Fish (plural: fish or fishes) are vertebrates which live in water and respire (get oxygen) with

gills. They lack limbs with digits (fingers & toes). This is a definition which does not quite work:
some amphibia also live in water and have external gills, but they are not fishes.
Fish used to be a class of vertebrates. Now the term covers five classes of aquatic vertebrates:
Jawless fish
Armoured fish
Cartilaginous fish
Ray-finned fish
Lobe-finned fish
There are more fish than tetrapods (land vertebrates): there are over 33,000 described species of
fish.[4] Fish are usually covered with scales. They have two sets of paired fins and several
unpaired fins. Most fish are cold-blooded (poikilotherm). A fish takes in the oxygen from the
water using gills. There are many different kinds of fish. They live in fresh water in lakes and
rivers, and in salt water in the ocean. Some fish are less than one centimeter long. The largest
fish is the whale shark, which can be almost 15 meters long and weigh 15 tons. Most fish live in
the water. A group of fish called the lungfish have developed lungs because they live in rivers
and pools which dry up in certain parts of the year. They burrow into mud and aestivate until the
water returns.
'Fish' is a paraphyletic term in cladistics because it lacks a monophyletic group of descendants. It
does not include the land vertebrates or tetrapods, which descended from fish.
Though often used interchangeably, these words have different meanings. Fish is
used either as singular noun or to describe a group of specimens from a single
species. Fishes describes a group of different species

Most kinds of fish have bones. Some kinds of fish, such as sharks and rays, do not have real
bones (their skeletons are made of cartilage) they are known as cartilaginous fish.

Fish scales
All fish are covered with overlapping scales, and each major group of fish has its own special
type of scale. Teleosts ('modern' fish) have what are called leptoid scales. These grow in
concentric circles and overlap in a head to tail direction like roof tiles. Sharks and other
chondrichthyes have placoid scales made of denticles, like small versions of their teeth. These
also overlap in a head to tail direction, producing a tough outer layer. Shark skin is available for
purchase as shagreen, a leather which as original is smooth in one direction, and rough in the
other direction. It may be polished for use, but is always rough in texture and resistant to
slipping.
The scales are usually covered with a layer of slime which improves passage through the water,
and makes the fish more slippery to a predator.

Swimming
Fish swim by exerting force against the surrounding water. There are exceptions, but this is
usually done by the fish contracting muscles on either side of its body in order to generate waves
of flexion that travel the length of the body from nose to tail, generally getting larger as they go
along. Most fishes generate thrust using lateral movements of their body & tail fin (caudal fin).
However, there are also species which move mainly using their median and paired fins. The
latter group profits from the gained manoeuvrability that is needed when living in coral reefs for
example. But they can not swim as fast as fish using their bodies & caudal fins.[9]

Muscle
Fish can swim slowly for many hours using red muscle fibres. They also make short, fast bursts
using white muscle. The two types of muscle have a fundamentally different physiology. The red
fibres are usually alongside a much greater number of white fibres.
The white fibres get their energy by converting the carbohydrate glycogen to lactate (lactic acid).
This is anaerobic metabolism, that is, it does not need oxygen. They are used for fast, short
bursts. Once the lactic acid builds up in the muscles, they stop working, and it takes time for the
lactate to be removed, and the glycogen replaced.[10] Using their white fibres, fish can reach
speeds of 10 lengths per second for short bursts.[10]
Swimming for long periods needs oxygen for the red fibres. The oxygen supply has to be
constant because these fibres only operate aerobically. They are red because they have a rich
blood supply, and they contain myoglobin. Myoglobin transports the oxygen to the oxidising
systems. Red muscle gets its energy by oxidising fat, which weight for weight has twice as much
energy as carbohydrate or protein.[10] Using their red fibres, fish can keep up a speed of 35
lengths per second for long periods.[10]

Swimming in groups
Main page: Shoaling and schooling
Many fish swim in groups. Schools of fish can swim together for long distances, and may be
chased by predators which also swim in schools. Casual groups are called 'shoals'.

Body shape
The shape of the body of a fish is important to its swimming. This is because streamlined body
shapes makes the water drag less. Here are some common fish shapes.

Streamlining

The rocket-shape of this shark makes it an efficient swimmer. It is fast over short distances.
The picture on the right shows a shark. This shark's shape is called fusiform, and it is an ovoid
shape where both ends of the fish are pointy. This is the best shape for going through water
quickly.[11][12] Fishes with fusiform shapes can chase prey and escape predators quickly. Many
live in the open ocean and swim constantly, like marlins, swordfish, and tuna. Ichthyosaurs,
porpoises, dolphins, killer whales all have similar shapes. This is an example of convergent
evolution.

Eel-like
The long, ribbon-like shape of an eel's body shows another shape. This enables them to hide in
cracks, springing out quickly to capture prey, then returning quickly to their hiding spot.

Flatfish

An adult flounder has both eyes on the upper side of its body.
Flatfish live on the bottom of the ocean or lake. Most use camouflage: they change colors to
match the ocean floor.

Compressed

Fish with compressed shapes have flat, vertical bodies, with one eye on each side. They swim
upright and can be very thin. They usually live in reefs where their flat bodies can slip in and out
among the corals, sponges, and rocks, keeping hidden from predators. Angelfish, surgeonfish,
and butterflyfish are all compressed fish.

Fish as food
People eat many kinds of fish. The fish that people eat most include carp, cod, herring, perch,
sardines, sturgeon, tilapia, trout, tuna, and many others. A person who buys and sells fish for
eating is called a fishmonger.
The word to fish is also used for the activity of catching fish. People catch fish with small nets
from the side of the water or from small boats, or with big nets from big boats. People can also
catch fish with fishing poles and fishhooks with bait. This is often called angling. Anglers also
different types of fishing lures.
For more details, see Fishing

Fish as pets
Some people kee
p fish as pets. Goldfish and Siamese Fighting Fish are popular types of pet fish. Koi and other
ornamental fish are often kept by groups of people in public ponds for their beauty and calming
nature.