Vertebrate Collections: Ichthyology
Ichthyology is the study of fishes. Fishes include bony fishes which have hard, calcified skeletons such as tuna and seahorses, and cartilaginous fishes which have softer skeletons such as sharks and rays.
Fishes are cold-blooded (mostly) animals that have:
- gills for breathing
- a backbone or a notochord (a cartilaginous rod)
- fins (most species but not all)
- scales (most species but not all)
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