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Key to Identification of Aquatic Vertebrates
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VERTEBRATES
Aside from fishes and birds, there are only a few vetebrates associated with aquatic environments in the Hawaiian Islands: five species of amphibians and four species of turtles; all are introduced or exotic species. Rats sometimes frequent riparian forests and are good swimmers. For the most part, the vertebrates are well-known and described in various scientific papers and popular handbooks. Only the fishes present much difficulty from a taxonomic perspective because of numerous introduced species, mostly from the tropical fish aquarium trade, whose native origins may be obscure. A list of vertebrate species (presently excluding birds and mammals) associated with aquatic environments in Hawai‘i is provided elsewhere in CPIE.
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[VERTEBRATES]
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25a
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(10) |
Lacking legs or limbs, other than fins. Free-swimming, although may rest on or burrow into bottom. Aquatic, breathing by gills
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[26]
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25b
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Organism has limbs: legs or wings; free-swimming, crawling, burrowing, or flying. Semi-aquatic or terrestrial, breathing by lungs
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[27]
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~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
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26a
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(25) |
Swimming strong, propelled by fins on body. Shape typically streamlined (fusiform or nearly so). Fishes |
[33 ]
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26b
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Swimming weak, by means of a long, flattened tail; no fins present on a bulbous (more or less rounded) body. Hind leg rudiments (buds) may be present. Frog or toad tadpole
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[37]
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~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
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27a
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(25) |
Outer covering of feathers. Front limbs are wings, used for flying. Birds
~ AVES
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[63]
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27b
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Front and hind limbs similar (four-legged). Swimming, walking, or jumping, but not capable of flying
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[28]
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~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
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28a
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(27) |
Body covering skin and/or with scales, but without hair
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[29]
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28b
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Body covering is mostly hair (fur). Mammals
~ Class Mammalia
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[53]
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~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
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29a
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(28) |
Animal has a hard outer covering (shell or upper and lower plastron) into which the head, legs, and tail can be withdrawn to some extent for protection. { Lakes, reservoirs, rivers, and canals, maybe in streams near lakes. Turtles
~ Class Reptilia
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[46]
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29b
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Animal lacking a shell. Skin without scales. Frogs and toads
~ Class Amphibia
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[32]
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