Dichotomous Key identification tool in
which you are given a
series of 2 choices
CREATURE KEY
1. a. Has wheels …………………………………go to 2
b . No wheels ………………………………….go to 4
2. a. With antennae ……………………...……….go to 3
b. Without antennae ………..…Roller derbius birdius
3. a. Forked tongue present ……..Terrorius on wheelus
b. Forked tongue absent………Laughingus skatorius
4. a. Tentacles present ……………...……………go to 5
b. No tentacles…………………………………. go to 7
5. a. With horns ……………………………………go to 6
b. Without horns ……………..……..Wiggulus shakius
6. a. Has 2 horns……………...………. Tentaclius mooius
b. Has 1 long horn ………..…….Unisguigglius terrosa
7. a. Flippers present …………..………………….go to 8
b. No flippers …………....…….Chickenus pluckedius
8. a. With horn …………………….……Razorius backus
b. Without horn …………….…………………..go to 9
9. a. Has 5 flippers ……………..………..Marinus scaleus
b. Has 14 flippers ……………..…….Creepius crawlius
CREATURE KEY
1. a. Has wheels …………………………………go to 2
b . No wheels ………………………………….go to 4
2. a. With antennae ……………………...……….go to 3
b. Without antennae ………..…Roller derbius birdius
3. a. Forked tongue present ……..Terrorius on wheelus
b. Forked tongue absent………Laughingus skatorius
4. a. Tentacles present ……………...……………go to 5
b. No tentacles…………………………………. go to 7
5. a. With horns ……………………………………go to 6
b. Without horns ……………..……..Wiggulus shakius
6. a. Has 2 horns……………...………. Tentaclius mooius
b. Has 1 long horn ………..…….Unisguigglius terrosa
7. a. Flippers present …………..………………….go to 8
b. No flippers …………....…….Chickenus pluckedius
8. a. With horn …………………….……Razorius backus
b. Without horn …………….…………………..go to 9
9. a. Has 5 flippers ……………..………..Marinus scaleus
b. Has 14 flippers ……………..…….Creepius crawlius
CREATURE KEY
1. a. Has wheels …………………………………go to 2
b . No wheels ………………………………….go to 4
2. a. With antennae ……………………...……….go to 3
b. Without antennae ………..…Roller derbius birdius
3. a. Forked tongue present ……..Terrorius on wheelus
b. Forked tongue absent………Laughingus skatorius
4. a. Tentacles present ……………...……………go to 5
b. No tentacles…………………………………. go to 7
5. a. With horns ……………………………………go to 6
b. Without horns ……………..……..Wiggulus shakius
6. a. Has 2 horns……………...………. Tentaclius mooius
b. Has 1 long horn ………..…….Unisguigglius terrosa
7. a. Flippers present …………..………………….go to 8
b. No flippers …………....…….Chickenus pluckedius
8. a. With horn …………………….……Razorius backus
b. Without horn …………….…………………..go to 9
9. a. Has 5 flippers ……………..………..Marinus scaleus
b. Has 14 flippers ……………..…….Creepius crawlius
CREATURE KEY
1. a. Has wheels …………………………………go to 2
b . No wheels ………………………………….go to 4
2. a. With antennae ……………………...……….go to 3
b. Without antennae ………..…Roller derbius birdius
3. a. Forked tongue present ……..Terrorius on wheelus
b. Forked tongue absent………Laughingus skatorius
4. a. Tentacles present ……………...……………go to 5
b. No tentacles…………………………………. go to 7
5. a. With horns ……………………………………go to 6
b. Without horns ……………..……..Wiggulus shakius
6. a. Has 2 horns……………...………. Tentaclius mooius
b. Has 1 long horn ………..…….Unisguigglius terrosa
7. a. Flippers present …………..………………….go to 8
b. No flippers …………....…….Chickenus pluckedius
8. a. With horn …………………….……Razorius backus
b. Without horn …………….…………………..go to 9
9. a. Has 5 flippers ……………..………..Marinus scaleus
b. Has 14 flippers ……………..…….Creepius crawlius
Fish Identification Terms
barbels - “whiskers”
growing from the head
dorsal fins (2, separated)
caudal
fin
anal fin
dorsal spines
obvious
scales
front edge of dorsal fin
1 a. body covered by obvious scales…………………………………..2
b. scales lacking or not very obvious………………………………..3
2 a. having a single dorsal fin…………………………………………4
b. having two dorsal fins (may be united)…………………………..5
