Fish, TRO-ZEB
Fishes have been in existence for more than 450 million years, and they have evolved to fit into almost every conceivable type of aquatic habitat, including both fresh and salt waters. Almost all natural bodies of water bear fish life, with the exception of very hot thermal ponds and extremely salt-alkaline lakes, such as the Dead Sea in Asia and the Great Salt Lake in North America. Although most fish species are cold-blooded, one especially contrarian species, the opah (Lampris guttatus), is warm-blooded.
Fish Encyclopedia Articles By Title
trout-perch
trout-perch, either of two species of small, dark-spotted fishes of the genus Percopsis (family Percopsidae), found......
trumpetfish
trumpetfish, (genus Aulostomus), any of the three species of marine fishes that constitute the family Aulostomidae......
tubesnout
tubesnout, either of the two species of fishes in the family Aulorhynchidae (order Gasterosteiformes). Both species—Aulorhynchus......
tuna
tuna, (genus Thunnus), any of seven species of oceanic fishes, some very large, that constitute the genus Thunnus......
turbot
turbot, (Psetta maxima), broad-bodied European flatfish of the family Scophthalmidae. A highly valued food fish,......
unicorn fish
unicorn fish, any of certain exclusively marine fishes belonging to the genus Naso, in the family Acanthuridae......
viperfish
viperfish, any of nine species of marine fishes belonging to the genus Chauliodus (order Stomiiformes). They are......
wahoo
wahoo, (Acanthocybium solanderi), swift-moving, powerful, predacious food and game fish of the family Scombridae......
walking catfish
walking catfish, Species (Clarias batrachus) of Asian and African catfish that can progress remarkable distances......
weakfish
weakfish, (genus Cynoscion), any member of a group of fishes in the croaker family, Sciaenidae (order Perciformes).......
Weberian apparatus
Weberian apparatus, distinctive chain of small bones characteristic of fish of the superorder Ostariophysi (carps,......
weever
weever, any of four species of small marine fishes of the family Trachinidae (order Perciformes). Weevers are long-bodied......
wels
wels, large, voracious catfish of the family Siluridae, native to large rivers and lakes from central Europe to......
whale shark
whale shark, (Rhincodon typus), gigantic but harmless shark (family Rhincodontidae) that is the largest living......
What animal has the longest life span?
The Greenland shark (Somniosus microcephalus) is the longest-lived vertebrate animal known to science. Radiocarbon......
What Happened to the Megalodon?
Megalodon (Carcharocles megalodon) was the scourge of the seas some 23 million to about 2.6 million years ago,......
white cloud mountain minnow
white cloud mountain minnow, (Tanichthys albonubes), small aquarium fish of the carp family, Cyprinidae, native......
white shark
white shark, (Carcharodon carcharias), any member of the largest living species of the mackerel sharks (Lamnidae)......
whitefish
whitefish, any of several valuable silvery food fishes (family Salmonidae, or in some classifications, Coregonidae),......
whiting
whiting, (species Gadus, or Merlangius, merlangus), common marine food fish of the cod family, Gadidae. The whiting......
Why do oarfish swim vertically?
Oarfish swim vertically to camouflage themselves in their deep-water habitat. This orientation hides their flattened......
Why do salmon die after spawning?
Salmon are biologically programmed to die after spawning, a phenomenon known as semelparity. This is a reproductive......
Why Do Sharks Attack?
Despite misleading media reports suggesting that shark attacks are on the rise, such assaults on humans are exceedingly......
Why do so few baby seahorses survive?
The odds of a baby seahorse surviving to maturity are lower than 1 in 200. One of the main reasons for this low......
wolf herring
wolf herring, (Chirocentrus dorab), species of fish belonging to the family Chirocentridae (order Clupeiformes).......
wolffish
wolffish, any of five species of large long-bodied fishes of the family Anarhichadidae (order Perciformes), found......
wrasse
wrasse, any of nearly 500 species of marine fishes of the family Labridae (order Perciformes). Wrasses range from......
wreckfish
wreckfish, (Polyprion americanus), large, grayish fish of the family Polyprionidae (order Perciformes), found in......
Xenacanthus
Xenacanthus, long-surviving but now extinct genus of freshwater sharks. Xenacanthus survived from the end of the......
zebra fish
zebra fish, any member of either of two unrelated groups of fishes, the freshwater species in the genus Danio (family......
zebra shark
zebra shark, (Stegostoma fasciatum), species of carpet shark classified in the family Stegostomatidae (of which......