Kids Stuff - How fish work

by Michael Bok

Think of a fish as a boat with oars on each side and a motor at the back. For this article I thought we would have a quick look at what is the most important thing in fishing - the fish itself.

Fish swim by flexing their bodies and tail, moving them through the water. Using their other fins or tail they change direction. Fish eat other fish, insects, shellfish and other aquatic life. They normally swallow their food whole as they don't have teeth to chew food. Their teeth are usually only used to bite and crush their food. Fish breathe by filtering water through their gills and obtaining oxygen in the water.

Fish see with their eyes. These eyes can see to the front and the sides. Fish that live on the bottom like flathead have their eyes on the top of their head. If they were on the side they would be buried and could not see. Remember that fish can see out of the water, so they can see you.

Fish smell with the two small openings on their head. They use this sense of smell to find food and warn them of any danger.

Fish taste with taste buds that are on thee outside of their bodies and on their tongues. If they taste something they don't like, they will spit it straight out. Remember that any smells and flavours on your hands can be transferred to the bait.

Fish hear through the lines that run down the sides of their bodies, called lateral lines. These lines enable the fish to hear sound waves and vibrations in the water. This is why a lot of lures have a rattling noise in them to attract the fish.