Small Mudskippers

Daphnia, also known as water fleas, are small crustaceans about 1mm-5mm long and are part of the freshwater zooplankton (Ebert 2005, Hutchinson 2005 & Clifford 1991). Daphnia can be found in most fresh water habitats such as freshwater springs, ponds and reservoirs and are the predominant food for planktivorous fish. Dapnia are ‘filter feeders’ meaning they feed on small particles suspended in the water which can include algae. It has been found that daphnia tend to migrate to the upper parts of the water at night and return to the lower parts of the water in the day to hide from predators (Ebert 2005) (Hutchinson 2005). Daphnia can reproduce through sexual reproduction and also asexual

The catfish’s wide mouth comprises of the lower jaw projecting beyond the upper jaw resembling a young teenager’s under bite and teeth pads extending to the back of the mouth on both sides. Their color scheme consists of a mottled combination between black and brown and their sides usually a light pale yellow to light brown and at times even olive makes it a breeze for them to camouflage at the bottom of the dark cloudy waters they live in. Their large smooth pot-bellies often cream in color and its short and round tail fin dark as the root of an oak tree. For the most part, young aged catfish are very dark brown in color and as they mature their color scheme changes to the lighter browns and olive greens. Their long sharp spines on the back and sides of their respective dorsal and pectoral fins at times wound the hands of the anglers catching them if not wearing the suitable

Where axolotls look like lizards that swim underwater, mud skippers are fish that like to walk on land. Mud skippers will vary in size, depending on what country they are from. If you like the look of mud skippers, these salt water amphibians are easy to keep as pets. Like other amphibians, you can feed your mud skippers things like crickets, earthworms and fish flakes. Because they may spend much of their time out of the water, you may be able to keep other warm-water salt water fish in the same aquarium as your mud

Therefore , they obtain these insects by moving gravel , sand and rocks with their top lip that hangs over their bottom lip . They also sometimes resort to eating fish eggs even sometimes their own when they want to . These fish are also a vital part of the aquatic food chain because they give food for larger fish who prey on them . They have a lot of predators , but some of them are a Large Mouth Bass , Rock Bass , Lake Trout, etc .

Reaching a length of up to 5.5 centimeters (or about 2 inches), the bigclaw snapping shrimp is the largest member of the family Alpheidae, which are also known as the pistol shrimp. It is found in water up to 30 meters (98 feet) deep from as far north as North Carolina’s Outer Banks to the Brazilian coast. It also is able to survive in areas of rapidly different salinity; A. heterochaelis has be found in environments that range from mesohaline (having a salinity of 5 to 18 parts per thousand) to hyperhaline (having a salinity of 40+ ppt). This means that it lives in environments that range from brackish to seawater of above average salinity. It is most commonly found in areas where cover can be easily found during the day, such as an oyster reef.

This experiment was performed using the crustacean Armadillidium vulgare, also known as the pillbug. Pillbugs mate in the spring, and it takes several weeks for their fertilized eggs to hatch. After hatching the offspring spend an additional six weeks in a pouch under the female pillbug. Pillbugs eat dead and decaying organic matter, so they are often found in dark damp places. Another reason they like damp places is because they have gills that must be kept moist. The gills are located on the thorax, which is covered by large exoskeleton plates. The thorax is also where the pillbug’s seven pairs of legs are located. The pillbug also has the nickname “roly-poly,” this is because the pillbug has a defensive mechanism where it rolls into a tight ball, using the large exoskeleton plates of its thorax to protect its head and underside.

This species of communal crab only grows to a width of 1 inch, and has a square purplish body. The main source of food for these creatures are the leaves of marsh cordgrass, and the occasional smaller species of crabs like fiddler crabs. They are also nocturnal creatures, which makes them hard to study. Predators of this species include the Blue Crab, Striped Bass, and certain species of marsh birds.

The Callinectes sapidus also known commonly as the Maryland Blue Crab, is a crustacean found in the Chesapeake Bay. The blue crab is found in aquatic environments, most often in estuaries. It characterized by it’s blue claws. The blue crabs undergo a life cycle of: zoeae, megalop, juvenile, and adulthood. The blue crab’s hard shells serve as a protective barrier for external dangers. The Callinectes sapidus comes from the order of Decapods, whereby it’s carapace has now evolved to be better suited for swimming. Of interest is the blue crab’s mating

2006). The rusty crayfish is a generalist omnivore, and eats a variety of organisms from invertebrates to algae to small fish and even predates piscivore eggs (Kreps et al. 2016). This feeding behavior is consistent with almost every other crayfish species (Renai and Gherardi 2004). However, compared to native crayfish, the rusty crayfish grows faster, has a larger body and pincers, and is less susceptible to predation even as a juvenile (Perry et al. 2001). As a result, the rusty crayfish is a better predator than native crayfish and preys on organisms at a higher rate than native

The cownose ray (Rhinoptera bonasus) is found in open Atlantic Ocean waters from Western Africa to the Northeastern United States and parts of the Caribbean. Cownose rays are a migratory species on the Atlantic Ocean, that returns to the Chesapeake Bay each summer to mate. These animals prefer warm waters up to depths of 72 feet, where they can find bottom dwelling lobsters, crabs, and small fish for prey. The cownose ray possess adaptations to easily locate, kill, and eat its prey. One such adaptation is the electroreceptors found on the ray’s snout. These creatures cruise for prey over soft mud and sand bottoms, until they sense electrical stimuli from organisms through these electroreceptors. The ray will then stir up mud or sand by fluttering

My critter is fish. The name of the fish is called the Goldfish Saurus meaning it is half dinosaur and half guppy. This type of fish is a hunting fish, it mainly eats and kills tiny animals. It lives in the deep seas of the Pacific Oceans. The Goldfish Saurus hibernate for half a year, it likes to sleep in little burrows of seaweed. The Goldfish Saurus eats small fish and baby octopi and squids that is smaller than itself. It kills its prey by using the scaly fins on top of his back to directly jab its opponent. For self defence the Goldfish Saurus The tail of the Goldfish Saurus is very strong and its function is to move forward in upward swimming strokes. This kind of fish moves pretty quickly and catches its prey instantly. The Goldfish

Limpets (Patella vulgate) live in algae rich environments on rocky shores. They feed on the algae and try to defend areas where algae grow against other limpets and other species that are competing for the food source (e.g barnacles and mussels). Limpet shells

They are predators; mostly carnivores that feed on fish, squid, molluscs, crustaceans and marine animals; some are herbivores that feed on plankton. They can also be filter-feeders or scavengers.

Identifying Features- Typically 4 to 6 feet, and 660 to 1,100 pounds. Skin is primarily black, with varying pale spots and a pinkish-white underbelly. Lacks a hard shell but instead has a carapace composed of tough, rubbery skin and thousands of tiny bone plates Its carapace is large, elongated and flexible with 7 distinct ridges running the length of the animal. Front flippers lack claws or scales and back flippers are paddle-shaped.

The Mantis Shrimp is a mid sized crustacean that can grow up to 3 to 18 centimeters in size. It is known for its bright colors of blues reds and greens, they are primarily green on the belly it has bright reds and oranges on its legs and spots on its framework, while a bright blue is on its eyes. Females are almost always more orange and red than males which are in more various colors. Their spears or clubs are what define this species, these clubs are what mantis shrimp use as a deadly weapon, they can accelerate these clubs at the speed of a bullet from a .22 caliber rifle. Their eyes can see 12 different color waves the most of any animal discovered on earth. They make their homes by burrowing into the ground or finding old burrows left