Fish are aquatic, vertebrate, exothermic animals which breathe through gills. Fish, as any other vertebrate, collects information about the surrounding environment through their 5 senses: touch, sight, hearing, smell and taste. In addition fishes have a special sense called the lateral line. Lateral line allows fish to detect water vibrations. For example predatory fish use this sense in prey detection. Lateral lines are usually visible on the sides of most fish species.
Fish is a nutritious and healthy source of food for people, containing high-quality protein, vitamins and minerals. According to Finnish Organization for Health and Welfare it is recommended to eat at least two portions of fish every week.
Identifying a fish is not always an easy task. Easy way to start identifying-progress is to identify the fish you catch. Fish identification is a helpful skill for all of us. Many species identifying guides exist to help you to identify fish species of Finland such as Finnish Fish Identification Guide.
Fish can be used in school education. The Federation of Finnish Fisheries Associations has a wide range of fish themed material available for educational purposes.
A wide variety of fish events, such as outdoor expos, fish fairs and fishing competitions are organized across Finland every year. As an example, National Fishing Day takes place every May. The purpose of this event is to give kids and youth a chance to explore fishing as a hobby and get to know Finnish fish species and fish food.