Piping Plover
                       Charadrius melodus

Habitat: Breed mostly along the  Atlantic coast, from South Carolina northward to eastern Canada and the French Islands of Pierre and Miquelon.

Domain: Eukaya
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Aves
Order: Charadriiformes
Family: Charadriidae
Genus: Charadrius
Species: melodus

     The piping plover has bilateral symmetry.  They have a sand-colored upper body, a white underside, and orange legs.  One structural adaptation is that their sand color makes them harder to see on the ground.  Another structural adaptation is that they do not have teeth, so they use their gizzard to help digest food.  A functional adaptation is that the adults will fake a broken wing, drawing attention to itself and away from their chicks when a predator is near.  An interesting fact about the piping plover is they will sometimes extend one foot out into wet sand and vibrate it to scare up food items.  This is a foraging technique known as foot-trembling.  Their predators are gulls, crows, skunks, coyotes, raccoons, and foxes.  Their prey are insects, spiders, and crustaceans.  They are heterotrophic and endothermic. 

Spartina Grass

Spartina alterniflora

Spartina grass can be found in brackish marshes, and mud flats.  Spartina Grass is tall and smooth and can grow anywhere from 6 inches to 7 feet.  Its domain is Eukarya, its kingdom is Plantae, its phylum is Magnoliophyta,its class is Liliopsida, its order is Cyperales, its family is Polacca,its genus is Alterniflora, its species is Spartina, and its habitat are Brackish Marshes.  Spartina Grass is an Autotroph.  It has asymmetry and is ectothermic.  Spartina Grass has several adaptations.  A structural adaptation is it’s stem is hollow to float on the water, its grows tall in order to reach the sun and it has small pores to filter the brackish water.  Spartina Grass has no prey - it makes its own food!  Predators of Spartina Grass include clams, oysters, mussels, snails and crabs.  Sometimes it can be found in large clumps, floating on the water. I found this photo from davesgarden.com.

Humans

Homo sapiens

Humans were everywhere on our field trip.  Humans have adapted to living everywhere except Antarctica.  The human has a head, 2 legs, 2 arms, 2 feet, hair, and can be white, tan , black, or brown.  Their domain is Eukarya, kingdom is Animalia, phylum is Chordata, class Mammalia, order Primata, family is Hominidae, genus is Homo, and species is Sapiens.  They are heterotrophs, are endothermic, and have bilateral symmetry.  A structural adaptation is that they have thumbs so they can grab things, they have a great eyesight so they can see around them, and have ears to hear around them.  Humans eat fish, red meat, fruits, and vegetables.  Since the human is the apex consumer no other animal has a human on their diet.  Some humans have lived for over a 110 years!     

                                                        Eastern Oyster
                         Crassostrea virigica


Habitat:  along eastern North America from Gulf of St. Lawrence to the Gulf of Mexico.

Domain: Eukarya
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Mollusca
Class:  Bivalvia
Order:  Ostreoida
Family:  Ostreidae
Genus:  Crassostrea
Species:  virginica

     The eastern oyster is asymmetrical.  A structural adaptation is they have thicker shells that are defense against predators.  A behavioral adaptation is that they use their gills to absorb oxygen and strain food from the water.  A functional adaptation is that they make small pearls to surround particles that come in the shell.  An interesting fact about the eastern oyster is that they prevent erosion.  Their prey are plankton.  Their predators are the parasites that cause infection and humans.  They are heterotrophic and ectothermic.

Mason Nistad-Blue Crab

Mason Nistad

Blue Crab

Callinectes sapidus

A blue crab is a crab with a muddy green top shell with hints of bright blue on its claw. Like every other animal they belong to the 8 groups of classification. Its domain is Eukarya, its kingdom is Animalia, its phylum is Arthropoda, its class is Malacostraca, its order is Decapoda, its family is Portunidae, its genus is Callinectes and its species is sapidus. You can find the blue crab in Cape Cod all the way to Uruguay. More specifically you can find the crab in habitats ranging from the saltiest water of the gulf to almost fresh water of the back bays. Especially common in estuaries, this species ranges into fresh water, and may be found offshore. A behavioral adaptation of the Blue Crab is it is aggressive when it is threatened. A structural adaptation of this organism is they have pincers  so the blue crab can defend itself and grab things more easily. A functional adaptation is that the Blue Crab can go down more than 30  miles under the water. The Blue Crab eats mussels, clams,and oysters.. This means that the Crab is heterophic. It is threatened by the ed Drum Fish, Atlantic Croaker, herons, sea turtles, and humans. The blue crab is ​ectothermic and bilateral. This means that if you cut the Blue Crab in half and fold it, it would match up perfectly.

