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Questions and Answers
What is the primary method buoyancy is achieved in cartilaginous fish?
What is the primary method buoyancy is achieved in cartilaginous fish?
Deep-sea fish typically have a gas bladder that helps with buoyancy.
Deep-sea fish typically have a gas bladder that helps with buoyancy.
False
What compounds in the blood of cartilaginous fish assist with buoyancy?
What compounds in the blood of cartilaginous fish assist with buoyancy?
TMAO and urea
In aquatic vertebrates, the __________ focuses light on the retina.
In aquatic vertebrates, the __________ focuses light on the retina.
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Match the sound characteristics to their descriptions:
Match the sound characteristics to their descriptions:
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What structure allows fish to adjust their buoyancy?
What structure allows fish to adjust their buoyancy?
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Physostomus fish have retained a pneumatic duct that connects the gas bladder to the gut.
Physostomus fish have retained a pneumatic duct that connects the gas bladder to the gut.
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What process occurs in the rete mirabile to facilitate the exchange of gases?
What process occurs in the rete mirabile to facilitate the exchange of gases?
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When fish swim down, they secrete air into the __________ to counteract increased pressure.
When fish swim down, they secrete air into the __________ to counteract increased pressure.
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Match the following types of fish with their characteristics:
Match the following types of fish with their characteristics:
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Which type of fish can tolerate large changes in salinity?
Which type of fish can tolerate large changes in salinity?
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Stenohaline fish actively absorb sodium and chloride from their environment.
Stenohaline fish actively absorb sodium and chloride from their environment.
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What do marine teleosts do to gain sodium and chloride?
What do marine teleosts do to gain sodium and chloride?
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Freshwater fish do not drink water but rather actively absorb sodium and chloride through their ______.
Freshwater fish do not drink water but rather actively absorb sodium and chloride through their ______.
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Match the type of fish with their respective water regulation strategy:
Match the type of fish with their respective water regulation strategy:
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What is the main challenge fish face in maintaining their body temperature in water?
What is the main challenge fish face in maintaining their body temperature in water?
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Gills in fish function by facilitating unidirectional water flow for gas exchange.
Gills in fish function by facilitating unidirectional water flow for gas exchange.
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What term describes the coexistence of blood and water flow in opposite directions in fish gills?
What term describes the coexistence of blood and water flow in opposite directions in fish gills?
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Betta fish use a structure called a ______ for gas exchange.
Betta fish use a structure called a ______ for gas exchange.
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Which of the following fish must constantly swim to facilitate breathing?
Which of the following fish must constantly swim to facilitate breathing?
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Match the following types of fish with their gas exchange mechanisms:
Match the following types of fish with their gas exchange mechanisms:
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Lungfish are capable of entering a dormant state during dry seasons.
Lungfish are capable of entering a dormant state during dry seasons.
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What are the two types of arteries found in each gill filament?
What are the two types of arteries found in each gill filament?
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What is the primary function of the lateral line system in fish?
What is the primary function of the lateral line system in fish?
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Sharks can detect odors at concentrations greater than 1ppb.
Sharks can detect odors at concentrations greater than 1ppb.
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What do schooling fish use their lateral lines for?
What do schooling fish use their lateral lines for?
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Salmon use a permanently imprinted chemical signature from their __________.
Salmon use a permanently imprinted chemical signature from their __________.
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Match the following sensory organs with their functions:
Match the following sensory organs with their functions:
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What substance does the cupula contain that affects kinocilia in hair cells?
What substance does the cupula contain that affects kinocilia in hair cells?
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Each hair cell in the lateral line system has only one nerve associated with it.
Each hair cell in the lateral line system has only one nerve associated with it.
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How do fish determine the direction of a stimulus using their olfactory organs?
How do fish determine the direction of a stimulus using their olfactory organs?
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What is the primary function of weakly electric fish?
What is the primary function of weakly electric fish?
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Electric eels can produce up to 600 V of electricity for various purposes.
Electric eels can produce up to 600 V of electricity for various purposes.
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What organ system do sharks and rays use to detect electrical activity from their prey?
