Important Facts on MORPHOLOGICAL FEATURES OF VERTEBRATES
MORPHOLOGICAL FEATURES OF VERTEBRATES
FISHES:
Fishes, the first and largest vertebrates, exhibit the following characteristics:
- Gills for respiration.
- Single-loop circulation.
- Cartilaginous fishes are known for their fast swimming.
- Bony fishes possess swim bladders for buoyancy.
Note: The whale shark (Rhincodon typus) holds the title of the largest living fish.
Note: Cartilaginous fishes, like sharks, have tooth-like placoid scales, while bony fishes have flat cycloid or ganoid scales.
CLASSIFICATION OF SHARK (Rhincodon typus):
- Kingdom: Animalia
- Phylum: Chordata
- Class: Chondrichthyes
- Order: Orectolobiformes
- Family: Rhincodontidae
CLASSIFICATION OF TILAPIA FISH (Tilapia zilli):
- Kingdom: Animalia
- Phylum: Chordata
- Class: Osteichthyes
- Order: Perciformes
- Family: Cichlidae
REPTILIA:
Reptilia, members of tetrapods possessing amniota, exhibit the following features:
- The body of the Agama lizard is divided into the head, neck, and trunk.
- Covered with scales.
CLASSIFICATION OF LIZARD (Agama agama):
- Kingdom: Animalia
- Phylum: Chordata
- Class: Reptilia
- Order: Squamata
- Family: Agamidae
Note: Male Agama agama raises the nuchal crest to intimidate other males. The gular fold is used during courtship or when frightened.
DOMESTIC FOWL (Gallus domesticus):
Gallus domesticus, a carinate bird (Aves), possessing keeled breast bones, is classified as follows:
- Phylum: Chordata
- Class: Aves
- Order: Galliformes
- Family: Gallidae
- Genus: Gallus
Features:
- Wings for flight and temperature regulation.
- Comb used for sexing.
TOAD:
Toads, classified as follows:
- Kingdom: Animalia
- Phylum: Chordata (presence of a post-anal tail)
- Class: Amphibia (presence of cloaca)
- Order: Anura (short forelimbs)
- Family: Bufonidae (limbs adapted for swimming)
Features:
- Dry, bumpy, and warty skin.
- Bulging eyes.
- Contrastingly, frogs have moist and smooth skin.
Don’t forget to share with your friends