This picture is from:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Callinectes_sapidus

Mason Nistad-Laughing Gull

Mason Nistad

Laughing Gull

The laughing gull is a pretty small black and white bird with an orange-ish beak and black legs. You can find the laughing gull on beaches and estuary islands. Laughing gulls are mostly found all over the east coast. Every animal belongs to 8 groups of classification. Its domain is Eukarya, its kingdom is Animalia, its phylum is Chordata, its class is Aves, its order is Charadriiformes, its family is Laridae, its genus is Larus and its species is atricilla. This organism is endothermic,heterotrophic and has bilateral symmetry. An interesting fact about this organism is that it is very noisy and can scare away many animals with its loud sounds, that is also a behavioral adaptation that it has. Another behavioral adaptation it has is its aggressiveness that helps it snatch food from other animals and fly off fast with it.The last adaptation it has, which is structural, is its small body, but long wingspan. Its long wingspan helps it glide through the air and helps it fly really fast.(Especially after it takes another bird's food.) The laughing gull eats insects, crabs, fish, and shellfish, and raccoons and  owls is what eats it.

This picture is from:

https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Laughing_Gull_(Leucophaeus_atricilla)_RWD1.jpg

Delsy Daly     6-3

Royal Tern

     This type of bird lives along the East coast, the Gulf of Mexico, around California, and down south. The domain is Eukarya, the kingdom Animalia, the phylum is Chordata, the class is Aves, the order is Charadriiformers, the family is Laridae, the genus is Thalasseus, and the species is maximus. They have a orange beak, has short,little black hair on the back of its head, a white neck, and the rest of the body is gray. The Royal Tern can eat small fish, shrimp, and they are also heterotrophic. The female lays one egg or more, their length can be up to eighteen to twenty inches long, and their wingspan can be up to forty-nine to fifty-two inches long. Both parents help keep the eggs incubated for thirty to thirty-one days, all of the Royal Tern eat near the shore, close to the beach. Last but not least, both parents defecating around the nest. Defecating means poop. When that dries, it could be used for protection around the nest.

          

Delsy Daly    6-3

The Sandpiper 

       The Sandpiper's scientific name is Actitis hypoleucos. These birds live on the sandy coast, river banks, and sometimes they can even go up to the mountains. The domain is Eukarya, the kingdom is Animalia, the phylum is Chordata, the class is Aves, the order is Charadriiformers, the family is Scolopacidae, the genus is Actitis, and the species is Hypoleucos. Some of their adaptations is that both parents keep the eggs warm for at least three weeks, some of the birds will throw their wings as a warning, and the male will also guard the female, the nest, and the territory. Sandpipers are brown, they have a little white-yellow line near the eyes, and they have a white stomach. The female is the only that can build the nest, breeding starts around May and June, around twenty-one days until the eggs hatch, and these birds are also a heterotrophic. They can eat a lot of things like insects, crustaceans, and much more. Crustaceans means lobsters, crabs, shrimp, small fish, etc.

Mud Crab

The scientific name for the Mud Crab is Scylla serrata. The domain it is in Eukarya, the kingdom is Animalia, the phylum is Arthropoda, the class is Malacostraca, the order is Decapoda, the family is Portunidae, the genus is Scylla, and the species is Serrata. Mud Crabs live in the salt marsh estuary. They are heterotrophic, meaning, that they eat other organisms to gain energy. Mud Crabs eat molluscs, smaller crabs, and worms. Some of their predators are turtles and rays. A behavioral adaptation for the Mud Crab is that they hide in the mud. When they hide in the mud, they are camouflaging themselves so that their predators and prey won’t see them. A structural adaptation is their exoskeleton. The exoskeleton protects the crab from harmful predators and dangers that will harm it. A functional adaptation are its gills. The crabs use the gill to breathe underwater so that they won’t run out of air. Mud Crabs have bilateral symmetry, and are exothermic ( cold-blooded ).

