Select the one animal that has all of the bony fish traits listed above.
Wels catfish have a bony skeleton and live in lakes, rivers, and coastal waters. Wels catfish eggs do not have shells for protection. Male catfish guard the eggs until they hatch. Gray tree frogs hatch from eggs without shells. They live underwater when they are tadpoles. They move onto land when they become adults. The moist skin of adult gray tree frogs can be green or gray. The color of their skin helps them hide on rocks or plants.
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 gray tree frog has the following traits:
It spends part of its life in water and part on land.
It has moist skin.
It makes eggs with no shells.
A gray tree frog does not have all of the traits of a bony fish. A gray tree frog is an amphibian.
A wels catfish 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.
A wels catfish has the traits of a bony fish. A wels catfish is a bony fish.