Sub-heading: Are whales fish? Uncover the biological truth behind it.
Text: In the vast ocean world, there is one creature that often arouses people's misunderstanding and curiosity, and that is whales. Many people classify whales as fish because they live in the water, however, the identity of a whale is not so simple. This article will analyze this issue in depth and take you to uncover the mystery of whether whales are fish or not, which will definitely subvert your existing understanding.
Let's look at this from the point of view of scientific classification. In biology, species are classified mainly according to their morphological structure, physiological functions and genetic characteristics. Although whales live in the same environment as fish, they do not belong to the fish in terms of biological classification, but are a type of mammal, to be exact, a member of the order Artiodactyl. This can be clearly answered by observing the physiological characteristics of whales.
On the one hand, whales have the basic characteristics of mammals – they are viviparous and suck their young, rather than the oviparous way of fish. Female whales give birth to their babies in their bodies and nurse their young through milk after birth, which is fundamentally different from fish.
On the other hand, whales' bone structure, respiratory system, and thermoregulatory mechanisms also show mammalian characteristics. They have well-developed lungs for air respiration and need to surface every once in a while for air exchange, while fish exchange gases in the water through their gills. The body temperature of whales is constant, which has the internal temperature of higher mammals, which is different from the ectotherm of fish.
Whales, like other mammals, have highly developed brains and complex social behaviors, such as killer whales' family group life, humpback whales' long-distance migration, etc., which are highly intelligent and social behaviors that fish do not have.
Although whales may seem similar to fish in appearance and living environment, they are mammals rather than fish in terms of biological nature. This seemingly simple classification problem actually contains a wealth of biological knowledge and the wonderful laws of nature. Therefore, re-understanding the true identity of whales can not only correct our cognitive misunderstandings, but also allow us to have a deeper understanding and awe of the diversity and complexity of the living world.