Aquatic Organisms

Aquatic Organisms Pictionary

A for Algae 

Microscopic plants which contain chlorophyll and live floating or suspended in water. They also may be attached to structures, rocks or other submerged surfaces. They are food for fish and small aquatic animals. Excess algal growths can impart tastes and odors to potable

B for BoxFish 

This is the speckled box fish  People usually call it a neutron bomb puffer. Why? When it is frightened it releases a poison that kills everything including itself! 

C for Corals 

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Corals are marine organisms The group includes the important reef builders that are found in tropical oceans, which secrete calcium carbonate to form a hard

D for Dolphins A Dolphin is a small-toothed whale.Dolphins are mammals like us, so they can't stay in the water all the time like fish or other sea animals. They also don't lay eggs such as turtles, fishes, octopuses, etc.  

 

Dolphins are usually 4 to 20 feet long. They have eyes on both sides of their heads. There is also a small whole behind the dolphin's eye and that is the dolphin's ear. The dolphin's noseshaped snout is actually called a rostrum. On the top of a dolphin's head is an air hole. A dolphin has to go to the surface to get air, otherwise it won't survive.

E for Eel 

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Eel is a type of fish.Most eels prefer to dwell in shallow waters or hide at the bottom layer of the ocean, sometimes in holes. These holes are called eel pits. Eels are consumed at large by the Chinese and

F for Frogbit Flowers 

Frogbit is a floating plant that has two growth forms. Young, uncrowded plants have floating, heart shaped leaves that have spongy tissue on the underside. When older plants become crowded the leaves become erect and the spongy tissue is absent. The frogbit flower is silvery white.

G for Goby 

 A common Goby is the knight goby. It grows up to 2 inches. All gobies are territorial and is common in canals, coastal area, streams, and creeks.

H for Hawk fish 

The most common hawk fish is the flame hawk and it grows up to 5 inches. It is a carnivore and likes eating big shrimp. The flame hawk is mostly found in Fiji.

I for Iridescent Shark 

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Despite its name, iridescent shark, is not a shark, but a catfish. This fish is also known as Siamese shark or sutchi catfish in the aquarium hobby or as tra, swai, or striped catfish in the food fish market it is named for its glow or iridescence exhibited in juveniles. The iridescent shark is a migratory fish that moves upstream to spawn during the flood season while the waters are high and returns downstream to seek rearing habitats when the river water levels recede.

J for Jelly Fish 

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Jellyfish live in the ocean. They can only move up and down. The ocean currents just carry them side to side or from one place to another. Jellyfish don't have a brain so they don't know what they are doing or where they are going. Even though  they do not know anything, they can still protect themselves with millions of tiny, mechanical cells that release a chemical when it is touched by an animal or a human. Some of the jellyfish's sting can kill a human or an animal within 2 minutes, but don't blame them. Remember, they don't have a brain and besides they only sting for protection or food.

K for Kelp 

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Kelp are large seaweeds (algae), belonging to the brown algae and classified in the order Kelp grows in underwater forests (kelp forests) in clear, shallow ocean They are known for their fast

L for Lobster 

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Lobsters grow to great ages - some specimens are believed to be more than 70 years old. Although the hard outer shells act as highly effective armour protecting them from attack, they do have disadvantages - the main one being a lack of mobility. That is why most lobsters have to move sideways because they lack rotational joints. They use their huge claws to fight off predators like seals.

M 

A common Mono or (finger fish) is deep bodied and bears four stark black lines. They grow to be 7 inches. 

N for Nautilus 

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Related to octopus and squid, these unusual animals have a large shell which grows around them. Nautilus can live quite deep and migrate up and down the water column in search of food. They've got blue blood, three hearts, can change shape, use jet-propulsion.

O for Octopus Octopus or octopi live in all oceans in the world. However, they can only live in salt water. Most scientists believe that there are over 150 types of octopi. They have no back bones and no inside skeletons. Octopi also have organs such as a heart, a kidney, and a stomach. All of the organs are located at the top of the octopus' head, which looks like a baglike shape. Octopi have soft bodies and 8 arms. If it loses one of its arms, it will eventually grow back. Each arm has two rows of suction cups or suckers that are used to attach to things and grab prey. Suckers are like a tongue, a nose, and strong fingers to an octopus. Octopi usually eat lobsters, crabs, clams, fish, and sea snails.         

