Think about hammerhead sharks, whose modified heads are used to scan the sandy bottom of the sea, or pipefish that mimic sea grass in order to survive. Today there are 33,100 different species of fish in our rivers, canals and seas. To fit all of the different niches, fish have evolved in a lot of different ways. Why is one species very spiky and the other one fully streamlined? And why do some fish have a flat body and are others eel-like?
Looking at the skeletal morphology – or shape – of the fish provides us new insights into their lifestyles. This story highlights some species that were displayed during the X-ray Vision: Fish Inside Out program organized by the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Natural History and the Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibition Service (SITES). Artist Franz Anthony has reconstructed the fish as you would see them in life and you can pull the slider back and forth to reveal both images.
