Some interesting facts about fish

• Fish have been on the earth for more than 450 million years.

• Fish were well established long before dinosaurs roamed the earth.

• There are over 25,000 identified species of fish on the earth.

• It is estimated that there may still be over 15,000 fish species that have not yet been identified.

• There are more species of fish than all the species of amphibians, reptiles, birds and mammals combined.

• 40% of all fish species inhabit fresh water, yet less than .01% of the earth's water is fresh water.

• The spotted climbing perch is able to absorb oxygen from the air and will crawl overland using its strong pectoral fins.

• Some fish like sharks don't posses an air bladder to help keep them afloat and must either swim continually or rest on the bottom.

• Some fish make sounds by grating their teeth and others like some catfish make sounds from their air filled swim bladder.

• Some species of fish can fly (glide) others can skip along the surface and others can even climb rock.

• Fish have a specialized sense organ called the lateral line which works much like radar and helps them navigate in dark or murky water.

• The largest fish is the great whale shark which can reach fifty feet in length.

• The smallest fish is the Philippine goby that is less than 1/3 of an inch when fully grown.

• Some species of fish have skeletons made only of cartilage.

• Fish have excellent senses of sight, touch, taste and many possess a good sense of smell and 'hearing'.

• Fish feel pain and suffer stress just like mammals and birds.

• Tropical fish are one of the most popular pets in the U.S.

• 95% of tropical fish mortality results from improper housing and nutrition.

• Many tropical fish sold in the United States are harvested from the wild in Africa, Asia, and Central and South America.