Fish Biology & Physiology Flashcards
7 cards from real CFP practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 7 Fish Biology & Physiology flashcards as text
What is the primary function of the lateral line system in fish?
Answer: Sensing water pressure changes and vibrations
The lateral line system detects changes in water pressure, vibrations, and water movement, helping fish sense nearby objects, predators, and prey without visual contact.
Which scale types are most commonly found in teleost (bony) fishes?
Answer: Cycloid and ctenoid scales
Cycloid and ctenoid scales are characteristic of most modern teleost fishes; cycloid scales have smooth edges while ctenoid scales bear small spines (cteni) on their posterior margin.
What is the primary function of the swim bladder in most bony fishes?
Answer: Regulating buoyancy to maintain depth
The swim bladder functions as a hydrostatic organ, allowing teleost fish to achieve neutral buoyancy at various depths without expending constant muscular energy.
Which physiological process allows marine teleost fish to maintain proper internal ion concentrations while living in saltwater?
Answer: Osmoregulation
Osmoregulation allows marine teleosts to balance internal salt and water concentrations by drinking seawater and actively excreting excess ions through specialized chloride cells in their gills.
What structural feature of fish gills enables highly efficient oxygen extraction through countercurrent exchange?
Answer: Blood and water flow in opposite directions across lamellae
Countercurrent exchange occurs when blood flows in the opposite direction to water across the gill lamellae, maintaining a continuous oxygen concentration gradient that maximizes oxygen uptake efficiency.
What term describes fish capable of tolerating a wide range of environmental salinity levels?
Answer: Euryhaline
Euryhaline fish can tolerate wide salinity variations (e.g., salmon, striped bass), while stenohaline fish are restricted to a narrow salinity range and cannot survive large shifts in salinity.
Which specialized sensory organs in sharks detect extremely weak electrical fields produced by prey muscle contractions?
Answer: Ampullae of Lorenzini
The ampullae of Lorenzini are electroreceptor organs unique to cartilaginous fishes that can detect the faint bioelectric fields produced by the muscle contractions of nearby prey animals.