Cyprinodontiformes

High school (ages 12+)
Animals & Nature

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/cyprinodontiformes

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. What is the scientific name?Cyprinodontiformes
2. What is the estimated species count?Over 1000 species
3. What are Cyprinodontiformes and why are they called toothless fish?Cyprinodontiformes are small to medium fish that live in fresh and salty water. They are often called toothless carps or pupfish, but many of them actually have tiny, fine teeth.
4. How do these fish survive in harsh places like desert springs?These fish can live in places that would be deadly to most others, like desert springs that change temperature, salt, and oxygen levels. Desert pupfish are a good example of fish that thrive in such harsh spots.

Teleost fish: A large and diverse group of ray-finned fish that includes most bony fish.
Adaptive Radiation: The diversification of a group of organisms into forms filling different ecological niches.
Trophic Levels: The position an organism occupies in a food chain, indicating its feeding relationships.