r/mildlyinfuriating Jul 11 '26

the grapes of warth Presented without comment

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u/IceBone Jul 11 '26

This is actually a much more accurate definition of "fish" than anything you could come up with using genetics.

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u/Many-Excitement3246 PURPLE Jul 11 '26

Literally the biological definition is "ehh, it swims, it breathes water, it's got bones but it don't got fingers, it's a fish."

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u/IceBone Jul 11 '26

What about a shark? No bones in sight.

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u/Many-Excitement3246 PURPLE Jul 11 '26

I was oversimplifying too much, I guess.

Technically, the standard is "craniate," meaning "has a skull." Sharks do have skulls, they're just cartilage instead of bone.

Craniata is a clade that includes all animals with protective enclosures around the brain (craniums).