Why do we use the perch for dissection?

The fish has an air bladder in its body to help it stay afloat. The amount of gas in the bladder is adjusted by gas exchange across the capillaries in the air bladder wall. In this lab, you will dissect a fish in order to observe the external and internal structures of fish anatomy.

How many gill arches does a perch have on each side?

Use a scissors to cut away one operculum to view the gills. There should be two pairs of gills on each side of the perch (4 total gills). Find the gill slits or spaces between the gills.

What’s the procedure for dissecting a perch?

Procedure Part A: Observing the Fish’s External Anatomy 1. Ensure each group member is wearing an apron and goggles properly. 2. Obtain one pair of vinyl gloves per group member. 3. Place the fish in the dissecting pan. 4. Immediately wash the perch in the sink to remove as much preservative fluid as possible. 5.

What do the sides of a yellow perch look like?

The sides of the yellow perch are golden yellow to brassy green with six to eight dark vertical saddles and a white to yellow belly. Along the side of the fish is the lateral line. Click HERE to learn more about the lateral line and its functions. Yellow perch have many small teeth, but no large canines.

How to observe the external anatomy of a perch?

Part A: Observing the Fish’s External Anatomy 1. Ensure each group member is wearing an apron and goggles properly. 2. Obtain one pair of vinyl gloves per group member. 3. Place the fish in the dissecting pan. 4. Immediately wash the perch in the sink to remove as much preservative fluid as possible. 5.

What do you need to know about dissecting fish?

Fish literally have holes in the side of their heads! Start by finding the anus (the only opening on the underside), and cutting a line not too deep all the way up to the gills. Open it up a bit, and then cut a lateral line up the side of the fish so you can open it up to see the way the guts are inside while they’re in place.