#5 Cling Fish

#5 Cling Fish

Common Name: The Northern Cling Fish

Description:
- Contain tapering bodies with single dorsal fins, and flattened heads.
- In most species, their pelvic fins are modified into a sucking disc.
- Well developed lateral line (may not extend to the posterior parts of the body).
- Possesses a backbone
- Skin: smooth and scale-less, with a thick layer of protective mucus.
- They contain a cryptic colouration (in some cases can rapidly change colour to match their background.
- About 7.5 cm or less in length
- Contains a thin tail.
- Hides under rocks and within seaweed.

Taxonomy: 
- Kingdom: Animalia
- Phylum: Chordata
- Class: Actinopterygii
- Order: Gobiesociformes
- Family: Gobiesocidae
- Genus: Gobiesox
- Species: G. maeandricus
- Binomial Name: Gobiesox maeandricus

Ecology:
- The cling fish blends in with its environment, making it hard for predators to attack.
- Generally feed on small crustaceans like shrimp and small mollusks.
- May prey on limpets or chitons.
- Its mouth and sucker disc are adapted for hunting.
- They are aggressive feeders, and in an artificial habitat they will quickly take food or bite your finger.
- Cling fish can be cannibals meaning they will eat their own kind.
- Males are often larger than females.

Bibliography

Bibliography

Sites Used:

- http://www.wikipedia.org

- https://www.google.ca/imghp

- https://seaweedindustry.com

- http://eol.org

- http://kids.nationalgeographic.com/

- http://www.nationalgeographic.com/

- http://animals.howstuffworks.com/

- http://wiki.answers.com/

- http://www.seashellsandsuch.com/

- http://www.canadiangeographic.ca/

- http://decapoda.nhm.org/

- http://dictionary.reference.com/

- http://a-z-animals.com/

- ect...

Bonus Photos

Bonus Photos

This photo contains several species, for example; barnacles, starfish, lemon nudibranch, beetles and dead man's fingers.

This photo represents a mutualistic relationship between a mussel and barnacles. It is mutualistic because the mussel is receiving protection from predators that would try and eat it, because the barnacles are tough and sharp. The barnacles are given a safe, sturdy surface to attach to, as well as receiving food particles from the mussel.

#24 Starfish

#24 Starfish

(Pisaster Ochraceus)

Common Name: Purple Sea Star/Ochre Starfish

Description

- Purple color

- About the size of a man's hand 

- 5 arms about 7cm in length

- The arms are arranged around a central disk

- There surface is rough and contains several small spines(ossicles) that are arranged in a net-like pattern on the central disk

- They have tube feet with suckers on the ends which allow them to attach to a wide variety of surfaces

Taxonomy

- Kingdom: Animalia 

- Phylum: Echinodermata

- Class: Asteroidea

- Order: Forcipulatida

- Family: Asteriidae

- Genus: Pisaster

- Species: P. ochraceus

Ecology

- Pisaster has been described as a keystone species, they only have a few predators (sea gulls, otters).

- They can be found in great numbers on mussels beds and on rocky shores in crevices and under rocks.

- Pisaster starfish have been hit by Sea Star Wasting Disease, which is killing many starfish on the pacific northwest. The disease leaves legions on the ectoderm followed by tissue decay, which leads to fragmentation of the body and then death. The cause is still unknown at this point. However scientists believe it is due to environmental factors.

- If the disease persists and a cure is not found there will could be no sea stars left within a few years.

#23 Sea Snail

#23 Sea Snail

Common Name: Sea snail

Description

- Shell was white/cream colour and the snail its self was brown

- About 2 cm in length

- Has two antennae on its head

- Usually has a round and smooth shell with a spiral pattern

- Their shells are relatively small

Taxonomy

Kingdom: Anamilia

Phylum: Mollusca

Class: Gastropoda 

Family: Juliidae

Ecology
- They are used as food for many organisms in the ocean 
- A snails' body can produce a thick slime and because of this slime they are able to crawl across a sharp edge and not get injured
- Some snails are able to live up to 15 years
- Snails are hermaphroditic 
- They rely a lot on their sense of smell and touch to capture food because of their poor eyesight
- A snails' slime allows them to crawl upside down due to the suction created by their slime
- Snails are nocturnal
- A snails' poison is more deadly than morphine but is used in a different way

#22 Chiton

#22 Chiton

Common Name: Chiton

Description

- About 10 cm in length and oval in shape

- It has eight linearly overlapping plates

- Their shells can be either dull or brightly coloured

- When threatened the chiton will roll into a ball

- The mantle is found beneath the shell

- The gridle (lower edge of the mantle) extends bellow the the shell and helps the foot with gripping

- In some species the mantle is smooth and covered in scales, hairs or spines that give the animal a different appearance

- The mouth, located on the ventral surface in front of the foot contains a radula

- Most chitons are herbivores

- Most eat during the night and spend the day time under rock ledges

Taxonomy

Kingdom: Anamilia

Phylum: Mollusca

Class: Polyplacophora

Order: Neoloricata

Family: Chidonidae

Genus: Chiton

Ecology

- Sea urchins have spines for protection and some chitons live among the sea urchins and use this for protection from their predators

- Their valves are mostly made out of calcium carbonate

- Each its valves are shaped like a butterfly

- The foot and gridle are separated by a special groove and within the groove; you can find the chiton's gills

- The opening at the end of the digestive track is where the anus is located

- An adult chiton's head does not have any eyes or tentacles for it to use as sensory organs

#21 Fish Eggs

#21 Fish Eggs

Common Name: Fish eggs

General information
 - Colour: orange

- There are a lot of them clumped up together

- Found underneath a rock near the water

- The amount of time fish eggs take to hatch can be anywhere between 3 days and 2 weeks
- Fish will lays hundreds or thousands of eggs at a time due to predation and that it will give them a higher chance of passing their genes to the next generation
- Many of the eggs that are laid do not survive as the parents are not there to protect them
- Fish eggs are generally 1-2 mm in size
- Fish that stay and protect their young will lay fewer eggs than those that do not protect them because of the lower death rate