Survival of the Fishes!
 
Assignment: Your goal is to design a fish for each environment that has the best chance of survival; this is known as fitness. You will make two fish - one for fresh water and one for salt water. Your fish will have variations on the eight characteristics that are listed below. Draw each fish on a separate piece of paper, cut it out, and decorate it. On the back of your fish you must put your name, state whether it lives in a fresh water or marine ecosystem, and describe your fish for each of the eight required traits. List each trait by # (1 through 8) and be as specific as possible (e.g. #1: Medium mouth and small teeth). Finally, put your fish in the ocean or lake. Characteristics To Control: -Mouth/teeth: big, medium, or small mouth and teeth (could have big mouth/small teeth). -Length: how long is your fish? -Girth: how big around is your fish? This measurement - in relation to its length - determines the overall shape of your fish. -Color scheme: what color and color pattern is your fish? -Fins: more fins make fish more maneuverable, but they also create more drag and increase its profile to predators. -Habitat: surface, middle, or bottom of the water column (or any combination of them). -Feeding: does your fish eat smaller fish, carrion, plankton, seaweed, bugs, crustaceans - or something else entirely? Note: this should be reflected in its mouth and teeth. -Special Features: choose one special feature for your fish that already exists in the natural world. Examples are bioluminescence, electric eels, puffer fish (spines and poison), ability to jump out of the water, anadromy (lives in both fresh and salt water like salmon), etc. Possible Hazards: -Being eaten (predation) by other fish, mammals, birds, or people. -Not eating (starvation) from not finding or capturing food, change in the food available, or being out-competed by other fish for available food. -Pollution. -Change in water currents or temperature (El Nino!). -Change in ecology/food chain of habitat. -Change in the physical structure of the habitat. -Natural disasters such as floods, tsunamis (tidal waves), or drought. -Anything could happen, really. It's life. It's survival of the fittest. Grading: Every other day one hazard will affect the ocean and our lake. Some fish will live, some fish will die. The more days your fish lasts, the better your grade. Each day will be worth an increase in 1/2 of a letter grade and you'll all start with a 70% on this assignment. Good luck!