Table of Contents
What is the function of the nostrils of a fish?
A fish’s nose is made up of two openings (nostrils) on the head. The sense of smell is very important to a fish, because it helps them find their food and warns them of danger.
What is the structure and function of a fish?
Fish are aquatic, ectothermic vertebrates. Many structures in fish are adaptations for their aquatic lifestyle. For example, fish have a stream-lined body that reduces water resistance while swimming. Fish have gills for “breathing” oxygen in water and fins for propelling and steering their body through water.

What is the structure of a fish?
Fish are cold-blooded creatures having a backbone, gills, and fins. The head, trunk, and tail make up a normal fish’s body. Two eyes, each with a well-developed nictitating membrane, two internal ears, two nostrils closed internally (except in lungfishes), and a mouth are found on the head.
Why nostril is important for both bony fish and cartilaginous fish?
Nostrils. The nostrils of fish do not open into the back of the mouth as do those of mammals, and are not, therefore, for breathing. They lead into organs of smell which are as a rule, very sensitive, so that a fish can detect the presence of food in the water at considerable distances.

Do all fish have nostrils?
Do Fish Have Nostrils? Not all fish have an olfactory pit (a.k.a nostrils, olfactory rosette [O.R.] and connective channels). Puffer fish and their relatives in the Tetraodontidae have lost theirs completely and so have no sense of smell. Hagfish and Lampreys have only a single central nostril and O.R.
Where do fish nostrils lead?
Those little holes that look like nostrils are called nares. Nares don’t lead to the throat the way nostrils do in mammals, but open up into a chamber lined with sensory pads.
What do fish use to breathe?
Fish take water into their mouth, passing the gills just behind its head on each side. Dissolved oxygen is absorbed from—and carbon dioxide released to—the water, which is then dispelled. The gills are fairly large, with thousands of small blood vessels, which maximizes the amount of oxygen extracted.
What are the 7 physical structure of fish?
The major internal organs common to most fish species. (1) Liver, (2) stomach, (3) intestine, (4) heart, (5) swim bladder, (6) kidney, (7) testicle, (8) ureter, (9) efferent duct, (10) urinary bladder, and (11) gills.
What are the breathing organ of fish?
gills
Fish breathe with their gills, and they need a constant supply of oxygen. Gills sit under the operculum. This is called the gill slit. Many fish have four pairs of gills, while sharks may have up to seven.
What is the difference between bony fish and cartilaginous fish?
Cartilaginous fishes have skeletons composed mostly of cartilage while bony fish have a skeleton composed mostly of bone. Furthermore, these two types of fish fall under different taxonomic groups – Cartilaginous fish are grouped under the class Chondrichthyes and all bony fish fall under the superclass Osteichthyes.
What is nostril area?
They are lined with mucous membranes. Nerve cells: These cells communicate with your brain to provide a sense of smell. Nostrils (nares): These are the openings to the nasal cavities that are on the face. Septum: The septum is made of bone and firm cartilage.
What advantage does having their nostrils located on the sides of their head give a fish?
Fish use their noses for smelling rather than breathing. With its nostrils, usually two openings on either side of the snout, a fish can smell food from great distances.
What is the function of gills?
Fish gills are organs that allow fish to breathe underwater. Most fish exchange gases like oxygen and carbon dioxide using gills that are protected under gill covers (operculum) on both sides of the pharynx (throat). Gills are tissues that are like short threads, protein structures called filaments.
What is the function of gill rakers?
(in fish) one of a series of stiff projections along the inner margins of the branchial arches that prevent food particles from passing through the branchial clefts.
What is another name for bony fish?
Osteichthyes
Osteichthyes (/ˌɒstiːˈɪkθi. iːz/), popularly referred to as the bony fish, is a diverse taxonomic group of fish that have skeletons primarily composed of bone tissue. They can be contrasted with the Chondrichthyes, which have skeletons primarily composed of cartilage.
What is the structure and function of the nose?
nose, the prominent structure between the eyes that serves as the entrance to the respiratory tract and contains the olfactory organ. It provides air for respiration, serves the sense of smell, conditions the air by filtering, warming, and moistening it, and cleans itself of foreign debris extracted from inhalations.