Field Guides for Kids: Fish

Field Guides for Kids: Fish — page 7 — AGNATHA THE JAWLESS FISH PACIFIC HAGFISH EPTATRETUS STOUTII Pacific hagfish are primitive soft eel like fish that feed on other fish Most have tentacles on the ends of their snouts They also have five to 15 pairs of gills They have no eyes These fish live on the bottom of the Pacific Ocean They are known for attaching to and feeding on dead or injured fish They burrow into the fish Then they eat the fish from the inside out HOW TO SPOT Size Up to 25 inches 64 cm long 1.8 to 3.1 pounds 0.8 to 1.4 kg Range Pacific Ocean Habitat Cold ocean waters at depths of 4,280 feet 1,300 m live in burrows Diet Ocean invertebrates and dead or dying fish FUN FACT A hagfish produces so much slime that it is sometimes called the slime eel The slime is used for defense When threatened the hagfish will release the slime from its nostrils It will fill the gills of a nearby predator 8

Field Guides for Kids: Fish — page 8 — SEA LAMPREY PETROMYZON MARINUS Sea lampreys are ancient jawless boneless fish They reproduce in fresh water but many eventually move to salt water Sea lampreys tend to have one or two dorsal fins and seven gill openings on the sides of their bodies Their mouths have horn like teeth and sucking devices that allow them to attach to host fish like suction cups Then they eat the tissue fluid and blood of the host fish HOW TO SPOT Size Freshwater sea lampreys can get up to 25 inches 64 cm long Ocean sea lampreys can get up to 47 inches 120 cm long The largest lampreys can reach 2.25 pounds 1 kg Range Western and eastern Atlantic coasts and Great Lakes region Habitat Fresh water or salt water Diet Host fish such as trout WHAT IS AN AGNATHA Scientists disagree if Agnatha fish should be classified as true fish That's because they lack some features of modern fish species For instance they have circular mouths and are generally missing pairs of fins However they do have fins and gills which are the standard features of fish Unlike many fish Agnatha do not have internal skeletons made of bone In fact some species don't have skeletons at all But for those species that do their skeletons are made of mostly cartilage 9

Field Guides for Kids: Fish — page 9 — CHONDRICHTHYES THE CARTILAGINOUS FISH BASKING SHARK CETORHINUS MAXIMUS Basking sharks live in cold and temperate oceans Surface water in temperate oceans is between 50 and 68 degrees Fahrenheit 10 and 20 C These sharks are black gray or brownish gray They are slow moving and they have wide mouths that help them catch zooplankton Basking sharks often swim in groups near the surface of the ocean They migrate throughout the year HOW TO SPOT Size Up to 30 to 40 feet 9 to 12 m long 5 tons 4,500 kg Range Temperate and Arctic oceans Habitat Near the shore and at the surface of the water Diet Zooplankton FUN FACT Basking sharks get their name because they look like they are bathing in sunlight near the surface of the ocean 10

Field Guides for Kids: Fish — page 10 — COMMON THRESHER SHARK ALOPIAS VULPINUS Common thresher sharks have bluish gray brown gray or black skin with white underbellies They are aggressive hunters that have been known to attack boats However they tend to avoid humans These sharks are known for their distinctive tails which are shaped like sickles They are sometimes called sea foxes or thrashers HOW TO SPOT Size 8.5 to 15 feet 2.6 to 4.5 m up to 750 pounds 340 kg Range Cold temperate and tropical ocean waters around the world Habitat Open ocean waters and coastal regions Diet Fish squid and seabirds SHARK ATTACKS Most shark attacks happen when a shark mistakes a human for another animal There are only between 70 and 100 shark attacks worldwide each year The likelihood of dying in a shark attack is even slimmer The odds are only one in more than three million 11

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