3 a. having barbels growing from the lip…………………………….13
b. no barbels growing from the lip…………………………………14
4 a. front edge of the dorsal fin is far back on body…………………..6
b. front edge of the dorsal fin is about midway back on body………7
5 a. dorsal fins separated (definite space between them)………….…..8
b. dorsal fins united …………………………………………………9
6 a. caudal fin spotted ……………………………………...Esox lucius
b. caudal fin not spotted ……………………………Esox americanus
7 a. barbels growing from the lip……………………...Cyprinus carpio
b. no barbels growing from the lip ………..Pantosteus platyrhynchus
8 a. dark vertical bars on the body …………………...Perca flavescens
b. spots on the body …………………………….Stizostedion vitreum
9 a. body more than three times as long as it is broad ………………10
b. body less than three times as long as it is broad ………………..11
10 a. body with spots ………………………………………………..12
b. body without spots ………………………Micropterus salmoides
11 a. dark colored back …………………………Lepomis macrochirus
b. light colored back…………………………..Amploplites rupestris
12 a. 6 dorsal spines ………………………………..Pomoxis annularis
b. 10 dorsal spines …………………………..Micropterus dolomieu
13 a. caudal fin deeply forked ……………………………………….15
b. caudal fin only slightly indented ………………...Ictalurus melas
14 a. separate dorsal, caudal and anal fins …………………………..16
b. one continous fin along back and belly ………..Anquilla rostrata
15 a. having spots on body ………………………...Ictalurus punctatus
b. no spots on body ………………………………Ictalurus furcatus
16 a. caudal fin deeply forked ……………………………..Salmo salar
b. caudal fin not forked …………………………………………..17
17 a. caudal fin with small spots ……………………...Salmo gairdneri
b. caudal fin with no spots …………………….Salvelinus fontinalis
1 a. body covered by obvious scales…………………………………..2
b. scales lacking or not very obvious………………………………..3
2 a. having a single dorsal fin…………………………………………4
b. having two dorsal fins (may be united)…………………………..5
3 a. having barbels growing from the lip…………………………….13
b. no barbels growing from the lip…………………………………14
4 a. front edge of the dorsal fin is far back on body…………………..6
b. front edge of the dorsal fin is about midway back on body………7
5 a. dorsal fins separated (definite space between them)………….…..8
b. dorsal fins united …………………………………………………9
6 a. caudal fin spotted ……………………………………...Esox lucius
b. caudal fin not spotted ……………………………Esox americanus
7 a. barbels growing from the lip……………………...Cyprinus carpio
b. no barbels growing from the lip ………..Pantosteus platyrhynchus
8 a. dark vertical bars on the body …………………...Perca flavescens
b. spots on the body …………………………….Stizostedion vitreum
9 a. body more than three times as long as it is broad ………………10
b. body less than three times as long as it is broad ………………..11
10 a. body with spots ………………………………………………..12
b. body without spots ………………………Micropterus salmoides
11 a. dark colored back …………………………Lepomis macrochirus
b. light colored back…………………………..Amploplites rupestris
12 a. 6 dorsal spines ………………………………..Pomoxis annularis
b. 10 dorsal spines …………………………..Micropterus dolomieu
13 a. caudal fin deeply forked ……………………………………….15
b. caudal fin only slightly indented ………………...Ictalurus melas
14 a. separate dorsal, caudal and anal fins …………………………..16
b. one continous fin along back and belly ………..Anquilla rostrata
15 a. having spots on body ………………………...Ictalurus punctatus
b. no spots on body ………………………………Ictalurus furcatus
16 a. caudal fin deeply forked ……………………………..Salmo salar
b. caudal fin not forked …………………………………………..17
17 a. caudal fin with small spots ……………………...Salmo gairdneri
b. caudal fin with no spots …………………….Salvelinus fontinalis
1 a. body covered by obvious scales…………………………………..2
b. scales lacking or not very obvious………………………………..3
