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cord grass bed oyster reefs mud flat sandy bottom open water
silverside seahorse northern pipefish sea star hermit crab oyster toadfish
HABITATS: SALT MARSH & OCEAN
“On Your Own” at the Virginia Aquarium for Ocean Collections Boat Trip Habitats are specialized to their location, and the type s of sediment, plants, and animals all differ. In the salt marsh, we can find
grass beds, oyster reefs, and open mud flats. Out in the ocean, sandy bottoms, artificial and natural reefs can be found.
Organisms are able to adapt to their habitats so they can survive.
Draw lines to match the animals to their habitat. Animals can be used more than once . Habitats can house multiple animals.
Several of these animals use camouflage to help protect them in their habitats. Which animals use this? What habitat? What
in their habitat do they camouflage with?
Animal Habitat Adaptation(s)
TIDAL INFLUENCES IN THE MARSH “On Your Own” at the Virginia Aquarium for Ocean Collections Boat Trip
Write the number of the appropriate tidal zone next to the animal that lives there. Below, list adaptations
animals need to survive in each tidal zone.
1. NONTIDAL ZONE
2. INTERTIDAL ZONE
3. SUBTIDAL ZONE
osprey
oyster
blue crab
great egret
periwinkle snail
Atlantic needlefish
lined seahorse
1. Nontidal zone:
2. Intertidal zone:
3. Subtidal zone:
FOOD WEB OF THE MARSH & OCEAN “On Your Own” at the Virginia Aquarium for Ocean Collections Boat Trip
Food chains are a natural feature in every habitat. These chains link together to create complex food webs.
List the animals you viewed during your boat trip. Which is a top predator? Which animals are scavengers?
Salt marsh
Atlantic ocean
Menhaden (2) Plankton (1) Osprey (4) Striped bass (3)
A food web is several food chains combined and overlapping each other. In the section below, draw lines and arrows connecting
the prey to its predator.
FISH ADAPTATIONS Part 1 “On Your Own” at the Virginia Aquarium for Ocean Collections Boat Trip
Adaptations are special features that help an animal live in its habitat. The mouth and body of a fish can tell
us a lot about its feeding habits and swimming style. Look at the different adaptations, then answer the
questions on the next page about the fish you saw on the trip.
mouth position:
Inferior:
The mouth opens downward, some fish
use this mouth to eat food off the bottom.
Superior:
The mouth is angled upwards. Fish will sit quietly,
waiting for prey to swim above them.
Terminal:
The mouth is located at the very end of the head.
Fast swimming predatory fish have this mouth.
body shape:
Fusiform
This is the typical fish body shape. This
type of body makes it easier for the fish
to swim for a long time without getting
tired.
Laterally Compressed
Flattened side to side makes it easier for
this fish to move around with a burst of
speed.
Depressed
Being flattened from top to bottom makes it
easier for fish to live on the bottom, where they
can hide and feed.
Elongated
An eel like body allows for easy move-
ment through marsh grasses, oyster
beds, and rocky openings.
caudal fin shape:
Forked:
These caudal fins allow for
continuous swimming
while conserving energy.
Lunate:
The fastest swimming fish tend to
have lunate caudal fins, this allows
for faster speeds with less energy.
Truncate or rounded:
These fins allow for slow swim-
ming but can give quick bursts
of speed.
Elongated:
This tail fin allows fish to
swim in and around
tight spaces.
Pick a fish. Describe the adaptations. (mouth position, body shape, tail fin shape) _____
_____
_____
__________________________________________________________________________________________
What food do you think this fish would eat? _____
_____
____________
How would these adaptations allow the animal to avoid predators? _____
_____
____________
Pick a fish, and watch it for 2-3 minutes. Draw a line in the box to show how this fish swam through the aquarium. Ex-
plain if the movement would help it chase down prey, or hide from a predator.
