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Megan's Notable Species Project
Report:
Most Invasive
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This invasive species, the walking catfish, yeilds an elongate 225-300mm body narrowing towards the tail. Its eyes are small and has four pairs of barbles (whiskers) about its fleshy papillated lips. Though lacking a dorsal spine spine, the batrachus' pectoral spines are large, robust, and serrate along the margins. The walking catfish also has a dorsal fin which extends along the back two-thirds of the length of its body. Their colors are normally olive to dark brown.
Originally the walking catfish were brought to the US as an aquarium industry candidate species, escaped from a truck transporting broodstock timed around 1960. Utilizing its traits including high feondity, ability to cross land barries to move between isolated water bodies, and the ability to aviod desiccation during dry seasons allow the walking catfish to rapidly expand its range within Florida. Another attribute to to thier expansion is their large egg masses. Reaching up to about 1,000 eggs per nesting hollow and hatching within 30 hours, the walking catfish is able to reproduce at rapid pace.
The walking catfish's diet includes aquadic insects, insect larvae, small fish, fisheggs and larvae, and occasional plant material. The walking catfish outcompetes or directly consumes several co-occuring native species. Thus making its interactions with the native species very very non-beneficial. The Gulf States Marine Fisheries Commission call it "one of the most notorius and harmful non-indigenous species" in the ecosystem.
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| Common Name: |
Walking Catfish |
| Scientific Name: |
Clarias Batrachus |
| Where on Earth is it a problem: |
Florida and parts of the Gulf Coast |
| Where did it come from?: |
Natively from South Eastern Asia and now seen mainly in Florida and areas around it. |
Most Endangered
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The narwhal is a very rare 13-16 foot long whale which has an extremely distinct appearence that seperates it from its whale counterparts. This is due to its nine foot long horn like tusk upon its forehead. This tusk, which is actually an overgrown tooth growing spirally from the upper jaw of male norwhals, gives this animal the title of "unicorn of the ocean". The Narwhal can weigh up to 1.8 tons and has a lifespan of 50 years.
Narwhals are mainly hunted by polar bears and orcas and also by native Inuit people (legally). Their Atlantic and Russian Arctic habitats are also threatened by global warming and pollution. In addition to the narwhals small population size, limited range and reliance on Arctic fish, which are also being affected by climate induced changes, attribute to their endangered status. However, measures are being met to help save the narwhal. The Canadian government instituted, under the Fisheries Act in 1971, Narwhal Protection Regulations.These regulations made hunting the Narhwal illegal (with exception to Inuit tribes who have a catch limit of 5 narwhals a year and are required to use every part of the narwhal.
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| Common Name: |
Narwhal |
| Scientific Name: |
Monodon monoceros
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| Where does it live?: |
It resides in the Arctic waters of the Atlantic and Russia.
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Favorite Keystone
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Star fish can be either carnivors feeding on sponges, bogazoans, ascidians, and mollusces or detritus feeders. They are also well known for their regeneration. This impressive trait allows the star fish to be able to grow from a small body fragment. For instance, an entire new starfish can re-grow from a fragment such as an arm.
The star fish constitutes itself a keystone species by playing a key role in maintaining the balance of all other species in its community. In one experiment conducted by Robert T. Paine when a star fish was removed from the community it resided in, the populations of two mussel species within the community grew uncheated. Without a predator to control their numbers the mussels soon took over the community and crowded out other species, ultimately reducing the community's diversity.
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| Common Name: |
Star Fish |
| Scientific Name: |
Pisaster ochracceus
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| Where does it live?: |
The star fish resides everywhere in the coral reefs of the ocean and on sand and rocks.
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Coolest Predator Adaptation
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Jaguars, which normally reside in rainforests, are the largest cats of the Americas. The anatomy of a jaguar constitutes a strong and powerful predator. With extremely strong jaws and sharp claws combined with a strong sturdy body frame and a spotted coat (allowing it to camouflage into its environment) the jaguar is an awesome model of predator adaptation.
Jaguars have adapted well to their rainforest environment. Jaguars have develped the ability to swim and climb trees. This allows them to to find food not only on the ground but in the plentiful rivers and streams of their environment. This opens the jaguars diet to fish, turtles, and caiman. By climbing trees, the jaguar is able to ambush unsuspecting prey walking on the forest floor from above. All of these adaptations combine to make the jaguar a beastly predator.
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| Common Name: |
Jaguar |
| Scientific Name: |
Panthera onca
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| Where does it live?: |
Northern Mexico, north and central parts of South America, and dense rainforests of the Amazon Basin.
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Coolest Prey Adaptation
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Throughout the course of history Chameleons have learned to adapt to their mass environment. One such adaptation are their 5 fingers on each hand and 5 toes on each foot. This allows them to obtain a firm grip on tree branches in order so as to keep a still composure in the presence of predators to further camouflage into their environment. Which brings us to another adaptation- the ability to change the color of its skin. The chameleon is widely known for this trait which allows it to change its skin from dull gray colors like gray to bright green or torquoise. This is possible by the movement of pigments in the chameleon's skin. Because of its adaptation of skin change, the chameleon is thus able to affectively camouflage to a mulitple of areas in its environment.
The Chameleon also proves itself a master of its predators with its eye adaptation. Because the chameleon is able to manuver its eyes in two completely different directions it is able to look at two things at once! This comes in handy when looking out for predators as well as their telephoto vision (they can magnify that are far away).
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| Common Name: |
Chameleon |
| Scientific Name: |
Chamaeleonidae |
| Where does it live?: |
Naturally found in Madagascar, Africa, Middle East, and southern Europe.
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