What organ system do sharks and rays use to detect electrical activity from their prey?
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Bony fish excrete ammonia through their skin and gills as ______.
Bony fish excrete ammonia through their skin and gills as ______.
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Match the type of nitrogen excretion with the animal group:
Match the type of nitrogen excretion with the animal group:
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Which of the following is TRUE about the vertebrate kidneys?
Which of the following is TRUE about the vertebrate kidneys?
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Mammals excrete ammonia as their primary nitrogenous waste product.
Mammals excrete ammonia as their primary nitrogenous waste product.
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What happens to blood in the kidneys during the filtration process?
What happens to blood in the kidneys during the filtration process?
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Study Notes
Living in Water
- Water is a dense medium, presenting challenges for aquatic organisms.
- Buoyancy is a key challenge; organisms need mechanisms to maintain their position in water.
- Movement through water is more complex than through air due to the higher viscosity.
- Maintaining a stable internal environment is difficult because water and ions move rapidly across membranes.
- Heat loss from water is also a challenge.
- Ammonia is highly soluble in water, but oxygen is lower in concentration than in air.
Physical Properties of Fresh Water and Air
- Fresh water has a density of 1 kg/L, while air is much less dense (0.0012 kg/L).
- Water's dynamic viscosity is significantly higher than air's.
- Water's heat capacity is much higher than air's, meaning it takes more energy to change the temperature of water.
- Heat transfer is much slower in water compared to air.
- Oxygen content is much lower in water than in air.
- Oxygen diffuses much slower in water than in air.
- Sound travels faster in water (around 1,481 m/s) than in air (343 m/s).
- Water's refractive index is similar to that of the cornea of the eye (approximately 1.33).
Gills
- The movement of water across gills is unidirectional, flowing in through the mouth and out through the gills (buccopharyngeal pumping)
- Fish have flaps in their mouths and at the edges of their opercula to keep water from flowing backward into the gills.
- Gill filaments (the part of the gills that perform gas exchange) project from each gill arch.
- Gas exchange occurs at the secondary lamellae, microscopic projections from the gill filaments.
- Fish have a respiratory current that flows continuously through their mouth and pharynx regions.
- Certain fish such as sharks and mackerel maintain the unidirectional flow of water using ram ventilation.
Countercurrent Exchange
- Each gill filament has two arteries.
- One vessel runs from the gill arch to the filament (O2-depleted), and the other runs from the filament back to the arch (O2-rich).
- Blood flows in the opposite direction of water flow across the gill filaments.
- This countercurrent system maximizes O2 diffusion from water into the blood by keeping a high concentration gradient.
Oxygen from Air
- Fish adapted to areas with low dissolved oxygen have alternative systems for gas exchange.
- Some fish, like betta fish, have a labyrinth organ in their head to breathe air.
- Electric eels periodically surface to breathe air.
- Lungfish are vertebrates that live in water and also have adapted to breathe air.
Lungfish
- Lungfish have lungs derived from their swim bladder.
- They live in lakes and rivers in South America, Africa, and Australia.
- During dry seasons, they burrow into riverbeds and enter a dormant period.
Adjusting Buoyancy in Bony Fish
- Most bony fish are neutrally buoyant, having a density equal to water.
- They have a gas bladder, also known as a swim bladder, that can be filled or emptied with air to maintain their buoyancy.
- When a fish swims downward, it secretes air into the gas bladder to counter the increased pressure.
- Conversely, when a fish swims upward, it reduces the amount of gas in the bladder to match the reduced pressure.
Rete Mirabile
- A rete mirabile is a specialized network of blood vessels that transfers gas from the blood to the swim bladder.
- The gas gland, situated at the gas bladder's connection to the rete mirabile, establishes a countercurrent exchange mechanism.
- This network plays a crucial role in regulating the oxygen levels in a fish's swim bladder.
Physostomus Fish
- Physostomus fish have a connection between their gut and gas bladder called the pneumatic duct.
- These fish can consciously swallow air and use it to fill their gas bladders.
Physoclistous Fish
- Physoclistous fish do not have a pneumatic duct.
