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6.6 Unit Challenge Resource: Lake Species Fact Sheets

Organism: Freshwater Sponge (Spongilla spp.)

Freshwater sponges are organisms that grow on rock and other objects that do not usually move such as sunken logs in lakes and rivers. The sponges are sensitive to pollution, and so this means they are found in clear, clean water. Much like the sponges found in oceans, freshwater sponges have special cells that allow them to filter food from the water which means as water passes through their bodies they filter out food particles. Typical food for freshwater sponges include bacteria and broken down plant and animal parts, called detritus. Freshwater sponges also have a mutualistic relationship with algae, which is why they are green. The sponge provides a place to live and in return the algae produces food for the freshwater sponge. When no algae are on a sponge they are white. Because they are filter feeders they are limited by available food in the water. Since they are sensitive to water quality, their survival can be limited by pollution. Freshwater sponges have been found to compete with the invasive zebra mussel for habitat, because they both use similar places to grow. Freshwater sponges are food for caddisfly larvae, midges, crayfish, and ducks. Their survival can also be limited by predation, flooding, droughts, and habitat loss.

Fun facts/questions to answer after reading article about Freshwater Sponge

1) How many species of freshwater sponge are there?2) Are freshwater sponges soft (delicate) or hard? 3) What insect is a parasite of freshwater sponges?

Copyright, Michigan Technological University 2017, all rights reserved.


Organism: Long-leaf Pondweed (Potamogeton spp.)

Long-leaf pondweed is a type of plant that lives in water, which are called “aquatic” plants. Long-leaf pondweed are just one of a number of species of pondweed. They grow in calm water which means they are mostly found in ponds and lakes. Pondweed are generally found in the summer. Their leaves can be seen on the surface of the water. If you were to look underwater you would see more leaves below the surface as well. Because pondweed get their energy from sunlight they are called “photosynthetic”. Pondweed cannot grow if there is not enough sunlight or nutrients available in the water. Pondweed are important to many organisms for food and hiding. Small creatures like insect larvae and snails eat pondweed. Animals including wood ducks, mallards, Canada geese, muskrat, beaver, and turtles also eat pondweed. Because they require sunlight for energy, pondweed can compete with other aquatic plants including yellow pond lily, common duckweed, and hydrilla for sunlight and nutrients in the water that help them grow.

Fun facts/questions to answer after reading article about Long-leaf Pondweed:

1) What is the name of the special underground stem that pondweed have?2) Name three animals that use pondweed for both food and shelter:3) How long can the floating leaves grow to be?



Organism: Darner Dragonfly (Anax junius)

Darner dragonflies are a species of dragonfly that are usually found near plants along the shores of lakes and ponds. Young darner dragonflies live in lakes and rivers where they are great hunters. While living in water they hunt for small insects crawling around on the bottom of lakes and rivers. After growing for a period of time they leave the water, where they begin their adult life as a flying insect. Darners use their good eyesight and flying skills to hunt for other insects including flies, bees, butterflies, and beetles. Even though they are great hunters, darner dragonflies are also food for other animals including American robin, house sparrows, Eastern bluebirds, fishing spiders, and orchard orbweaver spider. Darner dragonflies lay their eggs near water, and because of this they also can be food for frogs and fish. Because of what they eat, dragonflies compete for food with some of their predators including birds and spiders.

Fun facts/questions to answer after reading article about Darner Dragonflies:

1) Before they can fly, where do young darners live? 2) How far can darner dragonflies migrate/move? 3) How long do adult darner dragonflies live?



Organism: Bluegill (Lepomis macrochirus)

Bluegill are a species of fish that live in lakes, ponds, and rivers. They often use wood, large rocks, and aquatic plants for hiding. In lakes, bluegill spend their time living between shallow areas near the shore and deeper areas out in the middle of the lake. Young bluegill usually eat small organisms in the water, which are called “aquatic organisms” including zooplankton. Adult bluegill eat honey bees, field crickets, earthworms, snails, darner dragonflies, fish such as golden shiner, yellow bullhead, and amphibians like Eastern newt and spring peeper frogs. When very little food is available, bluegill can switch to eating aquatic plants in order to survive, but this is not usually a big part of their diet. Bluegill are eaten by a number of fish species including largemouth bass, pike, common carp, turtles including Eastern painted turtles and common snapping turtles, and birds such as great blue heron. Bluegill survival can be limited by the amount of food available, water temperature and available oxygen, and predation.

Fun facts/questions to answer after reading article about Bluegill:

1) How long do bluegill grow to? 2) How many eggs can female bluegill lay? 3) What is one way that bluegill may help humans?



Organism: Common Loon (Gavia immer)

Common loons are a species of diving bird that live near lakes and ponds. They build their nests in protected areas near deep water, usually on islands or peninsulas so that they can swim to and from their nest without being seen by predators. These nests are made of grass, moss, soil, and other plants. Common loons are great swimmers and tend to eat aquatic animals including fish, crayfish, leeches, and sometimes plants. They use their eyesight to locate prey before diving underwater to catch their food. Young loons are able to eat small minnows as well as insects. Because common loons use their eyesight to hunt they require clear water. Although loons do not have many predators they can be eaten by sea otters (if they live near oceans), and large birds like bald eagles and osprey. Some predators including gulls, crows, ravens, bald eagles, raccoons, skunks, minks, weasels, snapping turtles, and large fish eat loon eggs. Because of what they eat, common loons indirectly compete with large predator fish such as pike and largemouth bass for food. They also compete with other birds for food such as bald eagles and great blue heron for fish. Common loons are limited by available habitat because they need to find lakes and ponds with deep areas next to land to build their nests. Also, these birds are sensitive to how clear the water is since they need clear water to hunt.

Fun facts/questions to answer after reading article about the Common Loon:

1) How old was the longest living wild common loon?2) How many eggs do female common loon lay when breeding?3) How do loons stay underwater so long?



Image Sources (Last Updated 07/10/2017)1) Photo by Kirt L. Onthank, distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike

3.0 Unported license: Freshwater Sponge (Spongilla spp.): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spongilla#/media/File:Spongilla_lacustris.jpg

2) Photo by Jim Conrad, distributed under Public Domain: Long-leaf Pondweed (Potamogeton spp.): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Potamogeton_nodosus#/media/File:Potamogeton_nodosus.jpg

3) Photo by Chuck Evan Mcevan, distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported license: Darner Dragonfly (Anax junius): https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Dragonfly_Common_Green_Darner_Female_Anax_junius_2010-04-18.jpg

4) Photo by U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service: Bluegill (Lepomis macrochirus): https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Lepomis_macrochirus_photo.jpg

5) Photo by John Pickens, distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic license: Common Loon (Gavia immer): https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Gavia_immer_-Minocqua,_Wisconsin,_USA_-swimming-8.jpg


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