 150 million years.
Scientists classify fish living today into
three classes.
Classes of Fish
1.Jawless
2.Cartilage
3.Bony
Jawless Fish
Jawless fish have a round mouth,
tube like body, single fins, no
scales, and a skeleton made of
cartilage.
Which of the Following is a
Jawless Fish?
Click on a picture to see if you are correct!
Correct!
The Sea Lamprey is a jawless fish
that inhabits the Great Lakes region.
Click here to return to Classes of Fish
Return to Organization of Vertebrates
Incorrect
The shark is a cartilage
fish. Unlike the jawless
fish, the cartilage fish
have movable jaws,
scales, paired fins, and
skeletons made of
cartilage.
Try again!
Incorrect
The Tuna is a bony
fish. Bony fish have
scales, well-developed
sense organs, fins, and
skeletons made of
bone.
Try again!
Cartilage Fish
Cartilage fish have movable jaws,
scales, paired fins, and skeletons made
of cartilage.
Which of the Following is a
Cartilage Fish?
Click on a picture to see if you are correct!
Correct!
The Shark is a
cartilage fish that
inhabits marine
environments.
Click here to return to Classes of Fish
Incorrect
The Sea Lamprey is a jawless fish.
Jawless fish have a round mouth, tube
like body, single fins, no scales, and a
skeleton made of cartilage.
Try again!
Incorrect
The Tuna is a bony
fish. Bony fish have
scales, well-
developed sense
organs, fins, and
skeletons made of
bone.
Try Again!
Bony Fish
Bony fish have scales, well-developed
sense organs, fins, and skeletons made
of bone.
See if you can identify a bony fish!
Which of the Following is a
Bony Fish?
Click on a picture to see if you are correct!
Incorrect
• The Sea Lamprey is a jawless fish.
Jawless fish have a round mouth, tube
like body, single fins, no scales, and a
skeleton made of cartilage.
Try again!
Incorrect
The Shark is a
cartilage fish that
inhabits marine
environments.
Click here to return to Fish:
The Water Dwellers
Correct
The Tuna is a bony fish.
Bony fish have scales,
well-developed sense
organs, fins, and
skeletons made of
bone.
Try Again!
Amphibians
Living in Water and on Land
Amphibians spend part of their lives in water
and part on land. They have moist, smooth
skin that allows for the exchange of oxygen and
carbon dioxide. They are cold-blooded. The
three types of amphibians that exist today are
frogs and toads, salamanders, and caecilians.
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Reptiles
The Move to Land
Reptiles are cold blooded and have thick,
dry, waterproof skin covered with scales. As
a reptile grows, its skin is shed by molting.
The four orders of reptiles living today are
turtles, alligators and crocodiles, lizards and
snakes, and tuataras.
Birds
Taking to the Air
Birds are vertebrates that have wings, a
beak, two legs, and a body covering of
feathers. Birds were the first warm-blooded
vertebrates to have insulated body coverings
made of feather, adaptations for flight,
hollow bones, and eggs with hard shells that
allow for incubation. Most, but not all, birds
fly.
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Mammals
The Fur Bearers
A mammal is a warm-blooded
vertebrate that has hair, feeds milk to
its young using mammary glands, has
oil glands to lubricate skin and hair,
and has sweat glands to regulate body
temperature.