Score Oyster Marine Project: Getting Down and Dirty!

When we went to the DNR we were ready to get down and dirty and work up a sweat. When we arrived they taught us how to bag oysters. The purpose of this field trip was to recycle oysters.  When oysters are recycled you are giving live to a new batch of oysters. In the spring, we will go back and place the oyster shells on the shore of the estuary of the marsh. This will allow their lives to regenerate. Basically, we are allowing oysters to be sustainable. 

We ended up bagging 633 oysters. I am so proud of my group, we bagged the most oysters. This was more than any other previous groups.  I can’t wait to go back in the spring and see the lives of the oysters regenerated.

Delsy Daly     6-3

The Kayaking Trip

        I have never kayaked before, this was the day I shine. When sixth grade reached our destination, we first put our book bags and others bags on the benches. Then, we were handed a life vest to keep us safe, next we went down the stairs where all of the kayaks were. Right after that, we were taught how to steer it and how to paddle correctly. All of the excitement rushed through me. Since I had longer legs than Summer, it was my job to steer the kayak. We both headed towards the docks, one by one people started to get in. Finally it was our turn, I pushed the right peddle and paddled the left side. At first it was fun then it got real tiring. My arms couldn't take it anymore even though I took breaks. Everyone had to park the kayak in the spartina grass, we talked, then we all moved on. Summer and I paddled under docks, bridges, and sort of raced with other people. The trip was a memory that I will never forget!

Laughing gull

(Larus atricilla)

Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Aves
Order:	Charadriiformes
Family:  Laridae
Genus: Larus
Species:	Articilla

The Laughing Gull is a coastal bird found from Nova Scotia to Venezuela. (Peterson, 1998) Except around the Salton Sea, the Laughing Gull is rarely found inland. Laughing Gulls prefer nesting on barrier beaches and estuarine islands with moderate to dense vegetation. A laughing gull has a bilateral symmetry, which means if I were to split it in half then if I folded it together then it would match up equally. The Laughing Gull has a complete tail band, gray wash on the nape, dark brown wings, and a brown head and body. During its first winter, the Laughing Gull acquires a slate gray color on its back and sides, but keeps all other characteristics. Laughing Gulls are noisy, aggressive, quarrelsome birds. They also feed on the eggs and young of other birds, including those of their own kind. The Laughing Gull is also a very sociable bird that migrates, rests, hunts, and scavenges with other Laughing Gulls. The Laughing Gull is the largest of the dark-hooded gulls. It is apparently named, as its extended, "ha-ha-ha" call resembles laughter. It is a carnivore as well as a scavenger. In the wild, it will eat insects, fish, shellfish, and crabs. The laughing gull is heterotrophic , it also happens to be endothermic.www.imagesgoogle.com

Delsy Daly     6-3

American White Ibis

     The scientific name for this bird is Eudocimus albus. This bird lives on the East coast during summer and winter. The domain is Eukarya, the kingdom is Animalia, the phylum is chordata, the class is Aves, the order is Ciconiiformers, the family is Threshiornithidae, the genus is Eudocimus, and the species is albus. Some interesting facts about the White Ibis is that they have five stages during breeding season, when there are colonies, there can be up to 1,500 birds. Swarming over your head. These birds breed once a year, last but not least, they are heterotrophic. Heterotrophic means they rely on other organisms. Not producing their own like plants. Some of their predators that they need to watch out for is a White Crow, raccoons, alligators, rat snakes, Virginia opossums, and much more. The American White Ibis stay quiet when they catch their prey but they can make a honking noise. They use their long beaks to find food through the pluff mud and other places. When a bird needs help to get away from a predator, every bird comes together and tries to scare it away. This bird has a white body, a long orange beak then to black, the face is red, and the feet are red.

Delsy Daly      6-3

Bags of Oyster Field Trip!

