Percidae Family

Phylum: Chordates

Unique, Shared Characteristics of the Chordates

•Most chordates have a notochord – rod of cartilage that in found inside the body which turns into the spine•Dorsal neural tube which creates the spinal chord•Pharyngeal slits or the pharynx found behind the mouth with the throat•A tail that extends from the anus•Endostyle – a groove in the ventral wall of the pharynx

Habitat Perch live in a wide

variety of habitats.- Mainly found throughout Canada and North Eastern United States- Prefer fresh waters with lots of vegetation - Generally live in warm or cool waters

- Shallow waters

Adaptations of the PerchLarge eyesSpines Thin, shorter disc shapesStriped colourationLight coloured bellies

Food Processing and Excretion Food ingested in mouth Broken down in esophagus Digested in stomach Processed in pouches called

pyloric caecum Pyloric caecum excrete

digestive enzymes and absorbs nutrients

The liver and pancreas adds more chemicals to the food as they move through the digestive tract

Finally the food reaches the intestines to finish the digestive system

•most fish excrete nitrogenous waste such as ammonia•Other waste diffuse within the gills of the fish and blood waste is filtered by the kidney

OsmoregulationSaltwater fish tend

to lose to the outside due to osmosis but the kidney returns the lost water

The reverse is done for the freshwater fish

Sensory systemThe Brain is divided into mainly

three partsForebrain, Midbrain, and HindbrainForebrain – controls and processes

signals that come from the nostrilsMidbrain – associated with signals

that are involved with sightHindbrain – largest part of the brain;

involved in balance and swimmingChemoreceptors – create the sense

of taste and smellThey also have sensitive receptors

outside their bodies to detect vibrations and currents to notice other fish nearby

Circulatory System Fish have a closed loop

circulatory system Heart pumps blood in a single

loop throughout the body The heart is made up of four

parts Sinus venous, atrium, ventricle

and the bulbous arteriosus Sinus venous – a sac that collects

blood from the veins before moving it to the atrium

Atrium – muscular chamber that sends blood to the ventricle

Ventricle – another muscular chamber that pumps blood to the bulbous arteriosus and then out of the heart

Bulbous arteriosus – large tube that connects to the aorta and allows blood to flow to the gills

Respiratory System

Fertilization and Reproduction - External sexual

fertilization - Spawn in the spring time - Generally at night time- Do not care for their young-Eggs are laid in aquatic vegetation

PREPARE FOR DISSECTION