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Body Shape and Head

Your fish's body shape and head features can give you some clues to its habit and survival techniques. Fish with flattened backs and upturned mouths are often surface dwellers that feed on insects in the wild. Fish with tall, laterally flattened bodies, like angelfish, are adapted to living in slow-moving waters while torpedo-shaped fish are adapted to rushing waters. Bottom-dwellers have flattened bellies and mouths that are adapted to scavenging along the substrate.

Fins

Fins are used to propel your fish gracefully through the water but they're also used for stability, nest building, spawning and as tactile organs. The caudal, or tail, fin is used to propel the fish. Fish with forked caudal fins are fast swimmers. Fish with rounded caudal fins are often predators capable of quick action. Large, showy caudal fins are used to attract mates. Anal, ventral and paired pectoral fins offer stabilization. Paired pectoral fins are also used maneuvering. Single dorsal fins provide balance.

Body

Scales provide most fish with protection. Coloring can provide camouflage, attract mates and repel predators. Coloring can be an important clue to your pet's health, as healthy fish tend to be vibrant. Gills allow fish to absorb oxygen from the water and give off carbon dioxide. The lateral line comprises a series of fluid ducts that detect vibrations in the water, helping fish detect predators, find food and navigate. The swim bladder fills with air to keep the fish in a neutral state of buoyancy so that it neither sinks nor floats.