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Gill Arch Gill Arch Blood Vessels Operculum Gill Filaments Water Flow Water Flow FISH LIVE IN WATER Fish are aquatic animals, and their bodies are adapted for ease of movement in water. For example, a fi sh's body isn't made up of a distinct head, trunk and tail like land animals. Instead, all parts are connected to form smooth contours, and the front is generally pointed to minimize resistance as it moves through the water. In fact, the shape of a fi sh's body can be a good indicator of the type of habitat a fi sh prefers. Bluegill, for example, have bodies that are laterally compressed, meaning that that are fl attened on the sides, and tall and narrow when you look at them head on. This shape allows them to maneuver easily through vegetation, rocks or submerged trees. Fish like walleye or rainbow trout have fusiform, or torpedo-shaped bodies. This shape allows them to move swiftly through open water or swim into a strong current. FISH HAVE GILLS Gills are another adaptation to living in water. Fish gills have the same function as lungs. Our lungs take oxygen from the air, and fi sh's gills take oxygen from the water. Gills are feathery looking organs located on both sides of the head and are covered and protected by a bony plate called an operculum. Healthy gills are red, full of blood vessels that take oxygen from the water and deliver it to the fi sh's blood. A fi sh 'breathes' by opening its mouth and sucking in water. As water moves through the gills, oxygen transfer takes place over the gill fi laments before the water travels out of the body through the opercula. CHAPTER 6 FISH ANATOMY WHAT IS A FISH? This can be a diffi cult question to answer. There is great diversity amongst the animals that we call 'fi sh', and there are nearly 30,000 known species of fi sh worldwide. Some fi sh live in salt water; others in fresh water. Some are vividly colored, others drab. Some are tiny, smaller than a fi ngernail, while others are gigantic, bigger than a school bus. Some look like what we expect of a fi sh, lots of fi ns and shiny scales. Others look like snakes or even blobs of fl esh. So, what makes a fi sh a fi sh? C. IVERSON, MINNESOTA DEPARTMENT OF NATURAL RESOURCES ARTWORK BY TIM REIGERT, REFERENCED FROM PEARSON EDUCATION, INC. 32 32 32 32 32 32 32 32 32 32 32 32 32 32 32 32 32 32 32 32 32 32 32 32 32 32 32 32 32 32 32 CHAPTER 6 ● FISH ANATOMY