Perch Dissection
Very smelly, and very disgusting as well, but INFORMATIVE
Objectives
- Label organs of a perch
- List Background information
- Understand their taxonomy, evolution, ecology, and body systems
- Add some interesting facts
http://bioweb.uwlax.edu/bio203/2010/dorff_kell/yellow_perch_giant.jpg
Background
- Taxonomy
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Superclass: Osteichthyes
- Evolution
Scales that protect the perch from environment, fins that help swim, gills to breath underwater, and mucous helps escape predators fast.
- Ecology
Perches best suited in clear water with moderate vegetation and lots of sand, mud or gravel bottoms. Predators include larger fish, such as Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Black Crappie, or Channel Catfish. Preys can be phytoplankton, zooplankton and as well as insects that swim within the water. Perch are mostly in the third trophic level. The ecological niche of perches are mostly in freshwater lakes. Perches shares a commensalism symbiotic relationship with water buffalos, perches with eat the ticks off of the water buffalos.
Perch Cladogram
http://bioscholars2.wikispaces.com/Classification
Population
http://mrsgsbiologyclass.edublogs.org/files/2012/10/Capture-24442tp.png
Body Systems
http://www.savalli.us/BIO370/Anatomy/AnatomyImages/PerchDissectionLabel.jpg
Organ Function (Internal)
Stomach- 3 finger shaped diverticula, opens ventrally into the intestine
Aorta- supply all arteries with oxygenated blood
Dorsal Gills- used for oxygen exchanged
Operculum- covers and protects the gills, regulate flow of water
Eye- vision
Mandible- to grasp and obtain food
Bulbus Arteriosus- maintain blood flow into the gill arches
Heart- pumps blood
Liver- excretes digestive enzymes
Pyloric Caecum- a pouch connecting the large intestine between the ileum and the colon
Pancreas- consist of exocrine
Swim Bladder- fills with oxygen, sac that maintains fish pressure level
Intestines- absorption of nutrients
Gonad- male testes, produces sperm, female ovary, produces ova
Urinary Bladder- contains urine, waste
http://bentonzoology.wikispaces.com/file/view/Screen_shot_2011-03-21_at_11.27.35_PM.png/212673478/467x298/Screen_shot_2011-03-21_at_11.27.35_PM.png
External Parts of a Perch
Nares- nose, give passage to the air breathed and to secretion
Pectoral Fins- yawning, rolling
Pelvic Fins- balance
Scales- protection
Vent- take out waste
Dorsal Fin- Maneuver
Caudal- Propulsion
Peduncle- connects the Caudal
Lateral Line- alert fish from predators
Anal Fin- stabilization
Mouth- takes in food
Human Impacts
Freshwater, is the best water to have. Dumping trash in fresh water will decrease perch population with polluted water.
http://www.allskull.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/waterpollution.jpg
GOING BEYOND GET MORE FACTS
- There are 6000 species of perches and 150 families.
- Perches grows an average size of 10-20 inches.
- There are yellow, golden, silver, and white perches.
Their lifestyle is known as semi-anadromous. They can be seen migrating to tidal water and during winter seasons, they usually drift in downstream portions of rivers.