What is scientific classification of plants and animals?
When you see a plant or animal you call it by a common name. People in other countries (or even in other states) may call the same plant or animal by a different name. When scientists study plants and animals in different parts of the world they need to know if it is the same animal called by another name in another part of the world. To prevent the confusion of different names for the same plants or animals all scientists use a special scientific name, which is the same all around the world. The scientific name is usually made of ancient Greek or Latin words. The scientific name is made of two names, like your first and last names. What is a fish? A fish a cold-blooded vertebrate that lives in water, has scales, fins, and breathes using gills. There are over 25,000 known fish species in the world. There are three different groups of fishes: 1) Bony fishes most fishes (over 25,000 species) 2) Cartilaginous fishes sharks and rays (over 700 species) 3) Jawless fishes lampreys and hagfish
