4. p. 65Living in Water
- F. Harvey Pough, F. Harvey PoughProfessor Emeritus, Rochester Institute of Technology
- William E. Bemis, William E. BemisProfessor of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology and Faculty Curator of Ichthyology, Cornell University
- Betty McguireBetty McguireSenior Lecturer, Cornell University
- , and Christine M. JanisChristine M. JanisProfessor Emerita of Biology, Brown University, USA, Honorary Professor of Earth Sciences, University of Bristol, UK
Abstract
This chapter looks at vertebrates which live successfully in water. A vertebrate must adjust its buoyancy to remain at a specific depth and must force its way through a dense medium to pursue prey or escape predators. Thus, aquatic vertebrates have evolved solutions to the physical challenges of life in water. The chapter primarily focuses on fishes and lissamphibians to consider sensory systems in water and on land. The evolutionary diversification of teleosts resulted in an enormous array of sizes and ways of life in freshwater and marine environments. The chapter details the process of osmoregulation in different environments.
