Final answer:
Taste, also known as gustation, allows aquatic vertebrates to discriminate between types of foods for survival and maintaining homeostasis.
Step-by-step explanation:
Taste, also called gustation, allows aquatic vertebrates to discriminate between types of foods. Different tasting foods have different attributes, both helpful and harmful. For example, sweet-tasting substances tend to be highly caloric, which could be necessary for survival in lean times. Bitterness is associated with toxicity, and sourness is associated with spoiled food. Salty foods are valuable in maintaining homeostasis.