P for Platypus The Platypus is the only mammal that lays eggs. The male Platypus has a spur on the hind foot that delivers a venom capable of causing severe pain to humans. Until the early 20th century it was hunted for its fur, but it is now protected throughout its range. Although captive breeding programs have had only limited success and the Platypus is vulnerable to the effects of pollution, it is not under any immediate threat. The Platypus is semi-aquatic, inhabiting small streams and rivers in Australia and Tasmania

Q for Quillwort 

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It is found on the stony or sandy bottoms of clear, usually slightly acidic ponds. They are perennial, with typically two flushes of new leaves each year, in spring and autumn. The Quillwort has many long, narrow leaves broad at the base. There is a sac that contains the spores at the bottom of each leaf base. It has a very small stem where the leaves attach with the roots. It does not have traditional roots, but instead roots with leaf-like appendages. The upper leaves are green and found in sprouting clump

R for Rays Some basics of rays are that they are muddy brown, flatfish with a long tail and a white belly. They are diamond shaped and can reach up to a size of 5 feet! Any type of ray has its mouth on its belly. Blue head wrasse, Spanish hogfish, and other reef fishes love helping the rays to get cleaned because they love to eat the parasites or bacteria on the ray's body. Although a stingray looks safe to touch, they are very dangerous. You should never go near their tail because they can sting you, like jellyfishes. This happens because their tale is full of venom, like snakes.

S for Starfish A starfish is an animal that lives in the ocean. Some people think that they are fish but they're not. Some starfish are called sea stars because they look like stars. Starfish move very slowly. It takes them about one minute to walk one or two inches across the sea floor. A starfish has no bones. Their skin gives them their shape and it protects them.

    A sea stars mouth is underneath its body. So when it eats, it has to crawl over on what it is eating. Most starfish eat clams, oysters, dead crabs, or dead fish.

   Sea stars are really flexible. They can squeeze into a small hole or a crack in a rock, even if it is considered a big sea star. Starfish also reproduce. The mother sea star can lay eggs from a hundred to a million of them at a time!

T for Triggers 

Most triggers are brightly colored and marked with patterns of spots or lines. They are easily recognized by there deep flat bodies and small eyes.

U for Unicorn Fish 

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Mainly active in daytime, unicorn fish roam in groups feeding on algae. The horn-like appendage between their eyes begins growing when a young fish reaches about 13 cm (5 in) in length, and tends to be a little bigger on males. They are generally not aggressive to each other, but when they do fight they use sharp scalpels by their tails as weapons, not their horns. Their skin is smooth and less susceptible to skin diseases.

V for Velvet Crab 

The velvet crab (alternatively velvet swimming crab or devil crab) is the largest swimming crab found in British coastal waters . The velvet swimming crab gets its name from the fine velvety texture of its carapace. The rear legs are flattened for swimming,

W for whales There are many types of whales in the world. All  whales are mammals. Here are two types of whales that you might want to know about.   The Humpback whales have a body with a huge head and long flippers. The dorsal fin is small and is usually on the back or "hump" of the whale. It is the color blue on the back, the color white underneath or on the sides and the color black on the baleen plates. They eat and kill shrimp and many more little animals in the sea. The Orcas whales are mostly found in coastal and cool waters. Orcas can kill large animals such as other whales. It is the only whale that can hunt other warm-blooded animals. They usually eat fish, squid, other whales, dolphins, birds, seals, and sea lions.

Y for Yellow Fish 

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The yellow tang also called naughty tang, is a saltwater fish species It is one of the most popular aquarium fish. All individuals of this species are bright daffodil yellow in color. At night, the yellow colouring fades slightly and a prominent brownish patch develops in the middle with a horizontal white band. They rapidly resume

Z for Zander 

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The zander is a common and popular game fish in Europe. It is often eaten and may reach 20 kilograms in size. Their success in establishing themselves is due to a number of factors, one of which is that they are particularly well adapted to life in the slow-flowing, sparsely vegetated, rather