    The whole sixth grade went on a field trip. We were shoveling up dead oysters from a big pile , putting them in mesh, then tying a knot at the end of the mesh. Mesh is this kind of net to hold all the oysters and others as well. We were instructed on how to do this. After all of us knew what to do, we started. There was two or three people in each group. Each group would have at least one bucket to collect the oysters, we would also get this tube.(I forgot what it was called)Once you filled the bucket with oysters, fill the tube with them and don't forget to put the mesh on first! We kept doing this and it was so awesome. My partners were Maddison and Quinn. Not only was it fun but we were saving the world. Oysters filter the water, they prevent erosion, they are a food source, and they provide a habitats for other organisms. This year, sixth grade had made more bags then last year, that was such a big accomplishment! This was one of the best field trips so far that I have had. Everyone did great!

My Favorite Field Trip!!!!
when we went on the kayaking field trip I had a blast. when Nat Nat and I hoped into the kayak we were both filled and overflowing with excitement, joy, happiness! we might have kayaked for three whole miles, but it was worth it. one of my favorite parts of the field trip was when we saw  all of those pretty panoramic views.  my favorite view is when I could see the ravenel bridge in full a perspective. my other favorite part of the field trip is when we made a human sail. the whole idea of all of us standing up at once was pretty intimidating but we pushed through it and accomplished it.
The hardest part of the field trip is when we were heading back. that's when our pedal decided to break. Nat Nat and I HAD TO PUUUSH every time we had to turn.

                                                     Horseshoe Crab
                                   Charadrius melodus

Habitat:  Along the east coast of North America from Maine through south Florida and the Gulf of
               Mexico to the Yucatan Peninsula.

Domain:  Eukarya
Kingdom:  Animalia
Phylum:  Arthopoda
Class:  Merostaomata
Order:  Xiphosura
Family:  Limulidae
Genus:  Limulus
Species:  polyphemus

     The horseshoe crab's symmetry is bilateral.  It is round with a brownish green exoskeleton and spike-like tail.  A structural adaptation is it's compound eyes.  This helps the crab have a sense of direction in murky waters.  A behavioral adaptation is that it lays eggs on land.  This helps them to develop quicker and protects them from prey.  A functional adaptation is that when they are injured the granulocytes in their body will immediately seal off the injured area.  An interesting fact about the horseshoe crab is that it is actually not a crab and is more closely related to arachnids.  Their prey are worms and clams.  Their predators are the shorebirds that eat their eggs.  They are heterotrophic and ectothermic.

Grice Marine Lab Reflection

Grice Marine Lab

        During our trip to Grice Marine Lab, I experienced many things such as going in the deep water where there were many organisms that we discovered while seining. We saw an caught many animals including pipefish, anchovies and guppies. I thought I stepped on a crab because it felt hard. It scampered away so I'm not sure what it was. One time thought I saw a sponge, but Mrs. Cook corrected me and said it was a brick…oops. In the lab we saw many jarred specimens such octopus, crabs and gigantic fish. They used these specimens for sampling and research. While I was browsing the specimens, I saw some very cool, tiny white squids. They explained that they taught classes for students to help them learn about the environment. In another room, we observed tanks with live urchins and sea plants. We also learned that some of our aquatic organisms are invasive which is a problem that they are trying to resolve through research. There were a few racks of really interesting shells from different beaches – conchs, clams and other shells.

      I learned that Grice Marine Lab is trying to help different ecosystems through their research. They help by preventing invasive species and encouraging us to help care for the environment. 

laughing gull

Laughing gull
(Larus atricilla)
The laughing gull prefers beaches for a nesting area. Their Domain is Eukarya, their Kingdom is Anamalia, Phylum Chordata, Class Aves, Order Charadriiformes, Family is Laridae, Genus is Larus, and the Species is Larus atricilla. They have bilateral symmetry. One structural adaptation is countershading. This helps them by not being eaten by a shark or anything in the ocean. Another structural adaptation is their hollow bones that help them fly. One more adaptation is their calls. this helps them communicate and know what happened to others in the flock. Its also very annoying ;) 
 picture from animaldiversity.web

Mason Nistad-Striped Burrfish

Mason Nistad

This picture is from http://www.aqua.org/~/media/Images/Animals/Striped%20burrfish/animals-stripedburrfish-slide1-web.jpg