FISH ADAPTATIONS Part 2 “On Your Own” at the Virginia Aquarium for Ocean Collections Boat Trip
The caudal (tail) fin shows how the fish will swim. By looking at the caudal fin we can learn if the fish swims
fast or slow, and where it might live, in the creek or ocean.
Invertebrates come in all shapes. Some have an exoskeleton, some have a shell, and others have neither. List
the advantages and disadvantages of these body types in the classifications below. Name 3 examples of each
that you may see on an Ocean Collections trip, as well as their preferred habitat (salt marsh or ocean).
Arthropods, such as blue crabs, have a hard exoskeleton they shed as they grow.
Advantages:
Disadvantages:
3 examples:
Habitat (circle one): salt marsh ocean
Some mollusks, such as sea snails, have a hard outer shell covering their body.
Advantages:
Disadvantages:
3 examples:
Habitat (circle one): salt marsh ocean
Echinoderms are five sided animals that have soft bodies, covered with tiny spines.
Advantages:
Disadvantages:
3 examples:
Habitat (circle one): salt marsh ocean
INVERTEBRATES
“On Your Own” at the Virginia Aquarium for Ocean Collections Boat Trip
Cnidarians often have tentacles and can be free-swimming or fixed in one place.
Advantages:
Disadvantages:
3 examples:
Habitat (circle one): salt marsh ocean
LIFE IN THE MARSH “On Your Own” at the Virginia Aquarium for Ocean Collections Boat Trip
Taxonomy; Kingdom, Phylum: _______________________________
Habitat: _______________________________ Entire Life in Creek or Use as Nursery (circle one)
What does the habitat provide? ___________________________________________
What adaptations does it have to survive? ____________________________________
Taxonomy; Kingdom, Phylum: _______________________________
Habitat: _______________________________ Entire Life in Creek or Use as Nursery (circle one)
What does the habitat provide? ___________________________________________
What adaptations does it have to survive? ____________________________________
Taxonomy; Kingdom, Phylum: _______________________________
Habitat: _______________________________ Entire Life in Creek or Use as Nursery (circle one)
What does the habitat provide? ___________________________________________
What adaptations does it have to survive? ____________________________________
Taxonomy; Kingdom, Phylum: _______________________________
Habitat: _______________________________ Entire Life in Creek or Use as Nursery (circle one)
What does the habitat provide? ___________________________________________
What adaptations does it have to survive? ____________________________________
Taxonomy; Kingdom, Phylum: _______________________________
Habitat: _______________________________ Entire Life in Creek or Use as Nursery (circle one)
What does the habitat provide? ___________________________________________
What adaptations does it have to survive? ____________________________________
Taxonomy; Kingdom, Phylum: _______________________________
Habitat: _______________________________ Entire Life in Creek or Use as Nursery (circle one)
What does the habitat provide? ___________________________________________
What adaptations does it have to survive? ____________________________________
Many animals spend their entire lives in salt marshes, while others only use it as a nursery and move out into
the open ocean to live their adult lives. Identify the taxonomy of the animals below, state whether they live
in the marsh for their lifetime or only as a nursery. Explain if the habitats provide food or shelter, and what
adaptations they have to survive.
blue crab
lookdown
great egret
periwinkle snail
grass shrimp
lined seahorse
CRAB CLAW ID “On Your Own” at the Virginia Aquarium for Ocean Collections Boat Trip
Animal: _________________________________
Claw Function: ____________________________
Animal: _________________________________
Claw Function: ____________________________
Animal: _________________________________
Claw Function: ____________________________
Animal: _________________________________
Claw Function: ____________________________
Crabs have many adaptations to being able to thrive in their habitat. Claws differences are one example, and
can be unique to each species. They serve a special function for that animal such as feeding, self-defense, or
territorial/mating displays.
Look at the following images of crab claws. Identify the species of crab, and explain the special function each
claw serves.
The teeth found in a fish’s mouth can explain its hunting style and type of prey it will go after. Identify the
species of fish, and describe what kind of prey it will go after. Discuss how the teeth are used to catch the
prey.
