freshwater animal

8/9/2019 Freshwater Animal

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Freshwater Animal & Plant Adaptations

Animal Adaptations

Many plants and animals have adapted to the freshwater biome and could not survive in water

having a higher salt concentration. As this ecosystem covers a vast portion of the world, the

animal life found can vary considerably.

Fish are able to obtain oxygen through their gills. Fish such as trout have adapted to living in

rivers and streams where the water is cooler, clearer and has a higher oxygen level. At the mouth

of these water sources, the sediments create a more murky environment with lower oxygen levels

and fish such as catfish and carp have adapted to exist in these areas.

There are three zones in lakes and ponds

The littoral zone !the topmost and warmest is home to snails, clams, insects, crustaceans, fishes

and amphibians and the eggs and larvae of dragonflies and midges". These resources provide

food for turtles, snakes and ducks.

The limnetic zone is close to the surface and conse#uently receives a good deal of light. This

zone contains a variety of freshwater fish.

The profundal zone is very dense and cold, with little light penetrating this region. $nly

heterotrophs !animals that eat dead organisms" are found in this region

Mammals !badgers, otters, mink" live near water and are capable of swimming to catch their

main food source, fish.Amphibians and reptiles !toads, frogs, alligators, crocodiles, salamanders and newts start life

underwater as eggs and tadpoles, and then move to ground as adults.

Insects s uch as skaters, water beetles, mos#uitoes and dragonflies can skim over the surface of

ponds, playing a critical role in the food supply for other animals. %ome spiders can actually take

a bubble of air with them underwater.

Many species of ducks, geese and swans also call the freshwater biome their home, feeding on

a number of different items including fish, while wading birds such as herons and egrets wander

through the mud shallows searching for insects.

Manatees have adapted to survive in warm water and migrate south. %ome have found the warm

water near power plants, and conse#uently do not have to migrate.

&eavers shape their environment more than most other animal species on 'arth, utilizing their

ever(growing teeth to cut down trees and plants to create dams to create their dens. Their actions


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are not always appreciated by nearby humans, but they are vital to the ecology, causing a build(

up of water which in turn creates a new wetland. &eavers also help to purify water because the

sediments and any toxins are trapped behind the dam.

Plant Adaptations

)arious species of a#uatic plants and algae have also adapted to exist in the wider parts of rivers

and streams where the water is clear enough to allow sunlight to penetrate.

ooplankton are microscopic organisms that live suspended in the water environment, moving

via convection or wind(induced currents. *lankton live for only a short period of time+ when they

die they fall into the deep(water and provide food for larger animals.

etlands contain standing water and plant species that have adapted to this very moist and

humid environment include pond lilies, cattails, sedges, tamarack and black spruce, cypress and

gum.


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!altwater Animal & Plant Adaptations

Animal Adaptations

There are - / species of mammals including whales, dolphins, porpoises, seals and sea lions

which have evolved to adapt to their a#uatic environment by developing small appendages !ears

and flippers", a generally large size, hydrodynamic !mechanical properties of li#uid" body shapes

and different methods to cope with extreme changes in temperature.

The ocean provides habitat for a wide variety of animals, some of which are flying(fish, sharks,

narwhals, sting(rays, whales, tarpon, tuna, sardines and 0ellyfish. $ne tiny shrimp(like animal

known as the phaeton is a key species floating freely in the ocean. Many fish and marine

mammals feed on it, and in turn carnivorous predators such as sharks, orcas and electric eels tear

apart their prey, allowing pieces to fall to the sea floor and decompose, providing a rich fertilizer.

Fish are able to obtain oxygen through their gills, a specialized structure in which blood comes

into contact with the water over a very large surface.

Animals such as flatworms, sea stars, giant isopod !wood louse" sole and flounder have adapted

to living in the deepest ocean trenches where the pressure can be over one thousand atmospheres.

Mammals such as whales, dolphins, porpoises, manatees , dugong, seals, walrus, otters and

even polar bears swim effortlessly through their watery environment, diving and swimming with

ease. For example, the sperm whale cleans out its lungs to get rid of old carbon dioxide and load

up with fresh oxygen in its swimming muscles before diving as low as 1, // feet as it hunts for food. At this depth, the pressure is tremendous and a human would suffer from the 2bends3 if not

properly pressurized. %perm whales routinely hold their breath for as long as one hour before

returning to the surface to repeat the process.

The watery environment is not conducive to strong vision because of light absorption, and as a

result some marine mammals have evolved to rely upon echolocation.

Toothed whales !dolphins, porpoises, river dolphins, orcas and sperm whales" send out a series

of high(fre#uency clicks in the direction their head is pointing and listen to the echoes of those

calls as they return from various ob0ects in their environment. The different rates of click

production are heard as barks, s#ueals and growls in the bottlenose dolphin. %ome of the smaller

toothed whales have a tooth arrangement that aids in echolocation.


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*lankton converts inorganic carbon into sugars that are stored in its cells. They are in turn eaten

by zooplankton, filter feeders and baleen whales. 4ooplankton are eaten by small fish which in

turn are eaten by salmon, tuna, seabirds, marine mammals, and so on.

"ird Adaptations

There are thousands of seabirds that depend heavily on the ocean in order to survive. &irds in

general have evolved to have hollow bones for flying, lightweight toothless bills for eating and

strong waterproof feathers. Many seabirds !frigate birds, albatross, gulls" have developed large

wingspans so they can travel long distances and take advantage of food sources different from

terrestrial birds !cormorants are divers+ penguins live in Antarctica where other birds don5t and

cannot fly but are excellent swimmers+ gulls are coastal scavengers".

6ucks have developed webbed feet for swimming. Many birds have light(coloured plumage to

protect them from being seen by predators, whereas divers have light colour on their fronts anddark colour on their backs to make them less visible.

&irds5 bills have evolved to suit their specific food preference. For instance, pelicans have a huge

pouch to scoop up fish+ albatrosses have very large nostrils allowing them to smell food from a

great distance+ ducks have long, flat bills to strain small plants and animals from the water,

whereas herons and kingfishers have spear(like bills adapted for fishing.

%eabirds must return to land to nest and generally choose remote cliffs to protect them from

terrestrial predators. Many eggs are cone(shaped so that they don5t roll off the cliffs.

Plant Adaptations

*lankton is a term used to describe organisms that float in the oceans, but which rely upon

currents to move, and can be either plant or animal. Most are found in the pelagic zone and very

important to life on 'arth. They support many of the animals higher up in the food chain, all the

way up to humans. *lankton also greatly assist in photosynthesis !process by which organisms

turn carbon dioxide and water into carbohydrates and oxygen", and thus are vital to maintaining

our atmosphere. *lankton re#uire a balanced environment and nutrients in order to survive.

*lant life includes seaweed, algae, dark star, sea(cactus, fungi, ocean lilly, 7imarron, yorma bulb,

red tide.

freshwater animal

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