Striped Burrfish

Chilomycterus schoepfi

You can find the striped burrfish in bay grass beds, but more specifically North Carolina to Florida and in the Gulf of Mexico. All organisms have a domain, kingdom, phylum, class, family, genus and species. Its domain is Eukarya, its kingdom is Animalia, its phylum is Chordata, its class is Actinopterygii, its order is Tetraodontiformes, its family is Diodontidae, its genus is Chilomycterus and its species is schoepfi. The striped burrfish has bilateral symmetry, which means if you were to draw a line down the center of the organism each side would match up perfectly. The striped burrfish is an oval shape covered in many small spikes. A structural adaptation that the fish has is its small spikes around its body that protect it from other organisms, it also makes it painful to eat this fish. Another structural adaptation is its jaw. The striped burrfish has a strong jaw to chomp down on its prey. The last adaptation is behavioral and that is when the striped burrfish blows up. When they do that it scares other organisms and keep them away. A fun fact about this organism is that you actually might think about it as a puffer fish which is a super common name for this organism. The striped burrfish diet consist of crabs, shrimp, mussels. Humans are the ones who mostly eat the striped burrfish. The striped burrfish is a heterotrophic organism which means they get energy by eating other organisms. Lastly, the striped burrfish is an ectothermic organism, or commonly put to words as cold-blooded, or changing body temperature when the environment changes temperature.

The kayaking field trip was one that I will never forget. It had lots of different species of birds, fish, and more! I saw pelicans, cormorants, oysters, snails, barnacles, pluff mud, and lots of spartina grass.  I was surprised to see lots more animals that I expected. This trip wasn’t only educational but fun too! I got to go kayaking and make a human sail which was an experience I will never forget. I have learned lots of cool and interesting facts about different organisms and how to be responsible. At first, we got partners and kayaks. Next we got paddles and learned how to use them. While we were doing that, the kayaks were brought to the dock and put in the water. We all regrouped back at the dock and learned hot to properly get into the kayak without “Bottom to the water”. Next we all met up in the spartina grass so no one would get left behind. Then we followed the leader around a small island to a large body of water where we all linked arms so the two middle people could stand up, then the rest of the people stand up from the middle out. Then we made our way to review and learn more. Lastly we went back to the center and went back to school. I loved having the time of my life and overall this day was amazing and I hope we can come back or do more activities like this!

By: Meredith M

Oyster Bagging Reflection

Bagging the oysters made me think how important we are to our environment.  If we had not packed 18,000+ pounds of bagged oysters some of our beautiful estuaries, beaches, and islands would have erosion and all the beautiful plants would be washed away, taking all of the beautiful creatures with it.  We would not be able to experience the nice days on the beach of an island where no one else is around.  We would also not be able to go on a hiking trip on the beach to see wonderful creatures.  Sophie and I worked very hard to get our bags filled with oysters.   We worked very hard, even though our backs were hurting from shoveling the oysters in the buckets and our arms were tired from lifting the heavy oyster bags.  We kept pushing through to get to the finish line.  Sophie and I got scrapes and bruises but we finally finished with 152 bags.  Overall, I want to thank Mrs. Cook for taking us on this trip and making me think about our environment.  (Thank you Mrs. Cookie!)

Blue crab

(Callinectes sapidus)

Callinectes sapidus, the blue crab, is a bottom-dweller found in a variety of habitats ranging from the saltiest water of the gulf to almost fresh water of the back bays. Especially common in estuaries, this species ranges into fresh water, and may be found offshore. Callinectes sapidus spreads from the western Atlantic Ocean from Nova Scotia to Argentina, it was introduced, accidentally or deliberately, into both Asia and Europe. Classification