2 a. having a single dorsal fin…………………………………………4
b. having two dorsal fins (may be united)…………………………..5
3 a. having barbels growing from the lip…………………………….13
b. no barbels growing from the lip…………………………………14
4 a. front edge of the dorsal fin is far back on body…………………..6
b. front edge of the dorsal fin is about midway back on body………7
5 a. dorsal fins separated (definite space between them)………….…..8
b. dorsal fins united …………………………………………………9
6 a. caudal fin spotted ……………………………………...Esox lucius
b. caudal fin not spotted ……………………………Esox americanus
7 a. barbels growing from the lip……………………...Cyprinus carpio
b. no barbels growing from the lip ………..Pantosteus platyrhynchus
8 a. dark vertical bars on the body …………………...Perca flavescens
b. spots on the body …………………………….Stizostedion vitreum
9 a. body more than three times as long as it is broad ………………10
b. body less than three times as long as it is broad ………………..11
10 a. body with spots ………………………………………………..12
b. body without spots ………………………Micropterus salmoides
11 a. dark colored back …………………………Lepomis macrochirus
b. light colored back…………………………..Amploplites rupestris
12 a. 6 dorsal spines ………………………………..Pomoxis annularis
b. 10 dorsal spines …………………………..Micropterus dolomieu
13 a. caudal fin deeply forked ……………………………………….15
b. caudal fin only slightly indented ………………...Ictalurus melas
14 a. separate dorsal, caudal and anal fins …………………………..16
b. one continous fin along back and belly ………..Anquilla rostrata
15 a. having spots on body ………………………...Ictalurus punctatus
b. no spots on body ………………………………Ictalurus furcatus
16 a. caudal fin deeply forked ……………………………..Salmo salar
b. caudal fin not forked …………………………………………..17
17 a. caudal fin with small spots ……………………...Salmo gairdneri
b. caudal fin with no spots …………………….Salvelinus fontinalis
1 a. body covered by obvious scales…………………………………..2
b. scales lacking or not very obvious………………………………..3
2 a. having a single dorsal fin…………………………………………4
b. having two dorsal fins (may be united)…………………………..5
3 a. having barbels growing from the lip…………………………….13
b. no barbels growing from the lip…………………………………14
4 a. front edge of the dorsal fin is far back on body…………………..6
b. front edge of the dorsal fin is about midway back on body………7
5 a. dorsal fins separated (definite space between them)………….…..8
b. dorsal fins united …………………………………………………9
6 a. caudal fin spotted ……………………………………...Esox lucius
b. caudal fin not spotted ……………………………Esox americanus
7 a. barbels growing from the lip……………………...Cyprinus carpio
b. no barbels growing from the lip ………..Pantosteus platyrhynchus
8 a. dark vertical bars on the body …………………...Perca flavescens
b. spots on the body …………………………….Stizostedion vitreum
9 a. body more than three times as long as it is broad ………………10
b. body less than three times as long as it is broad ………………..11
10 a. body with spots ………………………………………………..12
b. body without spots ………………………Micropterus salmoides
11 a. dark colored back …………………………Lepomis macrochirus
b. light colored back…………………………..Amploplites rupestris
12 a. 6 dorsal spines ………………………………..Pomoxis annularis
b. 10 dorsal spines …………………………..Micropterus dolomieu
13 a. caudal fin deeply forked ……………………………………….15
b. caudal fin only slightly indented ………………...Ictalurus melas
14 a. separate dorsal, caudal and anal fins …………………………..16
b. one continous fin along back and belly ………..Anquilla rostrata
15 a. having spots on body ………………………...Ictalurus punctatus
b. no spots on body ………………………………Ictalurus furcatus
16 a. caudal fin deeply forked ……………………………..Salmo salar
b. caudal fin not forked …………………………………………..17
17 a. caudal fin with small spots ……………………...Salmo gairdneri
b. caudal fin with no spots …………………….Salvelinus fontinalis