- To regulate their swim bladder, they use a special structure called the oval at the back of the bladder, which allows for osmosis and adjustment of gas levels
Buoyancy in Cartilaginous Fish
- Unlike bony fish, cartilaginous fish do not have swim bladders.
- They use very high oil content in their liver and specialized blood compounds, like TMAO and urea, to achieve neutral buoyancy.
Buoyancy in Deep-Sea Fish
- Deep-sea fish may have lightweight oil or fats in their gas bladders.
- Some deep-sea fishes have lost their gas bladders and use fat distribution throughout their bodies for buoyancy.
Vision in the Aquatic World
- Aquatic vertebrates' lenses are spherical, and the cornea's refractive index is similar to water, resulting in less distinct vision.
- In contrast, terrestrial vertebrates have flatter lenses and a distinct cornea index of refraction, which is better for image focusing.
- Vision underwater is blurred because of the similar refractive indexes of water and cornea.
Hearing
- Sound travels much faster in water (4 times) than in air.
- Solid objects reflect sound waves; vegetation absorbs sound energy.
- Sound energy spreads over larger areas in water; but, open oceans exhibit sound channels
Chemosensation
- Fish have taste-bud organs in and around their mouths and heads, useful in detecting dissolved chemicals.
- Olfactory organs in their snouts detect and process chemicals dissolved in the water. Sharks have incredible olfactory capabilities, detecting odor concentrations as low as 1 part per billion.
- Salmon display unique olfactory skills, using permanently marked chemical signals in waterways to identify their home streams.
Lateral Line System
- The lateral line system is a sensory system used by aquatic vertebrates, such as fish.
- This system detects water displacement and vibrations.
- The system consists of neuromast organs, which are clusters of hair cells arranged to sense the direction of water currents.
Schooling Fish
- Schooling Fish use their lateral line systems to maintain equal distances from each other.
- Neuromasts help them detect and respond to their neighbors' movements.
Electrical Discharge
- Some fish, such as electric eels, have electric organs which produce electric fields to help them orientate, sense prey, and defend themselves against predators.
Electroreception
- Sharks and rays use electroreceptors, known as Ampullae of Lorenzini, located on their heads and pectoral fins, to detect the weak electrical fields produced by their prey.
- The sensory cells in these structures are connected to pores in their skin.
- These pores are surrounded by gel that conducts electricity to the sensory cells, allowing the fish detect electrical currents.
Electrolocation
- Sharks use their electroreception to locate prey.
Nitrogen Excretion
- Proteins and nucleic acids are metabolized into ammonia, which is toxic to animals.
- Different animal groups use various strategies to excrete ammonia (ammonotely, ureotely, and uricotely).
- Ammonia is highly soluble in water; bony fish excrete it through their gills and skin to maintain optimal concentration.
- Mammals and some other animals use urea for excretion.
- Reptiles and birds primarily excrete ammonia as uric acid.
Vertebrate Kidneys
- Vertebrate kidneys have nephrons, which filter blood, separate water, amino acids, and glucose from waste and return them into the bloodstream.
- The excess fluid is excreted as urine.
Stenohaline vs. Euryhaline
- Stenohaline fish thrive in environments with stable salinity.
- Euryhaline fish endure wider ranges of salinity.
Water and Salt Regulation in Freshwater Fish
- Freshwater fish gain water by osmosis.
- They lose sodium and chloride by diffusion.
- Freshwater fish generally do not drink and actively absorb electrolytes through their gills.
- Their kidneys excrete large volumes of dilute urine.
Water and Salt Regulation in Marine Fish
- Marine fish lose water by osmosis.
- They gain sodium and chloride by diffusion.
- Marine fish drink seawater and actively excrete electrolytes through their gills.
- Their kidneys excrete small volumes of concentrated urine.
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Description
Test your knowledge on the buoyancy mechanisms of cartilaginous fish and compare it with other fish types. This quiz covers gas bladders, blood compounds, and adaptations related to swimming and salinity. Join now to see how well you understand these aquatic vertebrates!
