Gabi Biology 11: November 2012

On Thursday November 22 our class took a field trip to the Vancouver Aquarium. While we were there we conducted an experiment with snails to try and determine what they eat, we got to touch and learn about different sea creatures and also look around at all the species of animals there were at the aquarium. We went near the end of the week after we had been learning about different animals from different phylums that live in the ocean. We had learned about sponges from the phylum Porifera and a variety of jellyfish from the phylum Cnidaria. On our trip to the aquarium we were fortunate to see both of these magnificent animals. We went on this trip to try and acquire new knowledge about these amazing creatures and to also provide a kinesthetic environment for learning. On our behind the scenes look at the tanks of sea anemones, sea stars and hermit crabs we got to see how the animals would behave in their natural habitat which I know helped me make connections to what we are learning in class. Having the leaders explain to us about the species in each tank also taught us more in addition to the knowledge we already had from class. My favourite part of thee whole trip was getting to touch the sea anemones and the sea cucumbers and see how they would react if another animal would touch them. The sea anemones that we got to touch didn't have enough venom in them to sting us badly but when we did touch them they felt sticky. I also liked holding the sea urchins and seeing the difference in their structure between when you held them out of water and then inside the water. Another creature I really enjoyed looking at was the sea stars because when I held one in my hand it slowly molded its body to the shape of my hand the way it would if it was sitting on the side of a rock, which I found really neat.

The Clown Fish and the Sea Anemone have a symbiotic relationship, which means they both benefit. The Clown Fish scares off any other fish that might try and eat the anemone and it also drops bits of food that the anemone picks up, while the stinging tentacles of the anemone provide protection for the Clown Fish.

Otters spend so much time cleaning their coats because that is what allows them to survive in the chilly waters that they live in. Their thick layer of fur traps the air and insulates the otter.

Before the year 1900 sea otters could be found in the North Pacific Ocean and more specifically near Alaska and California. However, the sea otters were being hunted for their fur before the 1900's so there weren't alot of otters in the world. In the early 1900's people were banned from hunting otters and around the1960's and 1970's sea otters started to be reintroduced to Alaska and California.

The colour of the sea anemones beside the sea otters tank is red, green and purple.

In order to protect themselves jellyfish have structures in the end of their tentacles called nematocysts which sting any predators that might try and eat them. Jellyfish also use these nematocysts to attack their prey which they will sting and eat. To move around, jellyfish use their long tentacles to propel themselves as well as contracting the muscles in their bell-shaped body to create a jet-like propulsion. Another adaptation that allows jellyfish to survive is that they are mostly made up of water so they can float easier.

The scientific name of beluga whales is Delphinapterus leucas. There are two at the Vancouver Aquarium currently.

The seahorses that we saw at the Aquarium weren't Potbelly Seahorses but they still made a flicking motion with their tail in order to move themselves around.

To blend in with their background Starry Flounder have pigment cells that allow them to change colour and camouflage with their surroundings. Another adaptation they have developed is that their tail moves in a lateral motion. This allows it to throw sand or mud over itself in an attempt to hide from predators.

Moon jellies shoot themselves through the water but pumping there bodies and pushing the water. Some say the way they move is almost rhythmic like. In order to catch the plankton for food the Moon Jellies have developed a mucus that the plankton land on and get stuck in.

The purpose for the white suction cups on the arms of the octopus is that they contain nerves and they can also taste with the suction cups. Octopus's are very intelligent and they also have sharp beaks inside their mouths that they use to tear into the flesh of their prey. The bite of an octopus is also venomous.

Stellar Sea Lions eat mostly squid, fish or invertebrate. Some of the fish they eat are herring, salmon, pollock and cod. Each day sea lions have to eat at least 6% of their body weight.

The Caimans came from Central and South America.

The crocodiles at the aquarium were a dark green and brown colour. This colouring helped them camouflage in their environment and hide from predators.

The largest fish in the aquarium is an Arapaima and it is 4.5 m.

The vegetarian fish in the Amazon is a Pacu also known as a "Vegetarian Piranha". These fish feed mainly on insects, fruits and nuts.

Piranhas are the biggest threat during dry seasons when all the piranhas have eaten the fish in their area and have to try and find a new food source, which sometimes ends up being humans.

Sharks have no bones in their bodies. They are made out of cartilage instead.

Also found in the shark tank are sting rays and other small fish.

The Giant Red Sea Urchin is scientifically known as Strongylocentrotus franciscanus. In order to hold themselves down the giant red sea urchin has tube feet that hold it to the ground and stable it so it doesn't get swept away by the current.

When Archerfish see an insect they would like to catch and eat they shoot up a spout of water and try to knock it down in the water.

The name of the sea turtle in the Tropic Zone at the Vancouver Aquarium is Schoona.

On Friday Nov. 16 our Biology class went for a walk in the park to see if we could find any fungi or lichens to observe. For the past week we had been studying the different kinds of fungi and lichens and seeing them in real life made them easier to identify. On our walk we saw fungi from the Basidiomycota phylum (club fungi) like jelly fungi, mushrooms, shelf fungus and coral fungus. In class we had also learned about water molds from the Oomycota phylum, common molds from the Zygomycota phylum, sac fungi form the Ascomycota phylum and imperfect fungi form the Deuteromycota phylum. Seeing these fungus in real life gave us a better idea of what all the structures on the fungus looked like, for example on the mushrooms we could easily see the reproductive structure and the spore containing structures in the cap. In class we also learned that fungi are some of the major decomposers in the world and on our walk we saw that this was true. There were fungus growing on most of the rotting tree stumps and plants that we saw. In addition to fungus we also saw lichens growing on the trees and plants in the forest. In class we learned that lichens have a symbiotic relationship between a fungus and photosynthetic organism such as green algae. Lichens come in three forms; Crustose, Foliose and Fruiticose. On our walk we saw all three types of lichens. We also learned that lichens are important for creating soil in barren environments. Seeing these lichens and fungus in the park helped me link the facts we had learned about them to examples of what they look like; therefore, it was very helpful.