Characins: Characiformes
Physical Characteristics
The size and shape of characins (CARE-uh-suhns) vary widely. Some species are quite small, and one is quite large. Most characins are silvery, but some are brightly colored. Most characins have an adipose (AE-dih-POS) fin, a short fin between the dorsal (DOOR-suhl) fin, which is the fin along the midline of the back, and the tail fin. The anal (AY-nuhl) fin, the fin along the midline of the belly, may be short or long, with as many as forty-five rays. Characins have a set of bones that connect the swim bladder, an internal sac used to control position in the water, with the inner ear.
Additional topics
- Characins: Characiformes - Giant Tigerfish (hydrocynus Goliath): Species Accounts
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Animal Life ResourceFish and Other Cold-Blooded VertebratesCharacins: Characiformes - Physical Characteristics, Giant Tigerfish (hydrocynus Goliath): Species Accounts, Red-bellied Piranha (pygocentrus Nattereri): Species Accounts - GEOGRAPHIC RANGE, HABITAT, DIET, BEHAVIOR AND REPRODUCTION, CHARACINS AND PEOPLE,