Scientific Name of Fish

Scientific Name of Fish: The Scientific Name of Fish is the subphylum Vertebrata. Some examples are Salmo salar (Atlantic Salmon) and Carassius auratus (Common Goldfish). “Vertebrata” (Subphylum) follows the binomial nomenclature, consisting of a Genus name and a Species name. Fishes are classified under several orders with various species like Perciformes-14 species, Cypriniformes-27 species, Siluriformes-13 species, and many others.

All the fishes belong to Phylum Chordata. Since it is multicellular and heterotrophic in nature they are all a part of the animal kingdom. All of them are found in an aquatic habitat. In this article, you will learn about the Scientific name of fish along with the classification and taxonomy of fish, its characteristics, and habitat.

What is the Scientific Name of Fish?

“Vertebrata” is the scientific Subphylum of fish and contains various families. There are about 34 thousand species that can be found worldwide and they live in water. Most fishes aren’t able to regulate their own temperature and hence are cold-blooded. Opah ( Lampris guttatus) is an exception. as it’s a warm-blooded species. These living organisms have gills and are found in aquatic surroundings for their survival and reproduction. They’re generally craniates and don’t possess limbs with digits. Maximum fishes are known to have taste buds all over their body. However, Sharks are the only breed of fish that have eyelids. Land invertebrates, in multiple cases, are just extensively modified fish.

Here are some of the fish families with their members:

The Salmonidae family consists of Salmon, Trout, and chars. The scientific names are:

• Atlantic Salmon: Salmo salar
• Rainbow Trout: Oncorhynchus mykiss
• Arctic Char: Salvelinus alpinus

Clownfish belongs to the Pomacentridae family. The scientific names are:

• Ocellaris clownfish: Amphiprion ocellaris

Gadidae belongs to the Codfish family. The scientific names are:

• Atlantic Cod: Gadus morhua
• Pacific Cod: Gadus macrocephalus

The Percidae family consists of Perches and Darters. The scientific names are:

• Yellow Perch: Perca flavescens
• Logperch: Percina cap rodes

Classification and Taxonomy of Fish

Fish, a member of the Animalia Kingdom is classified into “Phylum Chordata” and “Vertebrata Subphylum”.Fishes pose notochord, a tubular nerve chord, paired gills, segmentation of the body parts, post-anal tail, ventral heart, and an endoskeleton to be the member of the Chordata. To be a vertebrate, it poses a backbone. This backbone supports and protects the spinal cord.

The scientific study of identifying, naming, and classifying groupings of biological creatures according to characteristics they have in common in biology. It requires naming and classifying every plant, animal, and bacterium on the planet. So, here is some of the taxonomy of fish:

Kingdom	Animalia
Phylum	Chordate
Subphylum	Vertebrate
Class	Chondritis
Superclass	Nathostomata

Characteristicsof Fish

Following are few of the characteristics of Fish :

1. All fish are oviparous, as they lay eggs.
2. Most of them are cold-blooded.
3. They possess a backbone.
4. Fishes breathe through their gills.
5. They are covered with overlapping scales.
6. They have fins and tails which help them steer their way through water.
7. Some of the fishes have a swim bladder that helps to move up and down in the water.
8. Fish carry out a variety of activities, such as migrating, hunting, and territoriality.

Habitat of Fish

Each and every fish has their own lifestyle. Some species are only found in saltwater and live in oceans and seas, while others are adapted to semi-salted or fresh waters. The pH level maintenance is necessary for fish in water to survive because it can be harmful and can affect their health which can be influenced by water’s acidity and alkalinity. Fishkeepers keep track of their health by taking care of several things like quality of water, temperature, etc.

pH levels of water for the survival of Fish:

1. In Freshwater, the ph level of water must be close to 7 and some of the species that live in this water are goldfish, tetras, etc.
2. In Acidic water, pH level water must be between 6 to 7, and some of the species that live in this water are Angelfish, Discus Fish, Betta fish, and many others.
3. In marine water ph level of water must be above 7.5 and some of the species that live in this water are electric Yellow Cichlid, Frontosa Cichlid, and many other Cichlid species are included.

FAQs on Scientific Name of Fish

1. Why do fish have Scientific names?

Fish have scientific names in order to prevent confusion created by variable common names by providing an accurate and widely accepted method of identifying and classifying species.

2. What is the Scientific Name of fish?

“Normal fish” is a very general word without an accurate scientific name. Depending on the species, fish have several scientific names. “Carassius auratus” is the scientific name for common goldfish, whereas “Salmo salar” is the scientific name for Atlantic salmon. Every species of fish has a distinct scientific name.

3. Which fish is known as Fossil fish?

Fossil fish is the most renowned fish in the world, that has been preserved as a fossil in the rocks of the Earth. These ancient fish, including other primitive jawed fish from the” Era of Fishes,” are significant due to their status and importance in the history of vertebrate evolution.

4. What is the specialty of Fish?

The Speciality of fish are:

• They can smell things in water.
• They are cold-blooded
• Some of the species of fish have teeth .

5. What is the Importance of Scientific Names of Fish?

The “Vertebrata” is the scientific Subphylum of fish and belongs to various families.Their scientific names are based on their genus and species that identify the importance of scientific names of Fish by using binomial nomenclature terms.