Fish in a Tool Shed Trivia Quiz

Answer: enhances their vision

A hammerhead shark's eyes are located on the sides of their heads. This positioning gives them 360 degree vision, allowing them to see above and below as well as to the side. This helps them to track prey more easily, some of which may be fast moving.

Hammerhead sharks mostly live in the warm, tropical waters of the Atlantic, Pacific, and Indian Oceans. They give birth to live young. They eat a variety of ocean life, such as fish, squid, and other sharks. Of the nine hammerhead species, only three, the scalloped, great, and smooth, are considered to be dangerous to humans.

Answer: the location of their mouths

Like most rays, a sawfish's gills are located underneath, whereas a sawshark's are located on the side of their heads. Sawsharks have barbels about halfway down their saws, which sawfish lack. The teeth on a sawfish's saw are even, and the ones on a sawshark alternate between big and small. The mouths of both are located underneath for eating small fish and crustaceans along the ocean floor.

Sawfishes live in the shallow, coastal waters of the Atlantic, Indian, and Pacific Oceans along with river deltas. The largest species can reach 23 feet in length. Many species are considered endangered or critically endangered due to overfishing and habitat destruction.

Sawsharks also live in the Atlantic, Indian, and Pacific Oceans, though farther off-shore. They can grow up to five to six feet long.

Answer: shovelnose sturgeon

Shovelnose sturgeons are also known as hacklebacks, sand sturgeons, and switchtails. They live in the Mississippi and Missouri River systems. Their genus name, Scaphirhynchus, means "spade snout" in Greek. Their meat and roe are both eaten. They can reach 24 inches in length, though they grow slowly. They eat a variety of insects, snails, and clams off the river bottom.

Answer: False

Actually, swordfish use their swords to injure their prey, a variety of fish, by slashing at them. They live in the Atlantic, Pacific, and Indian Oceans, anywhere from the surface to a depth of 1,800 feet. They usually reach a length near ten feet, but have been reported to reach around fifteen feet.

They are one of the few fish species that possess a special organ near their eyes that heats their eyes and brain which helps to improve their eyesight. They are also one of the fastest fish in the ocean and are said to be able to reach sixty miles per hour. Swordfish are a popular fish in both commercial and recreational fishing.

Answer: parrot

There are seven species of knifejaw, which all live in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. When they reach adulthood, their teeth fuse into a parrot-like beak. The largest species, the Cape knifejaw, can grow to 35 inches in length. They eat seaweed, barnacles, and mollusks. They are fished commercially.

Answer: roughfin wedgefish

There are seven species of wedgefish, all of which are considered threatened or endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) due to habitat loss. They mostly live in the western Pacific and southeastern Indian Oceans with one species living in the Atlantic Ocean. They eat crustaceans, squid, and small fish.

Answer: longest bony fish alive

The giant oarfish has been recorded to reach 36 feet in length, but there have been unconfirmed reports of up to 56 feet. Along with the giant oarfish, there are three other species of oarfish. They live in oceans throughout the world at depths of around 3,300 feet. They are rarely seen alive by humans and are often seen more when they have been washed ashore. They eat zooplankton, small fish, jellyfish, and squid. They are thought to be the source of sea serpent tales.

There are some cartilaginous fish that are longer than oarfish, such as whale sharks.

Answer: Yes

Knifefish are named after their long, slender bodies, which are similar to knives. They live in rivers in South America, Asia, and Africa. They use their ability to create an electric field for navigation and communication. They feed on insects, crustaceans, and other fish.

Electric eels, which are not actual eels, but a species of knifefish, though they differ from other species in some ways, such a their extra length. They can generate up to 600 volts of electricity, which they use to attack prey and defend themselves. They have been known to eat small mammals. They live in the Amazon and Orinoco Rivers in South America.

Answer: the deep-sea

Marine hatchetfish live at depths from 50 to 1,500 meters in the Atlantic, Pacific, and Indian Oceans. There are around forty different species of hatchetfish, ranging in size from around one to five inches. They are bioluminescent, which helps to camouflage them from predators. They eat plankton, crustaceans, and small fish. Their head and the front of their bodies are large and round, while their tails and lower bodies are thinner. This shape lead to their name, with the front as the hatchet blade and the back as the handle.

There is also a type of fish called the freshwater hatchetfish, but the two are not closely related.

Answer: Chinese paddlefish

The Chinese paddlefish is listed as critically endangered by the IUCN and is possibly extinct. Because of this rare status, they are sometimes called the "Giant Panda of the Rivers". They live mostly in the Yangtze River, but can also be found in some lakes. They eat other fish, crabs, and crayfish.

The American paddlefish, also known as a spoonbill, is found in the Mississippi River and its tributaries. According to the IUCN, they are listed as vulnerable, mostly due to overfishing and habitat changes. It is thought to use electroreceptors in its paddle to detect prey and to navigate. They eat zooplankton and crustaceans. They are the State Aquatic Animal of Missouri.