Title: Chordates
 1 Chapter 12 Chordates What is a Chordate? 
 2Kingdom Animal Phylum (phyla) 
Crustaceans Arachnids Centipedes and 
Millipedes Insects 
 3Kingdom Animal Phylum (phyla) 
- All chordates have/had these 3 things during 
 their development
- ______________________ 
- ______________________ 
- ______________________
Vertebrate Chordates Invertebrate Chordates 
 4?Phylum Cordata (Chordates) ?Subgroups 
 Vertebrate Chordates Invertebrate 
Chordates  
 5?ALL Chordates have 3 common 
characteristics that can be found at some point 
in their development 1) notochord 2) 
nerve cord 3) gill slits  
 6Notochord -flexible rod that supports the 
animals back -for most, its temporary and 
is replaced by a backbone -MOST 
backbones are made of hard bone, called 
vertebrae (ex humans) -some backbones are made 
of cartilage, which is softer than bone and 
flexible (ex sharks)  
 7Nerve Cord -connection between the brain and 
 nerves that carry messages -develops into what 
we call our spinal cord  
 8Gill Slits -openings in throat of chordate 
 embryos used for breathing -in most 
chordates, gill slits disappear before birth 
 (ex humans) -in some, gill slits develop 
into gills (ex fish) -as adults, we have 
lungs  
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 11?Subgroup Invertebrate Chordates (ex 
lancelets  sea squirts)  
 12Characteristics of Chordates
- What Is a Vertebrate?
- This lancelet shows the characteristics of a 
 chordate a notochord, a nerve cord down its
 back, and gill slits.
13lancelet
INvertebrate Chordate 
 14sea squirt
INvertebrate Chordate 
 15sea squirt 
 16sea squirt 
 17?Subgroup Vertebrate Chordates (fish, 
amphibians, reptiles, birds  mammals) ?Groups 
of Vertebrate Chordates 1) coldblooded 
(ectotherm) -body temp. is regulated by 
outside conditions  
 18 -body temp. changes as environmental temp. 
changes -generally need to live in climates 
 that arent very frigid -not really cold 
blood (ex fish, amphibians, reptiles) 
 19 2) warm blooded (endotherm) -animal 
controls the internal heat it produces  
 20 -body temp. is stable (rarely much 
change), and typically warmer than the 
surrounding environment -because of stable 
temp., these animals can live in a wider 
 variety of environments (ex birds, mammals) 
 21 Chapter 12 Coldblooded Vertebrates Sections 1 
 Fish (jawless, cartilaginous  bony)  
 22?General Characteristics of Fish ?vertebrate 
chordates ?largest group of vertebrates -more 
species of fish than of amphibians, reptiles, 
birds and mammals combined 
 23 ?most are coldblooded (ectotherm) ?covered
 in scales (different types) ?thought to be 
first vertebrates (around for 500 million 
years) 
 241) Breathing ?use gills to remove oxygen from 
 the water ?gills contain 
MANY blood vessels which allows the oxygen 
 to go right into the blood and to 
 the rest of the body ?gills also get 
rid of carbon dioxide  
 25fish
2 Chambered Heart 
 262) Moving, Feeding  Sensing ?fins used to swim 
(large surface area to push against the 
water) ?most movements are related to 
feeding ?teeth adapted for type of food 
 27 ?well developed nervous system and sensory 
organs ?great senses of sight (better than 
 us) and smell ?no eyelids (no need) 
 28?3 Classes (groups) of Fish 1) Jawless 
Fish ?earliest vertebrates / least 
developed ?cartilage skeleton (flexible) 
 29 ?no scales, fins or jaws ?parasites ex 
hagfish and lampreys (only 2 types)  
 30Jawless Fish 
 31lamprey 
 32lamprey 
 33lamprey 
 34lamprey 
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 36hagfish 
 37hagfish 
 38Parasitic fish 
 39 2) Cartilaginous Fish ?cartilage skeleton 
 ?jaws (grasp and crush with great 
force) ?paired fins (for balance, swimming 
and steering) 
 40?pointed, tooth-like scales over body (feel 
like sandpaper) ?carnivores ?most not dangerous 
to humans ex sharks, rays and skates 
 41?sharks -streamlined body to move 
quickly (aerodynamic) -most cannot pump water 
over their gills, so they must swim or 
sit in currents 
 42 -rows of jagged teeth point backwards 
(prevent prey from 
escaping) -teeth quickly replaced, if lost 
 (another row slides into place) 
 -spend most time hunting  
 43 -see poorly but terrific sense of 
smell ex a shark can find a single drop 
 of blood in 115 L (approx. 58 
2L soda bottles) 
 44dorsal fins
gill slits
caudal fin
pectoral fins 
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 46?rays -most are predators -feed on or near 
ocean floor -flat bodies, broad fins they 
flap to glide 
 47manta ray 
 48sting ray 
 49flower ray 
 50 -eat mollusks and crustaceans -some have 
sharp spines with poison glands on tails for 
defense (ex stingray) 
 51?skates
So, how do you tell a RAY from a SKATE? Visit 
this site to learn all the details! http//www.ela
smo-research.org/education/shark_profiles/skate_or
_ray.htm  
 52skate
pointy 
 53mermaid's purse
Pouch to hold the eggs of a ray or skate 
 54mermaid's purse
Pouch to hold the eggs of a ray or skate 
 55Cartilaginous Fish 
 56gill slits
Since there is not bone in the gill slits of 
sharks, they cannot be opened and closed like 
those of bony fish. Therefore, they must 
constantly swim or position themselves in a 
current in order to get enough oxygen from the 
water.  
