Vertebrates

They have a vertebral column made up of a multitude of short bones, articulated and arranged in a linear sequence.

This column serves to hold up the body, establishes the basis of the skeleton, provides a sheath for the spinal chord, and terminates at the anterior end with a bony container which contains the brain.

FIFTH stage of Organic Structure

Nerves ending at a spinal column and at a brain which does not fill the skull cavity. The heart has one ventricle and cold blood.

[The Fish and the Reptiles]

The Fish

(Class Eleven of the Animal Kingdom)

Oviparous animals, vertebrate and with cold blood; living in water, breathing by gills; covered with a skin, either scaly or almost bare and viscous, and having for movement only membranous fins, held up by a bony or cartilaginous framework.

Observations

The organic structure of fish is much more perfected than that of mollusks and of the animals of the preceding classes, since they are the first animals which have a vertebral column, the outline of a skeleton, a spinal chord, and a skull enclosing the brain. They are also the first in which the muscular system derives its points of attachment from interior parts.

However, their respiratory organs are still analogous to that in the mollusks, cirripeds, annelids, and crustaceans. And like all the animals of the preceding classes, they still lack a voice and have no lids on the eyes.

The form of their body is appropriate for their need to swim, but they keep the paired symmetrical shape of their parts (which began in the insects); finally, with them, as well as with the animals of the three following classes, the style of articulation is only on the inside and only occurs in the parts of their skeleton.

Note. For the creation of the table of vertebrates, I used the work of Dumeril, entitled Analytical Zoology, and I permitted myself only a few changes in the arrangements of items.

Table of Fish

Order One: Cartilaginous Fish

Soft vertebral column, like cartilage; no true ribs in many of them.

(1) No opercule and no membrane over the gills

Trematopneans

Respiration by round holes

1. Cyclostomes

Gasterobranchus (hagfish, myxine) Lamprey

2. Plagiostomes

Torpedo Skate Rhinobatus

Squatina Squalus Aodon

(2) No opercule over the gills, but a membrane

Chismopneans

Openings of the gills by slits on the sides of the neck; four paired fins

3. . . . . . . . . . . .

Batrachus Lophius

Balistes Chimaera

(3) An operculum above the gills but no membrane

Eleutheropomes

Four paired fins; mouth under the muzzle

4. . . . . . . . . . . .

Polyodon Pegasus Accipenser (Sturgeon)

(4) An operculum and a membrane over the gills

Teleobranches

complete gills, having an operculum and a membrane

5. Aphyostomes

Macrorhyncus Solenostoma Centriscus (snipe fish)

6. Pteroptera

Cyclopterus (lump sucker) Lepadogaster

7. Osteoderms

Ostracion Tetraodon Ovoidea

Didon Spheroidon Syngnathus

Order Two: Bony Fish

Vertebral column with inflexible bony vertebrae

(1) An operculum and an membrane over the gills

Holobranchs

Apode Holobranchs

No paired lower fins

8. Peropterous holobranchs

Coecilia Monoopterus Leptocephalus Gymnotus Trichurus

Notopterus Ophisurus Apteronotus Regalecus

9. Pantopterous holobranchs

Muraena Ammodytes Ophidium Macrognathus Xiphias

Anarrhichas Comephorus Stromataeus Rhombus

Jugular Holobranchs

paired lower fins situated under the throat, anterior to the thoracic fins

10. Auchenopterous Holobranchs

Murenoid Calliomorus Uranscopus Weaver Cod

Batrachoides Blenny Oligopod Kurtus Chrysostrome

Thoracic Holobranchs

paired lower fins situated under the pectorals

11. Petalosome Holobranchs

Lepidopus Cepola Taenoid

Bostrichthys Bostrichoid Gymnetrus

12 Plecopod Holobranchs

Gobius Gobioid

13. Eleutheropod Holobranchs

Gobiomore Gobiomoroid Echeneis

14. Atractosome Holobranchs

Scomber Scomberoid Caranx Trachinote Caranxomorus Caesio Caesiomorus

Scomberomorus Gasterosteus Centropodus Centronotus Lepisacanthus Istiophore Pomatome

15 Leipome Holobranchs

Histula Coris Gomphosus Osphronemus Trichopod Monodactyl Plectorhincus Paogonias Labrus

Chilinus Cheilodipteron Ophicephalus Hologymnosa Sparus Dipterodon Cheilio Mullet

16. Osteostome Holobranchs

Scarus Ostorhincus Leignathus

17. Lophionotous Holobranchs

Coryphaena Emipteronota Coryphaenoid

Taenionotus Centrolophus Eques

18. Cephalotous Holobranchs

Gobiesox Aspidophora Aspidophoroides

Cottus Scorpaena

19. Dactylous Holobranchs

Dactylopterus Prionotus

Trigla Peristedion

20. Heterosome Holobranchs

Pleuronectes Achirus

21. Acanthopome Holobranchs

Lutjanus Centropomus Bodianus Taenianotus

Sciaena Micropterus Holocentrum Perca

22. Leptosome Holobranchs

Chetodon Acanthinion Chetodipteron Pomacentrus Pomadasis Pomacanthus Holacanthus Enoplosus Glyphisodon

Acanthurus Aspisurus Acanthopod Selene Argyriosus Zeus Galeoides Chrysostose Capros

Abdominal Holobrachs

Paired lower fins placed a little in front of the anus

23. Siphonostome Holobranchs

Fistularia Aulostoma Solenostoma

24 Cylindrosome Holobranchs

Cobitis Misgurnus Anableps Fondulus Columbrine

Amia Butirinus Tripteronotus Ompolk

25. Oplophore Holobranchs

Silurus Macropteronotus Malapterurus Pimelodus Doras Pogonathus Cataphractus Plotosus

Agenicsus Macrorhamphosus Centranodon Loricaria Hypostome Corydoras Tachysurus

26. Dimerid Holobranchs

Cirrhites Cheilodactylus

Polynemus Polydactylus

27. Lepidome Holobranchs

Mugil Mugiloid

Chanos Mugilomorus

28. Gymnopome Holobranch

Argentina Atherina Hydrargyrus Stolenphorus Buro Clupea Mystus

Clupanodon Gasteropleucus Mene Dorsuaria Xystera Cyprinus

29. Dermopterous Holobranchs

Salmo Osmeris Corregonus

Sharacinus Serrasalmo

30. Siagonote Holobranchs

Elops Megalops Esox Synodon

Sphyraena Lepisosteus Polypterus Scombresox