Basic Fish Anatomy - "What the heck is a Peduncle?!"
Basic Fish Anatomy - "What the heck is a Peduncle?!"
I've read too many articles by ardent fish hobbyists to not have to know the basics of fish anatomy. If you own a fish or would like to and ever want a conversation with someone who understands the animal then it will probably help for you to understand these terms of fish anatomy.
This guide is basically for anyone interested in knowing the labels of the basic body parts of a fish; the "heads, shoulders, knees and toes" of the animal.
So without further ado, let's get to it:
The Operculum - Latin for "little lid" the operculum is the flap of skin that covers the gills and may move when the fish is breathing. It is what generally marks the end of a fish's head and the beginning of its body. If enflamed it will flare (remain open) and this may be a sign that your fish has a parasite.
The Dorsal Fin - The dorsal fin follows the line of your fish' back and is mainly for stability. It is also used by your fish in turning. Some fish will have dorsal spines that are used for protection in the wild. Often there is a second dorsal fin to a fish.
The Adipose Fin - This is not found on many fish but if you have a catfish you will be able to see it. It is a very small find behind the dorsal fin.
The Caudal Fin - This is the large fin at the back, the fish-tail.
The Caudal Peduncle - A peduncle is a mass of tissue that joins something to the body so the caudal peduncle is the bit nearest the body that joins the caudal fin. See, that wasn't so hard, was it!
Anal Fin – This is just what it sounds like; fins near the fish's anus.
Pelvic Fin - This fin should be on the bottom of the fish fairly near below the operculum. They are used for direction and turning.
Pectoral Fin - If your fish has one it will be located on the side, just behind the operculum.
OK now that we've covered the basics of the outside, I am going to describe a little of what is inside your fish. Don't worry; we're only covering the absolute basics.
Swim Bladder - One thing that fish have that we don't. It is a gas filled sac that the fish uses to control its depth in the water. When it wants to descend in the water it simply empties its swim bladder of air. It has expandable walls so that it can fill to allow air in for surfacing.
Gonads - These are basically the testicules or ovaries of your fish and they are both located inside of it. When the time is right they either secrete sperm or ova.
Teeny Tiny Brain - Look at any cross-section of a fish's body and you will see that the brain really is tiny in comparison with its body and the relative size of ours. This has led some people to come to the inclusion that fish cannot feel pain and yet we know that they have memories of up to three month and can be reliably trained.
Anyway, I hope you have found this article to be of some use to you.
If you are a fish owner or this has sparked your interest then you may be in need of some aquarium-related products online. If so I highly recommend http;//www.desertcoralaquatics.com
