Select the one animal that has all of the bony fish traits listed above.
Hippopotamuses have small hairs near their mouths and ears, but most of their skin is hairless. Their skin makes a reddish-brown substance that acts like sunscreen! Hippopotamuses give birth to live offspring. Anchovies hatch from small eggs with no shells. Their eggs are carried through the ocean by moving water. Anchovies live in groups called schools. Each anchovy has fins, a silvery body, and a skeleton made of bone.
Bony fish are a group of animals with similar traits. The following traits can be used to identify bony fish:
They have fins, not limbs.
They live underwater.
They have a skeleton made of bone.
They make eggs with no shells. Observe the animals and read the descriptions.
Scientists sort animals with similar traits into groups. This is called classification. Classification helps scientists learn about how animals live.
How do scientists classify animals? First, they make observations about an animal. Scientists observe the animal's traits, including its body parts and behavior. Then, scientists compare the animal's traits to other animals' traits. Scientists classify animals with similar traits into a group.
To decide if an animal is part of a group, look at the traits of the group.
Bony fish have the following traits:
They have fins, not limbs.
They live underwater.
They have a skeleton made of bone.
They make eggs with no shells.
Compare each animal's traits to the group's traits. Select the animal with traits similar to the group's traits.
A hippopotamus has the following traits:
It gives birth to live offspring.
A hippopotamus does not have all of the traits of a bony fish. A hippopotamus is a placental mammal.
An anchovy has the following traits:
It has fins, not limbs.
It lives underwater.
It has a skeleton made of bone.
It makes eggs with no shells.
An anchovy has the traits of a bony fish. An anchovy is a bony fish.