Fish 

Fish live and breathe in water. They have ​gills​ to breathe. They have ​fins​ and a streamlined body
suitable for swimming. And they have ​scales​ for protection. Fish are ​vertebrates ​- animals with a
backbone. Mammals (such as monkeys, horses,
cats), reptiles (such as lizards, snakes),
amphibians (such as frogs and toads), and
birds also have backbones, and they are all
vertebrates. To swim at different levels within
the water column, fish inflate and deflate their
swim bladder,​ a long and slender organ that
can fill with air and allows fish to move up and
down in the water. ​All fish are "cold-blooded," or ​ectotherms​. This means that they can't control their
body temperature internally. Their body temperature is similar to the temperature of their outside
environment.

There are over 25,000 different types of fish in the world. There are more fish than the combined total
of mammals, reptiles, amphibians, and birds! Fish can be found in almost every type of underwater
environment. For example, the Antarctic icefish can survive in water below the freezing point (32
degrees Fahrenheit). Their blood contains special anti-freeze chemicals to prevent their bodies from
freezing. Sharks, salmon, electric eels, and seahorses are other examples of fish.

Fish can be divided into three groups: jawless fish, cartilaginous (pronounced "KAR-ti-LAJ-i-nus") fish,
and bony fish. Both cartilaginous and bony fish have jaws.

Scientists group fish into three main types. They are divided into these groups because of the structure
of their mouths and the types of skeletons they have. There are jawless fishes, cartilaginous (cart uhl AJ
uh nuhs) fishes, and bony fishes.

The jawless fishes were the earliest vertebrates. Today there are only about sixty species still living.
These fish have no scales. Their skeletons are made of cartilage, a firm, flexible material like the end of
your nose. They also do not have pairs of fins like most fish. But the most remarkable thing about these
fish is that they do not have jaws! Instead, the mouths of these fishes have structures for scraping,
stabbing, and sucking. Hagfishes and lampreys are the only living kinds of jawless fishes. Hagfishes look
like big slimy worms! They crawl into the bodies of dead or dying fish and use their sandpapery tongue
to scrape the tissues.