Although any individual fish might be hard to pick out of its school photo, fish faces can be remarkably distinct.
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- The skeleton of bowfin is heavily ossified. This feature is emphasized in the name of the larger group to which they belong: the Holostei, or wholly-boned fishes. Photo (C) Marc Kibbey
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- The bowfin is endemic to Ohio. Bowfin are ambush predators of smaller fish, crustaceans, and aquatic insects. Photo (C) Marc Kibbey
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- The snakehead is invasive in North America. It superficially resembles the bowfin, and lives in the same habitats. Photo (C) Marc Kibbey
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- Unlike bowfin, the snakehead have a movable and protrusive jaw. This allows them to suck prey in, rather than simply chomping on them. Photo (C) Marc Kibbey
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- Gar have heavily ossified skeletons and, like bowfin, belong to an ancient lineage of fish called Holostei. Photo (C) Marc Kibbey
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- Longnose gar catch small fish in their long, toothy jaws. Photo (C) Marc Kibbey
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- The pufferfish puffs up by gulping water and holding it within its body. Its changeable shape is made possible by a relatively light and flexible internal skeleton. Photo (C) Marc Kibbey
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- The moonfish has a face typical of ray-finned fish: its jaw is mobile and its mouth points slightly upward. Photo (C) Marc Kibbey
About the Authors: This blog post is a collaboration between Dr. Meg Daly, Director of the Fish Division & Marc Kibbey, Associate Curator of the Fish Division. All photos by Marc Kibbey.