Fish

Teacher Background Information

Fish are cold-blooded, water-dwelling animals with flexible backbones; they have fins, are usually covered with scales, and breath through gills. There are about 25,000 species all together and they all fall into two basic types: the majority with bony structure, and the rest with cartilaginous structure, like sharks and rays. Fish range in size from half an inch to over sixty feet long.

Note: Lobsters, crabs, and shrimp are crustaceans and clams, mussels, squid and oysters are mollusks.

Fish

1. All fish live in water.
2. All fish have backbones.
3. All fish breathe through gills.
4. All fish are cold-blooded.
5. Most fish have eyes that stay open (because they have no lids.)
6. Most fish have fins.
7. Most fish have scales.
8. Most fish lay eggs.
9. Most fish swim by moving tail from side to side.