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 60Notice the darker dorsal side and lighter ventral 
side. This is for the purpose of camouflage. 
When looking up at the shark, the lighter belly 
blends in with the sunlight streaming through the 
water. When looking down from above, the water 
appears dark. Therefore, the dark dorsal side 
allows the shark to blend in. The same is true 
for most fish. 
 61whale shark
Largest fish (filter feeder) 
 62hammerhead shark
(will use the hammer to abuse its prey) 
 63great white shark 
 64great white shark 
 65great white shark 
 66nurse shark 
 67shark teeth (rows)
-Sharks often have up to 8 rows of teeth -Sharks 
are estimated to go through about 2,400 teeth in 
a lifetime 
 68tooth shape gives clues about the type of food 
eaten 
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 70male shark's claspers
Inserted into the female during mating 
 71mating sharks 
 72stingray
Poisonous stinger 
 73stingray 
 74stingray 
 75manta ray 
 76skate 
 77skate 
 783) Bony Fish ?95 of all fish 
species ?skeleton of hard bone ?scales cover 
body ?have fins with long, bony rays 
 79 ?gill pocket covered with a bony flap 
(operculum) that protects the gills and opens 
to release water  
 80operculum 
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 82 ?swim bladder -an air-filled structure that 
the fish regulates to determine buoyancy 
 -fills or loses air to rise or sink 
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 84swim bladder 
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 86Sharks DO NOT HAVE a swim bladder. So, how 
do they stay afloat? Their bodies have 
adapted (or compensated) by -having flattened 
fins -having lots of oil in their livers 
 (keeps them afloat) -being able to swim 
 almost 
constantly A resting shark will sink to the 
ocean bottom. 
 87?lateral line -canal (groove) along the side of 
 the body covered with sensory hairs (like in 
our ears) that respond to water pressure 
 changes and vibrations -helps sense movement 
and food 
 88lateral line
Tiny, sensitive holes are found on the lateral 
line 
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 90 ?digestive system  esophagus, stomach  
intestine ?reproduce sexually -female lays 
eggs and male sprays them with milt (contains 
 sperm)  
 91 -lay more eggs than most vertebrates because 
they are unprotected and vulnerable to 
predators ex trout, bass, perch, marlin, 
 seahorse, etc. 
 92Because fish eggs are fertilized outside of the 
females body, they are unprotected and very 
vulnerable to being eaten by other animals
thousands of fish eggs 
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 94What clues might these pictures give scientists?  
 95Interpretation of Fossils
- Fossils most often form in layers of sedimentary 
 rock.
Vertebrate History in Rocks 
 96Interpretation of Fossils
- The pattern of vertebrate evolution is branching. 
Vertebrate History in Rocks 
 97Bony Fishes
- Fishes
- A bony fish has jaws, scales, a pocket on each 
 side of the head that holds the gills, and a
 skeleton made of hard bones.
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 103Bony Fish 
 104salmon 
 105snakehead fish 
 106salmon 
 107fish lift 
 108catfish
brown trout 
 109perch 
 110Australian Lungfish 
 111lionfish 
 112seahorse 
 113flying gunard 
 114flounder 
 115lungfish 
 116coelacanth
Thought to be extinct for 80 million years, in 
the 1930s, the coelacanth was discovered living 
in the waters off of Africa. People there had 
been using the skin to patch bicycle tires! 
 117coelacanth 
 118fish eggs 
 119pufferfish 
 120heaviest fish
ocean sunfish 
 121fastest fish
sailfish 
 122clownfish
MIMICRY
4-eyed butterfly fish 
 123Sharks 
 124?There are 350 species of sharks. ?Most sharks 
live in saltwater. A few can live in 
freshwater. ?Shark bodies are built to cruise 
effortlessly. 
 125?More than ½ a sharks body weight is muscle. 
This makes them heavier than sea water. They 
must swim to avoid sinking. 
 126?The large, oil-rich liver of a shark helps with 
buoyancy because oil is more buoyant than water. 
It takes up more than 30 of a sharks weight.  
 127?Sharks can drown if they are not swimming and 
not in a direct current. ?Sharks have tooth-like 
scales.  
 128?Although sharks live in saltwater, they dont 
get dehydrated because their body fluids are 
saltier than the water. ?Sharks are keen for 
LIGHT colors because they resemble the pale 
bellies of fish (yellow, white, sliver). 
 129?Sharks have limited eyesight but an EXCELLENT 
sense of smell. ?Sharks first smell their 
food, then see it. ?The hammerhead shark beats 
up its prey with its head (ex rays). 
 130?Not all sharks have sharp teeth. Those that 
feed on mollusks have flat teeth for crushing. 
 ?Sharks really dont eat much. They dont need 
to because they are coldblooded and dont need to 
make energy to keep warm. They eat only about 10 
of their weight a week.  
 131?About 50-75 people are attacked by sharks each 
year. Less than 12 die. You have more of a risk 
of dying from lightning, a crocodile attack or 
dog attack. ?Some shark babies will eat the 
other babies in the womb, BEFORE birth.  
 132The larger species of sharks bear live young, 
while some of the smaller varieties lay eggs.