One of the most intriguing classes of animals is fish, which counts over 25,000 different types and subtypes of the species. This group of animals consists of a wide range that is diverse enough to include both large fish like sharks to much smaller types like the average gold fish. If you’ve ever wondered about the abundant group of life that lives in the sea, then this article is for you. Here are the most fascinating facts about fish!
- The world smallest fish is actually the goby, which lives near the Philippines.
- The great white shark is the largest fish at about 50 feet, length-wise.
- The most common pet fish are any of the tropical varieties.
- Unfortunately most people don’t know that much about the adequate care of delicate tropical fish, which results in over 90% of their deaths.
- Most fish are subtyped in three different groups: cartilaginous, jawless, and bony fish. All of which were given obvious names. Jawless fish don’t have jaws or scales; the cartilaginous types have bones made of cartilage, and the bony fish have bony skeletons.
- Every fish breathes in its habitat of water. The fish’s gills (located on either side) enable the fish the breathe in the water.
- Flat fish have both eyes located on one side of their body. Flounders have their eyes on the right, and turbots have eyes on their left side.
- While most fish don’t usually sleep, they do have rest periods where they go off to the side to relax. And most types of fish don’t have eyelids, so they cannot close their eyes.
- A group of fish is called a school.
- Fish have been around for a long time, over 450 million years.
- Fish are in tune with their senses (sight, touch, smell, etc.), and, yes, they can feel pain.
