Fish are members of the Animalia Kingdom (animals) and are also classified into the Phylum Chordata. In order to be a chordate an animal must have a notochord (a slim and flexible rod that supports the body) at some point in their lives; have a tubular nerve chord along their back (dorsal surface) with the brain developing from a swelling found at the anterior end (front) of this tube; paired gill slits at some stage of their life history; segmentation of at least part of their body; a post-anal tail at some stage in their life history; a ventral heart; and an endoskeleton (Arms & Camp, 1979).
Fish are further classified into the Vertebrata Subphylum. In order to be a vertebrate, an animal must have a vertebral column, or backbone. This backbone encloses, supports and protects the spinal cord. Fish are vertebrates that live in water and breathe with gills. Fish are ectotherms, or cold-blooded. Fish have either backbones of cartilage or bone. Most fish are adapted to live in salt or fresh water. Most fish have fins and scales, which cover and protect the body. The body systems of the fish, such as the digestive, circulatory, etc. are well developed. The fish are further classified into three classes. These classes are the Agnatha, jawless fish such as the hagfish and lampreys; the Chrondrichthyes, fish whose skeleton is made of cartilage such as sharks, rays and skates; and the Osteichthyes, fish whose skeleton is composed mostly of bone such as bass, perch, catfish, and flounder. There are approximately 50 species of jawless fish, 600 species of cartilaginous fish and more than 30,000 species of bony fish. The bony fish, Osteichthyes, are then further classified into two main groups called the ray-finned group (e.g., perch, and catfish) and the lobe-finned group (e.g., lungfish). Most bony fish belong to the “ray-finned” group. There are approximately 70 fish orders known to biologists.
Some of the main groups of fish used by scientists are the sharks and rays; sturgeon and gars; herring-like fishes; trout and salmon; eels, minnows, suckers, and catfish; flyingfish and relatives; cod-like fish; flatfish; seahorses and relatives; mullets, silversides, and barracuda; and mackerels and tunas (Zim and Shoemaker, 1956).
In Charles S. Manooch’s, III (1984) Fisherman’s Guide, Fishes of the Southeastern United States, he classifies fish according to the water temperature and type of water (fresh or salt) in which they live. He further subdivides the fish into groups by the ocean habitat in which they live. For example, he uses categories such as: Cold Freshwater Fish - such as the Rainbow Trout and Brown Trout; Cool Freshwater Fish – such as the Smallmouth bass and Walleye; Warm Freshwater Fish – such as the American Eel and Yellow Bullhead; Anadromous (migrate from saltwater to freshwater to spawn) Upper Estuarine Fish – such as the Atlantic Sturgeon and Blueback Herring; Coastal Ground Fish – Scalloped Hammerhead and Florida Pompano; Coastal Pelagic Fish (open ocean fish) – Tarpon and Cobia; Offshore Reef Fish – such as Black Sea Bass and Greater Barracuda; and Oceanic Pelagic Fish – such as Wahoo and Sailfish.
In the SCDNR field guide for South Carolina marine fish, Moore (1996) groups marine fish into the following categories: sturgeons, eels, tarpons, herrings, temperate basses, sea basses, tilefishes, bluefishes, cobias, jacks, snappers, porgies, drums, wrasses, mackerels, swordfishes, billfishes, lefteyed flounders, and leatherjackets. It should be obvious to the reader that there are a variety of ways to classify fish. Many of the classification systems used depend on the way the biologist looks at and works with the fish. You are advised to look at recent high school and college biology and zoology texts and various excellent fish field guides for further information about fish classification. There are many good ones available for the fish enthusiast
Fish are further classified into the Vertebrata Subphylum. In order to be a vertebrate, an animal must have a vertebral column, or backbone. This backbone encloses, supports and protects the spinal cord. Fish are vertebrates that live in water and breathe with gills. Fish are ectotherms, or cold-blooded. Fish have either backbones of cartilage or bone. Most fish are adapted to live in salt or fresh water. Most fish have fins and scales, which cover and protect the body. The body systems of the fish, such as the digestive, circulatory, etc. are well developed. The fish are further classified into three classes. These classes are the Agnatha, jawless fish such as the hagfish and lampreys; the Chrondrichthyes, fish whose skeleton is made of cartilage such as sharks, rays and skates; and the Osteichthyes, fish whose skeleton is composed mostly of bone such as bass, perch, catfish, and flounder. There are approximately 50 species of jawless fish, 600 species of cartilaginous fish and more than 30,000 species of bony fish. The bony fish, Osteichthyes, are then further classified into two main groups called the ray-finned group (e.g., perch, and catfish) and the lobe-finned group (e.g., lungfish). Most bony fish belong to the “ray-finned” group. There are approximately 70 fish orders known to biologists.
Some of the main groups of fish used by scientists are the sharks and rays; sturgeon and gars; herring-like fishes; trout and salmon; eels, minnows, suckers, and catfish; flyingfish and relatives; cod-like fish; flatfish; seahorses and relatives; mullets, silversides, and barracuda; and mackerels and tunas (Zim and Shoemaker, 1956).
In Charles S. Manooch’s, III (1984) Fisherman’s Guide, Fishes of the Southeastern United States, he classifies fish according to the water temperature and type of water (fresh or salt) in which they live. He further subdivides the fish into groups by the ocean habitat in which they live. For example, he uses categories such as: Cold Freshwater Fish - such as the Rainbow Trout and Brown Trout; Cool Freshwater Fish – such as the Smallmouth bass and Walleye; Warm Freshwater Fish – such as the American Eel and Yellow Bullhead; Anadromous (migrate from saltwater to freshwater to spawn) Upper Estuarine Fish – such as the Atlantic Sturgeon and Blueback Herring; Coastal Ground Fish – Scalloped Hammerhead and Florida Pompano; Coastal Pelagic Fish (open ocean fish) – Tarpon and Cobia; Offshore Reef Fish – such as Black Sea Bass and Greater Barracuda; and Oceanic Pelagic Fish – such as Wahoo and Sailfish.
In the SCDNR field guide for South Carolina marine fish, Moore (1996) groups marine fish into the following categories: sturgeons, eels, tarpons, herrings, temperate basses, sea basses, tilefishes, bluefishes, cobias, jacks, snappers, porgies, drums, wrasses, mackerels, swordfishes, billfishes, lefteyed flounders, and leatherjackets. It should be obvious to the reader that there are a variety of ways to classify fish. Many of the classification systems used depend on the way the biologist looks at and works with the fish. You are advised to look at recent high school and college biology and zoology texts and various excellent fish field guides for further information about fish classification. There are many good ones available for the fish enthusiast
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