It's Classified! – Classification

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It’s Classified! – Classification

NAME: Senior Level - Years 11 & 12

Sorting it out! Classification involves assigning organisms to groups, according to shared physical features. Why do you think we group animals in this way? ______

Using classification techniques other than ‘true classification’ can be misleading. In the table below is a list of categories that may be used to classify animals. Find and list some animals at UnderWater World that fit under those categories. Category List animals List some features of these animals Venomous Poisonous Predator Prey

Could we use this technique to successfully classify animals into groups? Justify your answer. ______

Complete the table below by closely observing animals and informational signage. Asian small- Grey nurse Common sea Australian Freshwater clawed otter shark cucumber fur seal crocodile Labelled diagram KINGDOM Animalia Animalia PHYLUM Chordata Chordata SUB- Vertebrata Vertebrata PHYLUM CLASS Chondrichthyes Holothuroidea Mammalia ORDER Carnivora Lamniformes Aspidochirotida Pinnipedia Crocodilia FAMILY Mustelidae Odontaspidae Holothuriidae Crocodylidae Genus Aonyx Holothuria Arctocephalus species cinerea scabra pusillus doriferus

It’s Classified! – Classification

NAME: Senior Level - Years 11 & 12

Dichotomous Diaries Numerous keys have been designed to identify animals. A dichotomous key gives two choices where only one of those choices is valid. Below is a dichotomous key used to identify different shark species. Use this key to identify five (5) shark species found at UnderWater World. Note the pathway followed by listing the choice numbers. Shark 1: ______Shark 2: ______Shark 3: ______Shark 4: ______Shark 5: ______

1. a) Gills on the side of the head ……………………………………….. 2 b) Gills not on the side of the head ………………………………….. Ray (ie, not a shark) 2. a) Seven gill slit openings …………………………………………….. Seven-gilled shark b) Less than seven gill slit openings …………………………………. 3 3. a) Spiracles present …………………………………………………….4 b) Spiracles Absent…………………………………………………….. 15 4. a) Large spiracles………………………………………………………..5 b) Reduced spiracles ………………………………………………….. 7 5. a) Firm Dorsal ridges…………………………………………………… 6 b) No firm dorsal ridges………………………………………………… 7 6. a) Extended tail longer than body…………………………………….. Zebra shark b) Tail not as long as body…………………………………………….. Whale shark 7. a) Almost Terminal Mouth……………………………………………… 8 Meaning of terms: b) Definite Subterminal Mouth…………………………………………. Grey nurse shark 8. a) Body is moderately fusiform………………………………………… Tawny nurse shark Heterocercal – Having the b) Body not fusiform …………………………………………………… 9 vertebral column terminating 9. a) Dorsal fins possess horns …………………………………………. 10 in the upper lobe of the b) Dorsal fins absent of horns …………………………………… 11 caudal fin, which is usually 10. a) Supra orbital crest high and ends abruptly ……………………….. Crested horn shark larger than the lower lobe. b) Dark oblique stripes …………………………………………………. Port Jackson shark 11. a) Extensive barbels around head ……………………………………. 12 Homocercal – Having a tail b) Nasal barbels only ………………………………………………….. 14 with equal or nearly equal 12 a) Barbels extending around head and chin ………………………… Tasselled Wobbegong lobes and axis ending near b) Barbels not extending around head and chin…………………… 13 middle of base. 13 a) Colour; Dark dorsal saddles and blotches outlined by black …… Striped Wobbegong Fusiform – Spindle-shaped, b) Colour; Dorsal saddles and spots outlined by white ………….. Spotted Wobbegong rounder in the middle, 14. a) Large black spots on pectoral dorsal surface ……………………. Epaulette shark tapering gradually at both b) Black Spots absent ………………………………………………….. Bamboo shark ends. 15. a) Heterocercal tail …………………………………………………….. 16 Barbels – Tactile projections b) Homocercal tail ……………………………………………………… Mako shark 16. a) Caudal fin longer than body ……………………………………….. Thresher shark arising from the head of b) Caudal fin shorter than body ……………………………………….. 17 various fishes. 17. a) Dorsal fin originate behind pectoral fins …………………………... 18 Terminal – Situated at the b) Dorsal fin originates in line with pectoral fins …………………….. Sandbar whaler shark end. 18. a) Distinct colour on dorsal fin tip ……………………………………..19 Subterminal – Situated near b) No colour on dorsal fin tip …………………………………………..Bull shark the end. 19. a) Black colour tip on dorsal fin………………………………………..Black tip reef shark b) White colour tip on dorsal fin………………………………………..White tip reef shark Supra orbital – Above orbital (eye) cavities.