FISH DISSECTION
TO EXPOSE
SYSTEMS
MUHAMMAD SHOAIB AZEEM
LECTURER (MEAT SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY)
DEPT. LIVESTOCK & POULTRY PRODUCTION
MATERIALS
Dissecting pan,
Dissecting Tools,
Surgical Gloves,
Fresh fish
PROCEDURE:
If the fish is scaled; remove scales.
Insert the tip of the scissors in the anus/vent and
cut toward the head, between the pelvic fins and
just past the pectoral fins.
Cut only through the skin, careful not cut any
organs.
Carefully lift off the flap of skin and muscle to
expose the internal organs in the body cavity.
CONTI…
Locate the liver in front of the body cavity. Also
locate the gall bladder between the lobes of the
liver.
Remove the gall bladder & liver to observe the
short esophagus attached to the stomach.
At the posterior end of the stomach are the
coiled intestines.
Below the operculum, are the bony gill rakers.
In front of the liver & behind the gill rakers is
the pericardial cavity containing the heart. The
heart of a fish only has 2 chambers_ an atrium
and a ventricle.
In the upper part of the body cavity, below the
lateral line is the swim bladder. This sac has a
thin wall.
Below the swim bladder are the gonads
(testes or ovaries).
Find the long, dark kidneys in the posterior
end.
Wastes exit the body through the anus
located on the ventral side of the perch.
EXERCISE#3: DISSECT A FISH TO
EXPOSE CIRCULATORY SYSTEM:
The circulatory system is closed and has only
one circuit (single cycle circulation).
Blood pumped through the capillaries of the gills
and on to the capillaries of the body tissues.
The heart of fish consists of four parts, including
two chambers and an entrance and exit.
The first part is the sinus venosus, a thin-walled
sac that collects blood from the fish's veins
before allowing it to flow to the second part, the
atrium.
CONT.
The atrium which is a large muscular chamber,
sends blood to the third part, ventricle.
The ventricle is another thick-walled, muscular
chamber and it pumps the blood, first to the
fourth part, bulbus arteriosus, a large tube, and
then out of the heart.
The bulbus arteriosus connects to the aorta,
through which blood flows to the gills for
oxygenation.
DIGESTIVE SYSTEM
Fish ingest food by mouth, Jaws allow fish to eat a
wide variety of food, including plants and other
organisms.
Food moves to esophagus
In the stomach, food is digested and in many fish,
processed in finger-shaped pouches called pyloric
caeca, which secrete digestive enzymes and absorb
nutrients.
Organs such as the liver and pancreas add enzymes
and various chemicals as the food moves through the
digestive tract.
CONT.
The intestine completes the process of
digestion and nutrient absorption.
Undigested part is removed throw anus.
Rectal glands are present in sharks to
remove excessive salts.
Ammonia is removed through gills by
diffusion or kidneys. Kidney of salt water
fishes return water to body while those in
fresh water excrete excessive water in
urine.