Kingdom

Animalia

__________________________________________

Phylum

Arthropoda

__________________________________________________

Class

Malacostraca

____________________________________________

Order

Decapoda

 ____________________________________________

Family

Portunidae

_________________________________________________

Genus

Callinectes

__________________________________________________

Species

Callinectes sapidus

______________________________________________________-

A Blue crab has a bilateral symmetry which means if you cut it in half and fold it together then it would match up. On the top part of its body it is an olive color.  In the cracks were the top ends of its pincher claws meet up they are a light baby blue and at the end of the claws it just happens to be bright orange. To accommodate swimming, the fifth leg is adapted to a paddle-like shape. Callinectes sapidus is very aggressive when threatened, except when it has recently molted and still has soft shells leaving it vulnerable. The crab will also burrow into the sand to hide. Callinectes sapidus is an active swimmer and has its last pair of walking legs adapted to be shaped like a paddle to accommodate swimming. It also has three pairs of walking legs. Blue crabs have three pairs of legs and walk sideways. Its main predators are humans and sea turtles. Its prey includes fish, aquatic vegetation, mollusks, crustaceans, and annelids. Blue crabs are heterotrophic. Blue crabs are endothermic.www.googleimages.com

My Reflection: 

My favorite trip out of all of them was probably the kayaking one. My favorite part about it was that we all worked together. Caroline, Meridith, Ellie and I were in a competition and sadly Ellie and I lost. I had a great time and I think that is speaking for the whole 6th grade! We got our workout by kayaking three miles. It didn't feel that long because of how much fun I had. My favorite part about this trip all together thought was when we made the human sail. I loved how we all worked together and completed something without anyone falling. We all helped each other up which made it take time but everything fun takes time. It was a few peoples first time kayaking which made it hard for them so some people had to learn a new thing which was probably cool for them. The men who put it together really did a good job! I want to give them a big thanks for making our day so much fun! I hope we can do something like that again!!!

periwinkle

Marsh Periwinkle
(Littorina irrorata)
The marsh periwinkle lives in brackish water areas. They are small and light to dark gray. This snail comes from the Domain Eukarya, the Kingdom Animalia, the Phylum Mollusca, the Class Gastropoda, the Order Neotaenioglossa, the Family Littorinidae, the Genus Littorina, and the species Littorina irrorata. They have radial symmetry. A structural adaptation is how small they are. This helps them with predators so that they are hard to catch. Another behavioral adaptation is that they slide up and down the spartina grass (their natural habitat) and eat the stuff on it instead of moving around on the shoreline where they could get squashed. Another structural adaptation is their shell which protects them like armor because under the shell, they are very soft.
  picture from animaldiversity.web

Laughing Gull(Larus atricilla)

The Larus atricilla also known as the laughing gull lives on beaches and estuaries and islands with warm 

water. The domain is Eukarya and the kingdom is Animalia.  The phylum is Chordata, the class is Aves, and 

the order is Charadriiformes.  The family is Laridae and the genus is Larus and the species is Atricilla.  The 

laughing gull has bilateral symmetry, which means if you were to fold the gull in half it would match up.  The laughing gull is black, white, and gray.  Three adaptations that the laughing gull has are webbed feet to swim faster through water, wings so they can fly, and little feet so they can run fast.  The prey of the laughing gull

                                             Striped Burrfish
                        Chilomycterus schoepfi

Habitat:  Gulf of Mexico to Brazil and as far north as Maine.

Domain:  Eukarya
Kingdom:  Animalia
Phylum:  Chordata
Class:  Actinopterygii
Order:  Tetraodontiformes
Family:  Diodontidae
Genus:  Chilomycterus
Species:  schoepfi

     The Striped Burrfish has bilateral symmetry.  They are yellowish-green with dark, wavy stripes.  One behavioral adaptation is they puff up into a spiny ball to scare off predators.  Another behavioral  adaptation is that they squirt water out of their gill openings, which helps them move forward.  A structural adaptation is they have large jaws that allow them to crush the shells of mollusks to eat.  An interesting fact about the Striped Burrfish is that they move by waving their side and tail fins, not by using their entire body like most fish.  Their prey are barnacles and hermit crabs.  They have no predators because of it's spine when it puffs up.  They are heterotrophic and ectothermic.

Human (Homo sapiens)

The human, otherwise known has the Homo sapiens, live all around the world. The domain-Eukarya;kingdom-Animalia;phylum-Chordata;class-Vertebrata;order-Mammalia;family-Hominidae; genus-Homo;species-Sapiens.  Humans have bilateral symmetry which means humans have symmetry and if you where to fold us in half then we would match up. Humans come in many different sizes and humans come in different colors too. Humans eat everything- things to mushrooms to alligator. The predators of a human are sharks, and any animal that is big and has sharp teeth like a tiger. Humans are heterotrophic. Humans are also endothermic. Three adaptations are they have noses so they can smell and they have eyes to see and last they have ears to hear. A cool fact about humans are that they live all around the world.

