they are both the same things they are an animal with a backbone
Fishes are vertabrates because they have bones remember, this causes fossils.
There are both vertebrates(things with backbones) & non-vertebrates(animals without backbones).
Vertebrates are any animal or person that has a backbone ie. cats, dogs, humans.Invertebrates are animals without a vertebrate ie. snakes, sea snails
A vertebrate is an animal with a backbone (spine) and an invertebrate has no backbone, usually it has an exoskeleton. The classification of Vertebrates is comprised of mammals, birds, reptiles,...