External Anatomy of Fish
The External Anatomy of Fish:-
This diagram shows the external organs of a fish. It is useful to earn a little about the fish that you are after, and when I say this I don't just mean how they act, I mean how they are physically made. If you do this you will know what each part of the Carps body is for, this will help your angling.
Lateral Line
The lateral line has been pointed out in the diagram, do you know what this is for? The lateral line is a well defined line of scales along the sides of the body of most fish. The lateral line marks the position of a system of sensors in the skin that are used to detect movement and vibrations in the water, helping the fish avoid collisions with objects and with other fish when swimming in shoals.
The fins
The fins are the part of the body which enable the fish to move in the water.
Anal Fin
The anal fin is located on the belly of the fish and is primarily used for balance.
Caudal Fin
AKA the tail fin, this helps the fish to swim. The tail is moved in an s-like motion to provide the needed propulsion.
Dorsal Fin
The dorsal fin is located on the back of the fish and is used for balance, on some fish the dorsal fin will be made up of a collection of spines, these are for protection. No Carp contain these dorsal spines.
Pectoral and Pelvic Fins
The pectoral fins and the pelvic fins are the paired fins on each side of the fish, they are used for maneuvering through the water.
Other important parts of the body:
The Gills
The gills are located at the back of the head, they are used to extract oxygen from the water as the fish breaths. The gills have a rich supply of blood vessels into which oxygen is absorbed as the water passes over the gills. The deoxygenated water is then ejected through the back of the gills and out through the gill covers.