Stingray

Potamotrygon motoro

I found this on http://animaldiversity.org

Domain- Eukarya

Kingdom- Animalia

Phylum- Chordata

Class-Chrondrichthyes

Order- Rajiformes

Family-Potamotrygonidae

Genus- Potamotrygon

Species- Potamotrygon motoro

Habitat- Are found in tropical freshwater rivers. They prefer calm waters with sandy substrates, mostly brook edges, streams and lagoons.

Have bilateral symmetry, are heterotrophic, and are ectothermic. The stingray has orange to yellow eyespots with black rings. The body color is grayish-brown and oval with a venomous tail. Their longest recorded length in 100 cm. Stingrays have eyes located on the head that give them 360 degrees of vision. They are usually by themselves except during breeding. They partially bury themselves under the sand to blend in with their environment to protect themselves from predators. Their venomous spine is an anti-predator adaptation. Juvenile stingrays eat plankton, small mollusks, crustaceans and aquatic insects. Adults eat fish, crustaceans, gastropods, aquatic insects and flying insects. The stingrays main predators are humans, caimans and large fish.

Silverfish

By: Raegan Propes

This organism is called a Silverfish also known by its scientific name Lepisma saccharina. You can find this organism near rocks and logs. They like to be in any tempature from 70degrees to 80degrees. The domain is Eukaryote, the kingdom is Animala, the phylum is Athropada, the class is Insecta, the order is Zygentoma, the family is Lepismatidea, the genus is Lepisima, and the species is Lepisma saccharina. This organism doesn't have wings with a flat body. Their body is 0.7-1.9cm long. (structural) Their tail is usually as long at their body. (structural) This organism has two spikes on it, one on each side. (structural) A Silverfish has bilateral symmetry, which means they can be divided into two parts that are mirror images of each other. This animal is a heterotroph (eats mostly everything and also other heterotrophs) and also is endothermic(warmblooded). The prey of this organism is small leaves and flowers. Their predators are few humans and some birds. A fun fact about this organism is that they are acte at night and try to hide during the day.

from google

Pipefish

Solenostomus paradoxus

I found this on http://animaldiversity.org

Domain-  Eukarya

Kingdom-  Animalia

Phylum-  Chordata

Class- Actinopterygii

Order-  Syngnathiformes

Family- Solenostomidae

Genus- Solenostomus

Species-Paradoxus

Habitat- Are found in shallow waters, mainly near coral reefs, rocky drop-offs or seaweed beds.

Have bilateral symmetry, are heterotrophic, and are ectothermic. The pipefish has a head region that represents over one third of the total body length. The typical body color patterns include dark red with yellow and orange splotches and yellow with light spots. They usually travel alone but have been seen in pairs. They are known to be weak swimmers and move forward by fanning its fins rapidly. Very little is known about their behavior. Their brood size can be as high as 350. The pipefish is an ambush predator that eats by sucking small aquatics animals into its mouth.

Common Seahorse

By: Raegan Propes 

  This animal is a common seashore also known by its scientific name, Hippocampus seahorse. You can find this organism in 0-8 meters of water in the pacific ocean. The domain of this organism is Eukaryote, the kingdom is Animala, the phylum is Chordata, the class is Actinoptergii, the order is syngnathidae, the family is Syngnathifromes, the genus is Hippocampus and the species is Hippocampus seahorse. This organism is small with spots and a curvy body. A common seahorse has a long narrow snout to help suck prey out of small spaces. (functional) This organism is a slow swimmer so it has a curved tail to help it swim. (structural) This organism also has spots to stay camouflaged. (structural) A Common Seahorse has bilateral symmetry, which means they can be divided into two parts that are mirror images of each other. This animal is a heterotroph (eats mostly everything and also other heterotrophs) and also is endothermic(warmblooded). The prey of this organism is zooplankton, small larve fish and crustaceans. The predators of this organism are humans, loggerhead sea turtles, tuna, rays, crabs, and skates. A fun fact about this organism is that the male holds the eggs instead of the females

from google

Common Seahorse

Hippocampus kuda

I found this on http://animaldiversity.org

Domain-  Eukarya

Kingdom- Animalia  

Phylum-  Chordata

Class- Actinopterygii

Order-  Syngnathiformes

Family- Syngnathidae

Genus-  Hippocampus

Species- Kuda

Habitat- Mostly live around tropical areas: saltwater or marine.

