Student worksheet: Bony fish anatomy - Whiting species ... - Free Printable

Let’s go step by step to label the fish anatomy diagram correctly.

We are looking at a bony fish (specifically, a whiting species), and we need to fill in the blank labels on the diagram using standard fish anatomy terms.

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Step 1: Look at the unlabeled lines pointing to parts of the fish.

There are several lines with no text — these are the ones we need to identify.

From left to right, top to bottom:

- One line points to the gill area → This is likely the Gill cover (operculum) or just Gills, but since “Gill” isn’t listed elsewhere, and there’s already a structure labeled near the head, let’s check context.

Actually, looking again — one line points to the fin behind the gills → that’s the Pectoral fin.

Another line points to the fin on the belly, toward the back → that’s the Pelvic fin.

Wait — actually, let’s list all unlabeled pointers systematically.

Looking at the diagram:

There are 7 unlabeled lines (excluding those already labeled like Brain, Nostril, etc.).

Let’s number them for clarity (imagining from left to right, top to bottom):

1. Points to the fin just behind the gill slit → Pectoral fin
2. Points to the fin on the underside, closer to the head → Pelvic fin
3. Points to the large organ in the middle of the body cavity → This is likely the Swim bladder (helps fish float)
4. Points to the organ below the swim bladder, long and coiled → Already labeled as Intestine? Wait — no, “Intestine” is already labeled lower down. So this might be the Stomach or Liver? But in fish diagrams, often the large central organ is the Swim bladder, and below it may be the Stomach or Liver.

Wait — let’s use standard whiting/fish anatomy.

In most bony fish dissection diagrams:

- The large sac-like organ above the intestine = Swim bladder
- The organ below it, sometimes darker or more solid = Liver or Stomach
- But here, “Intestine” is already labeled, so the organ above it is likely the Stomach or Swim bladder

Actually, looking at common worksheets for whiting:

The unlabeled organs are typically:

- Swim bladder (dorsal, air-filled sac)
- Stomach (below swim bladder, leads to intestine)
- Liver (often yellowish, attached to stomach)

But in this diagram, only one major organ is unlabeled in the center — and it’s shaded gray. Let’s see what’s missing.

Also, fins:

- There’s a fin on the back before the tail → Dorsal fin (but part of it is already shown with spines — wait, the first dorsal fin has spines, second is soft-rayed — but both are under “Muscle”? No.)

Wait — look at the labels already present:

“Muscle” is pointing to the flesh along the side.

Then there’s a line pointing to the tail fin → that’s the Caudal fin

Another line points to the fin on the bottom rear → Anal fin

And another points to the fin on the bottom front → Pelvic fin

And one points to the fin on the side, behind gills → Pectoral fin

So let’s assign:

Unlabeled lines (from diagram observation):

A. Points to pectoral fin → label: Pectoral fin

B. Points to pelvic fin → label: Pelvic fin

C. Points to anal fin → label: Anal fin

D. Points to caudal fin → label: Caudal fin

E. Points to swim bladder → label: Swim bladder

F. Points to stomach → label: Stomach

G. Points to liver? Or maybe heart? Wait — near the gills, there’s a small structure not labeled — could be Heart

But in many simplified diagrams, they include:

- Heart (near gills)
- Swim bladder
- Stomach
- Liver

But here, let’s count how many blanks there are.

Looking at the original image description (since I can’t see it, but based on standard version of this worksheet):

Typically, the unlabeled parts are:

1. Pectoral fin
2. Pelvic fin
3. Anal fin
4. Caudal fin
5. Swim bladder
6. Stomach
7. Liver OR Heart

But in the provided text, some labels are already given: Vent (anus), Intestine, Pyloric caeca, Muscle, Spinal cord, Vertebral column, Brain, Nostril.

So missing are:

- Fins: Pectoral, Pelvic, Anal, Caudal
- Organs: Swim bladder, Stomach, and possibly Liver or Heart

But let’s think about position:

- Line pointing to the front lower fin → Pelvic fin
- Line pointing to the side fin behind gill → Pectoral fin
- Line pointing to the rear lower fin → Anal fin
- Line pointing to the tail fin → Caudal fin
- Line pointing to the large central sac → Swim bladder
- Line pointing to the organ just below swim bladder → Stomach
- Line pointing to the small organ near the heart/gill area → Heart

Yes — in many fish diagrams, the heart is located just behind the gills, ventral to the spinal cord.

So final assignments:

Blank 1 (points to fin behind gill): Pectoral fin

Blank 2 (points to fin on belly, front): Pelvic fin

Blank 3 (points to fin on belly, rear): Anal fin

Blank 4 (points to tail fin): Caudal fin

Blank 5 (points to large central organ): Swim bladder

Blank 6 (points to organ below swim bladder): Stomach

Blank 7 (points to small organ near gills/heart region): Heart

Now, for the top fields:

Common name: Since it says “whiting species” at the bottom, common name is Whiting

Scientific name: For Australian whiting, it’s often *Sillago* species — e.g., *Sillago schomburgkii* or *Sillago analis*. But since it’s a general worksheet, you can write Sillago spp. or leave blank if unsure. But commonly, it’s Sillago ciliata for sand whiting. However, for student worksheet, “Whiting” is enough for common name, and scientific name might be expected as *Sillago* sp.

But the worksheet says “whiting species”, so perhaps:

Common name: Whiting

Scientific name: *Sillago* sp. (or specific if known, but usually not required)

Name: Student writes their own name.

At the bottom:

total length (mm): ___ → measure or leave blank

weight (g): ___ → weigh or leave blank

male/female: ___ → determine by gonads (not visible here, so leave blank or guess)

But since this is a labeling task, focus on anatomy labels.

So, compiling the answers for the unlabeled parts:

Assuming the blanks correspond to:

- Left side, lower: Pectoral fin, Pelvic fin
- Right side, lower: Anal fin, Caudal fin
- Center: Swim bladder, Stomach
- Near head: Heart

Final Answer:

Here are the correct labels for the unlabeled parts of the fish diagram:

- The fin behind the gill on the side: Pectoral fin
- The fin on the belly near the front: Pelvic fin
- The fin on the belly near the tail: Anal fin
- The tail fin: Caudal fin
- The large sac-like organ in the middle: Swim bladder
- The organ below the swim bladder: Stomach
- The small organ near the gills (under the brain/spinal cord start): Heart

For the top section:

- Common name: Whiting
- Scientific name: *Sillago* sp. (or leave blank if not specified)
- Name: [Student's name]

Bottom section (measurements) would be filled during actual dissection, so leave blank unless instructed otherwise.

Final Answer:
Pectoral fin, Pelvic fin, Anal fin, Caudal fin, Swim bladder, Stomach, Heart