海洋脊椎动物-Marine-Vertebrates.docxVIP

Marine Vertebrates General Characteristic Vertebrates:Animals with a backbone Animals in the sub-phylum Vertebrata have spinal cords and brains Marine vertebrates include: sharks, fish, turtles, birds, seals and whales, polar bears etc. Can you think of others? Jawless vertebrates Cyclostome 圆口纲动物 ? Superclass Agnatha: Simple, more primitive fish that lack jaws ? Characteristics include: No jaws Skeletons Feed by sucking the blood of its prey ? Two class divisions: Hagfish, Lampreysa) 1. Fishes a. Cartilaginous Fish ‘Cartilaginous Fish’ consists of sharks, rays, skates, torpedos and close relatives They share common features:Jaws； Cartilage skeletons, not true bone They are great predators b. Bony fishes Superclass Osteichthyes contains the majority of the ocean’s fish-ray-finned fish, lobe-finned fish Characteristics include: Bone skeletons Operculum: bony skin flap outside gills that helps fish breathe when not swimming 2. Marine Reptiles Crocodiles, aligators, sea turtles, snakes Reptilians generally share these common features: Cold-blooded: they take on the temperature of their surroundings Breathe with lungs Reproduce by laying eggs 3. Marine Birds They have feathers They have forelimbs which are wings They are important for the marine ecosystem: - predators which consume crustaceans,fish and mollusks - in return they are prey to marine mammals and sharks - supply organic nitrogen important for sea life 4. Marine Mammals Marine mammals-Seals, Sea Lions, Walrus, Dolphins, Whales and others They are warm blood in cold water They are homeothermic-constant internal temperature They have hair on some parts of the body They nourish their youth with milk Give birth to live young Managing fish populations Fishing provides a vital food source Scientists use a combination of math, biology, and computer skills to best determine what levels of fishing can exist to provide food and support the economy without overfishing the resource