They have bilateral symmetry, are heterotrophic, and are ectothermic. They have a curved trunk and prehensile tail and come in a variety of colors. They will camouflage with their surroundings to avoid predators and are only active at daytime. They are also poor swimmers so they generally stay anchored to substrates using their tails. A little known fact is that the male will carry and give birth to the baby seahorses. They feed on zooplankton, small crustaceans, and larval fish. Their predators are loggerhead sea turtles, tunas, dorados, skates, rays, crabs, and mainly humans. 

   Brown Pelican (Pelecanus occidentalis)

The Brown Pelican otherwise known as the Pelecanus occidentalis, lives in warm shallow waters along the coast line. The Brown Pelican doesn’t go farther than 20 miles of the coast line. The domain-Eukarya; kingdom-Animalia;phylum-Chordata;class-Sarcopterygii;order-Pelrcaniformes;family-Pelecanidae;genus-Pelecanus;species-Occidentalis.  

This organism is endothermic with means the temp of this animal should stay the same and that it should not change very much. This animal has bilateral symmetry which means that it does have symmetry, and of you where to cut the animal in hatf it would match up on each side. The Brown Pelican is large with a wingspand of 78.7 inches for a adult. The animal is brown with a also large body. Three adaptations that this organism has is sitting on their eggs to keep warm. they are very fluffy so that helps keep them warm, another adaptation that the Brown Pelican has is is having a pointy beak to dive down to get prey to eat and last but not least they have a big beak to carry a fish or a few. Prey:Fish and shrimp.Predators: Raccoons, humans, Sea lion, sharks, American Alligator.This animal is heterotrophic which means it consumes and does not produce. A cool fact about the Brown Pelican is that they have a big beak to hold fish and water in their big month/ beak for if they had to fly a little bit.

Anchovy

Engraulis mordax

I found this on http://animaldiversity.org

Domain-  Eukarya

Kingdom-  Animalia

Phylum- Chordata

Class-  Actinopterygii

Order- Clupeiformes

Family-Engraulidae

Genus- Engraulis

Species- mordax

  

Habitat- Is a species that favors areas of coastal upwelling. Can tolerate temperatures from 8 to 25 degrees Celsius.

They have bilateral symmetry, are heterotrophic, and are ectothermic. Are small, slightly compressed and have large inferior mouths. Are shiny silver along the ventral surface. They use their swim bladders to float and swim. Anchovies will form large schools to defend themselves and search for prey. Will use their lateral line to sense their environment. A known fact is that anchovies will live from 4 to 7 years of age.  Anchovies feed on krill, copepods, and decapod  larvae. Their predators are a wide variety of fish, seabirds, and marine mammals. 

Puffer Fish

By: Raegan Propes

This organism is a puffer fish also known by its scientific name, Diodon holocanthus. You can find this organism in shallow areas in the atlantic and pacific ocean. The domain is  Eukaryote, the kingdom is Animala, the phylum is Chordata, the class is Actinopterygii, the order is tetaodonriformes, the family is Diodantidae, the Genus is Diodon, and the Species is Diodon holocanthus. This organism has black dots around it with spikes on its back. This organism is a potato shape. A puffer fish blows up like a baloon when it is scared and it is harder to eat. (behavioral) This organism has spikes to offend itself from its predators. (structural) This organism has small fins so it is a very slow swimmer. (structural) A Puffer Fish has bilateral symmetry, which means they can be divided into two parts that are mirror images of each other. This animal is a heterotroph (eats mostly everything and also other heterotrophs) and also is endothermic(warmblooded). This organism doesn't have any predators because it stays hidden all day long, then comes out when every other organism is asleep. This organism does have prey, and they are small crabs, whelks, moon snails, and periwinkles. A fun fact about this organism is that some the eggs they lay float in the water. 

from google