BIO4141L- Animal Morphology and Anatomy

Activity 2: Comparative Study of the External Anatomy of Vertebrates and Invertebrates (Part 2)
The Fishes o Jaws (not all had true teeth; some had
Evolution of Jaws sharpened plates along edge of mouth used
for cutting)
o Fins: supported by a skeleton

Figure 1. From top to bottom (Lamprey, Other
groups & Higher groups).
o Skeletal Rod
• Lamprey:
- it forms the jaw but it’s not distinct and
present.
- it used as a bracket or reinforcements of
the pharyngeal slits.
• Other groups (vertebrates): it is attached
to the cranium and reinforce the gill slits.
• Higher groups (vertebrates):
• It is attached to the lower jaw with the
cranium.
• It provides an idea on how widely an
animal can open their mouth parts for as
some animals have cranial kinesis.
• A dog can open at a certain angle, but a
fish can open it widely which can also
determine the capacity they can hold the
food item and size of their food item.
Class Placodermii
o Placo (plate) + derm (skin)
o Large Paleozoic jawed fishes
o Body covered with armors and plates
o With paired fins (also characteristics of
gnathostomes)
o Bottom dwellers (flat ventral region of body)
o Detritus feeder, some are predatory
o Marine and freshwater habitat
o Some with claspers (internal fertilization)
• Intromittent organ used by male to
introduce the sperm to the female
o They are extinct possibly same reason with
Ostracoderms
• Survival of the fittest

Early Gnathostomes: (Placoderms)

o Fossil record begins in Silurian (420 mya)
o Paired fins with support of skeleton

(K.N.P., 2021) 1
BIO4141L- Animal Morphology and Anatomy
Activity 2: Comparative Study of the External Anatomy of Vertebrates and Invertebrates (Part 2)
Class Acanthodii - Made up of dentin and enamel which
o Classified between placoderms and makes it sturdy and hard; rough texture
Chondrichthyes/Osteichthyes • Ventral mouth
o Spiny sharks (rows of spine on the entire • With claspers (internal fertilization)
body) • Macrolecithal egg
o Body with bone armor and plates (non- • Oviparous organism (eggs with leathery
overlapping) shell)
o Ventral mouth (subterminal) • Presence of spiracle (1st gill slit) except
o Jaw structure similar to sharks of chimeras
o Partially ossified endoskeleton • Mostly marine
o With large operculum that covers their gill
slits
o Presence of paired fins with spines
o Streamlined body (fusiform shape)
• Fish characteristics that allow them to
swim easily in water
o They are extinct, possibly because of • Squaliformes with fusiform bodies
evolution and presence of Osteichthyes and (swift swimmers)
Actinopterygii. • Rajiformes with dorsoventrally
flattened body (bottom dwellers)
• Long gestation period (2 years)
• Several sets of teeth
• Large animals (20m whale shark)
Class Chondrichthyes • Absence of swim bladder
o Cartilaginous endoskeleton • Heterocercal tail
o Subclass Elasmobranchii (naked gill slits) • Large livers (buoyant oils)
• Order Cladoselachii (primitive paleozoic • Pectoral fins as hydrofoils
sharks, extinct group) • Absence of bones
• Order Plueracanthodii (freshwater
paleozoic sharks with lobed fins)
• Order Squaliformes (sharks, extant group)
• Order Rajiformes (sawfish, skates, and
rays, extant group)

Elasmobranchs
• Cartilaginous fishes
• Placoid scales (spine-like appearance)
(K.N.P., 2021) 2
BIO4141L- Animal Morphology and Anatomy
Activity 2: Comparative Study of the External Anatomy of Vertebrates and Invertebrates (Part 2)
ANATOMY OF SHARK o Subclass Actinopterygii: ray-finned fishes,
modern fishes
• Superorder Chondrostei: chiefly paleozoic;
largely cartilaginous endoskeleton
• Superorder Holostei: dominant Mesozoic
fishes with ganoid scales; endoskeleton is a
combination of cartilage and bones
• Pectoral fin and pelvic fin are always • Superorder Teleostei: present forms of
paired bony fishes; endoskeleton is largely bone
• Anal fin may be paired or unpaired Actinopterygii
• Caudal fin has an unequal shape and this • Ray-finned fishes (stiffened by
determines the capacity for swimming, lepidotrichia)
they have the ability to thrust into the • Fin rays joined by membranes
surface • Absence of internal nares
o Subclass Holocephali (gills covered with • Main distinguishing characteristic:
operculum) endoskeleton composition
• Order Chimaeriformes (Chimaeras)
Holocephalans
• Absence of scales
• Upper jaw fused with skull
• With operculum
• Closed spiracle
• Feeds on seaweeds (vegetarian) and
mollusks
• Other than pelvic claspers (intromittent
organ), cephalic clasper is present (single
median hook to clench female during
mating)

Class Osteichthyes
o Bony fishes
o Subclass Sarcopterygii (Choanichthyes): lobe-
• Skeleton is partly or chiefly bone
finned fishes, fins attached to appendage
• Gill slits are covered by a bony operculum
• Actinistians: mostly extinct except Latimeri
• Skin has scales with, typically, little bone
• Rhipidistians: ancestors of amphibians
- Thinner and overlapping
• Dipnoans: lungfishes
• Most have swim bladder
• They are believed to be the ancestors of
o Subdivided based on the paired appendages
tetrapods wherein their appendages
changed and became the four limbs of
tetrapods.

(K.N.P., 2021) 3
BIO4141L- Animal Morphology and Anatomy
Activity 2: Comparative Study of the External Anatomy of Vertebrates and Invertebrates (Part 2)

o Largest group of extant vertebrates

o Bony fishes
o With operculum: second visceral arch
o Terminal mouth
o With swim bladders (air sacs) neutral
buoyancy
o With cloaca: exit point of materials coming
from excretory, productive and digestive.
o Overlapping scales (ganoid, ctenoid, cycloid)
o Fins stiffened by lepidotrichia
• Jointed skeletal elements that form the
rays of bony fishes

(K.N.P., 2021) 4