Fish
Class Agnatha
Agnatha, (Ancient Greek 'without jaws') is a
superclass of jawless fish in the phylum Chordata,
subphylum Vertebrata,
Class Gnathostomata
Gnathostomata are the jawed vertebrates
AGNATHA GNATHOSTOMATA
Their mouths lack jaws. Jaws are present in their mouth.
It comprises most of the primitive craniates It comprises the advanced vertebrates.
Exoskeleton and appendages are absent in them. Paired appendages (fins and limbs are present).
It includes cold-blooded animals These include both cold-blooded as well as
warm-blooded animals
. Notochord is present throughout life. In the embryonic stage, the notochord is present
while in adults it is replaced by the vertebral
column.
Nutrition and Digestion in
fish
Introduction
Alimentary canal in fishes
As in other vertebrates, the alimentary tract can be divided into
1) The anterior part consists of the mouth, buccal cavity, and
pharynx.
2. The posterior part consists of the foregut (esophagus and
stomach), midgut or intestine, and hindgut or rectum.
Voluntary striated muscle extends from the buccal cavity into the
esophagus, involuntary smooth muscle from the posterior portion of
the esophagus through the intestine.
Mouth in Fishes
Mouth is the anterior opening of alimentary canal .
Most fish mouth fall into first three general types:
.
1 . Superior mouth type: Some species with a superior mouth have an
elongated lower jaw that functions much like a scoop.
Archers, half-beaks, and hatchetfish and Catla are all examples of species of
aquarium fish that have a superior mouth.
Mouth in Fishes
Mouth is the anterior opening of alimentary canal .
Most fish mouth fall into first three general types:
.
2. Terminal mouth type: Most fish that feed on other fish have terminal
mouths, which are often hinged to allow them to accommodate the action of
snatching and swallowing another fish.
3. Inferior or sub terminal mouth type:
It is turned downward. The lower jaw is shorter than the upper jaw, and the jaw
will often be protrusible.
Fish with inferior mouths are usually bottom feeders and often possess barbels
that assist in locating food particles.
The diet of fish with inferior mouths includes algae, invertebrates (such as
snails), as well as detritus and any food that falls to the bottom.
The mouth of cartilaginous fishes is ventral.e.g. Sharks, Rays and Skates.
4. Protrusible Mouth
5. Sucker mouths are a common feature in fish with inferior mouths. Catfish,
such as the popular plecostomus (which literally translates to folded mouth),
use a sucker mouth to rasp algae off driftwood or rocks.
6. A greatly elongated snout is another kind of mouth adaptation. This
type of mouth allows the fish to poke into small crevices and holes to find
food.
They may also use this mouth to dig through the substrate to reach buried
food treasures.
Some surface feeding fish also have an elongated mouth that allows them
to scoop insects and food particles from the surface.
Freshwater species with elongated mouths include the halfbeaks,
7. The beak mouth is an interesting, but less common, mouth variation;
it's also known as a rostrum. In this design, the mouth consists of two very
hard pieces that are hinged and come together in a scissor-like fashion.
This allows them to crush hard shells of invertebrates. Pufferfish, both
freshwater and saltwater species, and Saltwater
Teeth
In bony fishes (Osteichthyes) Teeth are of three kinds, based on where they
are found Jaw, Mouth and Pharyngeal.
Jaw Teeth Jaw teeth are variously those on the maxillary and premaxillary
bones above and on the dentaries below.
Mouth Teeth In the roof of the oral cavity teeth are variously borne by the
median vomer and by the palatine on each side. In the floor of the mouth the
tongue often has teeth on it.
Pharyngeal teeth occur as pads on various gill arch, pharynx, gut, mouth and
eoesophagous
BUCCAL CAVITY, PHARYNX
& GILL RACKERS
The buccal cavity and pharynx are not clearly marked off from each
other.
A number of perforations of gill slits are located on each side of the
pharyngeal wall.
Primary function of the gill rakers is to protect gill filaments from injury
and to assist the fishes in the process of ingestion .
Oesophagus
The pharynx opens behind into the oesophagus which have large
number of mucus secreting cells which are scattered in the mucosa.
Taste buds are also present e.g. Labeo rohita, Cyprinus carpio, Catla
catla
Short & narrow tube in case of herbivorous and omnivorous fishes
e.g. Labeo rohita, Puntius sarana, Cyprinus carpio etc
Large & distensible tube in case of carnivores and predatory fishes
(e.g. Wallago attu, Heteropneustes fossilis etc.
Stomach
•Stomach acquire different shapes according to the availability
of space in the body cavities of different fishes.
ANTERIOR – CARDIAC STOMACH
STOMACH
POSTERIOR – PYLORIC STOMACH
intestinal bulb (Stomachless Fishes ):
All the fishes do not possess a true stomach as it is almost absent in
various herbivorous fishes like Labeo rohita,Catla catla etc.
In such fishes, the anterior part of the intestine is swollen to form a
sac like structure called intestinal bulb.
Pyloric caeca
•Anterior part of the intestine give rise to a number of
finger-like outgrowths called pyloric or intestinal caeca.
• Pyloric caeca serve as accessory food reservoirs .
•Histologically, intestinal caeca resembles the intestine
and probably serve to enhance the absorptive area.
Intestine
• The part of alimentary canal that follows the stomach is called intestine
and is divided into two parts:
1.Anterior part : small intestine
2.Posterior part : large intestine
The small intestine just behind the stomach receives ducts from the liver
and pancreas is called as duodenum while rest part is called ileum .
There is no clear cut demarcation between the small intestine and large
intestine .
The length of the intestine depends upon the feeding habit of the fish.
Rectum
•Histologically ,the mucosal folds of the rectum differ from
the intestine in being shorter and broader, possess a large
number of mucus secreting cells produce copious mucus
to lubricate waste food and aid in easy defecation
Two main digestive glands in Fish :
1 . Pancreas: pancreas is a diffuse gland, but is well developed around the
blood vessels between the lobes of the liver.
Pancreas has two digestive functions:
1.Source of exocrine secretion into the intestine.
2.Endocrine secretion of the hormones insulin and glucagon .
2.Liver:
• Liver is a bilobed gland usually yellowish brown in color.
• The liver in fish produces bile
which is stored in the gall bladder.
• Key storage of food energy
in the form of glycogen.
