fish — fishless, adj. /fish/, n., pl. (esp. collectively) fish, (esp. referring to two or more kinds or species) fishes, v. n. 1. any of various cold blooded, aquatic vertebrates, having gills, commonly fins, and typically an elongated body covered with … Universalium
Fish — /fish/, n. Hamilton, 1808 93, U.S. statesman: secretary of state 1869 77. * * * I Any of more than 24,000 species of cold blooded vertebrates found worldwide in fresh and salt water. Living species range from the primitive lampreys and hagfishes… … Universalium
Fish — are aquatic vertebrate animals that are typically ectothermic (previously cold blooded), covered with scales, and equipped with two sets of paired fins and several unpaired fins. Fish are abundant in the sea and in fresh water, with species being … Wikipedia
skeleton — skeletonless, adj. skeletonlike, adj. /skel i tn/, n. 1. Anat., Zool. the bones of a human or an animal considered as a whole, together forming the framework of the body. 2. any of various structures forming a rigid framework in an invertebrate.… … Universalium
vertebrate — /verr teuh brit, brayt /, adj. 1. having vertebrae; having a backbone or spinal column. 2. belonging or pertaining to the Vertebrata (or Craniata), a subphylum of chordate animals, comprising those having a brain enclosed in a skull or cranium… … Universalium
reproductive behaviour — In animals, any activity directed toward perpetuation of a species. Sexual reproduction, the most common mode, occurs when a female s egg is fertilized by a male s sperm. The resulting unique combination of genes produces genetic variety that… … Universalium
South America — South American. a continent in the S part of the Western Hemisphere. 271,000,000; ab. 6,900,000 sq. mi. (17,871,000 sq. km). * * * Continent, Western Hemisphere. The world s fourth largest continent, it is bounded by the Caribbean Sea to the… … Universalium
Goby — For other uses, see Goby (disambiguation). Gobies Microgobius gulosus Scientific classification Kingdom … Wikipedia
dormancy — /dawr meuhn see/, n. the state of being dormant. [1780 90; DORM(ANT) + ANCY] * * * ▪ biology Introduction state of reduced metabolic activity adopted by many organisms under conditions of environmental stress or, often, as in winter, when… … Universalium
Ordovician Period — Interval of geologic time, 490–443 million years ago, the second oldest period of the Paleozoic Era. It follows the Cambrian and precedes the Silurian. During the Ordovician, many of the landmasses were aligned in the tropics. Life was dominated… … Universalium