TEETH ID “On Your Own” at the Virginia Aquarium for Ocean Collections Boat Trip
Animal:
Prey:
Feeding technique:
Mouth location:
Animal:
Prey:
Feeding technique:
Mouth location:
Animal:
Prey:
Feeding technique:
Mouth location:
Animal:
Prey:
Feeding technique:
Mouth location:
LIFE IN THE WATER COLUMN Part 1 “On Your Own” at the Virginia Aquarium for Ocean Collections Boat Trip
A: water surface
B: mid-water
C: sea floor
Many animals live in specific areas of the water column.
On the following page look at the animals listed. Decide the following:
What area(s) of the water column they will live? What adaptations do they have for thriving there?
Is the animal a producer or consumer? What would they prey on? What potential predators would they
have?
LIFE IN THE WATER COLUMN Part 2 “On Your Own” at the Virginia Aquarium for Ocean Collections Boat Trip
Water Column: A B C (circle one)
Adaptations:
Producer or Consumer (circle one)
Prey:
Predators:
Water Column: A B C (circle one)
Adaptations:
Producer or Consumer (circle one)
Prey:
Predators:
Water Column: A B C (circle one)
Adaptations:
Producer or Consumer (circle one)
Prey:
Predators:
Water Column: A B C (circle one)
Adaptations:
Producer or Consumer (circle one)
Prey:
Predators:
Water Column: A B C (circle one)
Adaptations:
Producer or Consumer (circle one)
Prey:
Predators:
Water Column: A B C (circle one)
Adaptations:
Producer or Consumer (circle one)
Prey:
Predators:
summer flounder
sandbar shark
bay anchovy
blue crab
plankton
lined seahorse
For the animals listed, research the varying stages they go through from birth to adult. Answer the questions
below, and find a unique fun fact for each animal.
LIFE STAGES “On Your Own” at the Virginia Aquarium for Ocean Collections Boat Trip
Female blue crab
with eggs Blue crab zoea Blue crab megalops Adult blue crab
Birth: Egg or live birth (circle one)
Approximate number of young:
Types of life stages from birth to adult:
Fun fact:
Birth: Egg or live birth (circle one)
Approximate number of young:
Types of life stages from birth to adult:
Fun fact:
Birth: Egg or live birth (circle one)
Approximate number of young:
Types of life stages from birth to adult:
Fun fact:
Birth: Egg or live birth (circle one)
Approximate number of young:
Types of life stages from birth to adult:
Fun fact:
clearnose skate
lined seahorse
speckled trout
stinging nettle
In the aquatic environment, there are a few different adaptations that animals have to respire.
Below, describe how the animals breathe, what biological mechanisms are in place for respiration, and if they
breathe air or water.
BREATHING “On Your Own” at the Virginia Aquarium for Ocean Collections Boat Trip
Lungs or gills (circle one)
Special adaptations for breathing:
Lungs or gills (circle one)
Special adaptations for breathing:
Lungs or gills (circle one)
Special adaptations for breathing:
Lungs or gills (circle one)
Special adaptations for breathing:
Lungs or gills (circle one)
Special adaptations for breathing:
cownose ray
black –fingered mud crab
oyster
great egret
bottlenose dolphin
PREDATORY DEFENSE “On Your Own” at the Virginia Aquarium for Ocean Collections Boat Trip
Animals have many different ways to protect themselves. Speed, camouflage, venom, and hard shells are a
few examples that may help an organism avoid becoming prey. Below, consider the habitat of each animal
pictured, and their body design. List the predators they may have and what adaptations are in place to offer
defense.
Predators:
Defense Adaptation:
Predators:
Defense Adaptation:
Predators:
Defense Adaptation:
Predators:
Defense Adaptation:
Predators:
Defense Adaptation:
Atlantic stingray
banded hermit crab
hogchoker
brief squid
stinging nettle