Marine vertebrate

Ray-finned fish

Marine tetrapod (sperm whale)

Internal skeletal structures showing the vertebral column running from the head to the tail

Marine vertebrates are vertebrates that live in marine environments. These are the marine fish and the marine tetrapods (primarily seabirds, marine reptiles, and marine mammals). Vertebrates are a subphylum of chordates that have a vertebral column (backbone). The vertebral column provides the central support structure for an internal skeleton. The internal skeleton gives shape, support, and protection to the body and can provide a means of anchoring fins or limbs to the body. The vertebral column also serves to house and protect the spinal cord that lies within the column.

Marine vertebrates can be divided into two groups, marine fish and marine tetrapods.