Basic Information:
The Stenotomus chrysops, commonly known as Scup, are a heavily fished saltwater species. Despite their lean and flakey bone-filled flesh, the scup has been a part of the North American east coast diet since colonial times. In fact, the population of the scup was fished to the edge in the 1990s- but fully recovered its numbers 30-fold by 2009 thanks to seasonal restrictions. Like all other life forms on the planet, the scup is more than a fresh catch at the local fish market. It is a diverse lifeform. As seen in figure 1, The scup has typical features of an aquatic animal: fins, eyes, mouth, and gills to contract oxygen from the water. This species of fish has four distinct fins: dorsal fin, pectoral fin, pelvic fin, and …show more content…
Food then passes through the pharynx and into the esophagus where it begins to break down. The esophagus in bony fish are short and expandable expand to allow the specimen to swallow large objects. The esophagus walls are lined with muscle. The food is further broken down by gastric acids and enzymes in the stomach. Many bony fish, including the scup, possess small sacs called pyloric caeca. These sacs are an adaptation that increase gut area in order to further digest food. The pancreas releases enzymes into the intestine for digestion- most food and nutrients absorption occurs in the intestine. The length of the intestine in a bony fish varies: plant-eating bony fish have long, coiled intestines, while carnivorous bony fish- such as the scup, have shorter intestines. The digestive system ends when unwanted waste is disposed in the anus. Figure 15 above helps demonstrate and show the many parts of the digestive system. As with many aquatic animals, fish release nitrogenous waste as ammonia. Ammonia is a compound of nitrogen and hydrogen with the formula NH3. Blood wastes are filtered by the fish's kidneys. The kidneys play an even bigger role as they help return water to the body. This adaptation of the liver occurred because saltwater fish tend to lose water because of
The Stenotomus chrysops, commonly known as Scup, are a heavily fished saltwater species. Despite their lean and flakey bone-filled flesh, the scup has been a part of the North American east coast diet since colonial times. In fact, the population of the scup was fished to the edge in the 1990s- but fully recovered its numbers 30-fold by 2009 thanks to seasonal restrictions. Like all other life forms on the planet, the scup is more than a fresh catch at the local fish market. It is a diverse lifeform. As seen in figure 1, The scup has typical features of an aquatic animal: fins, eyes, mouth, and gills to contract oxygen from the water. This species of fish has four distinct fins: dorsal fin, pectoral fin, pelvic fin, and …show more content…
Food then passes through the pharynx and into the esophagus where it begins to break down. The esophagus in bony fish are short and expandable expand to allow the specimen to swallow large objects. The esophagus walls are lined with muscle. The food is further broken down by gastric acids and enzymes in the stomach. Many bony fish, including the scup, possess small sacs called pyloric caeca. These sacs are an adaptation that increase gut area in order to further digest food. The pancreas releases enzymes into the intestine for digestion- most food and nutrients absorption occurs in the intestine. The length of the intestine in a bony fish varies: plant-eating bony fish have long, coiled intestines, while carnivorous bony fish- such as the scup, have shorter intestines. The digestive system ends when unwanted waste is disposed in the anus. Figure 15 above helps demonstrate and show the many parts of the digestive system. As with many aquatic animals, fish release nitrogenous waste as ammonia. Ammonia is a compound of nitrogen and hydrogen with the formula NH3. Blood wastes are filtered by the fish's kidneys. The kidneys play an even bigger role as they help return water to the body. This adaptation of the liver occurred because saltwater fish tend to lose water because of