Aquatic Animals Mosquito Fish Pond Snails

Mosquito Fish *Mosquito fish look a lot like guppies, but they are more adaptable. -they don’t mind sudden movement or changes -they can survive a wide range of temperatures (from 40°F- 100°F) -they can live in almost any body of fresh water *Mosquito fish are territorial, which means they will fight off other types of fish in their tank. mosquito fish guppies

*The scientific name of the mosquito fish is Gambusia. *It lives along the southeastern coast of the United States, in places like North Carolina. *They like live food, including elodea. *They are most famous for feeding on mosquito larvae (immature mosquitoes that wriggle around in the water before they can fly—baby mosquitoes), which helps lower the number of mosquitoes in the air. This fish has been brought to more than 70 countries around the world to help control mosquitoes!

*Mosquito fish bodies are covered with protective scales that overlap like roof tiles or shingles. *They have large round eyes and see very well. *They have a dark line (called a lateral line) running the length of their bodies. It is made up of sensitive nerve endings that detect pressure in the water. *They breathe by pumping water through their mouth and over their gills.

Male or Female? Male *Grow up to 1½ inches long *pale grayish-blue color *slim body *round tail *dorsal fin and tail often marked with rows of tiny dark dots. Female *Grow up to 2½ inches long *pale grayish-blue color *body is plump *round tail and fins *dorsal fin and tail often marked with rows of tiny dark dots.

Having Babies *When a female mosquito fish is pregnant, her abdomen becomes very swollen. *A black spot, called a gravid spot, appears on each side of her body just above the rear fin. *She may have from 3 to 200 fry at one time (usually it’s between 40 and 50). *Mosquito fish are live-bearers, meaning their fry are born alive and fully formed.

Fry *Baby mosquito fish are called fry. *When they are born, they are rounded and dull-colored, but more transparent than adults. *Like most live-bearers, mosquito fish like to eat their fry. *To survive, the baby fish swim immediately to plants for protection. (This is another reason elodea is so important in our aquariums!) *Within a week or two, the fry will be too large for their parents to swallow.

Label your mosquito fish:

Snails *Snails are found all over the globe. *There are more than: - 1,500 kinds that live on land - 35,000 kinds that live in the sea - 80,000 kinds that live in fresh water *Our snails are fresh water pond snails. *Snails belong to a large class of animals called gastropods, which means “stomach foot”.

*Gastropods have a soft body that is covered by a shell, which: -hides them and protects them from predators -has space for an air bubble so it can breathe through its lungs Inside the snail’s body, an organ called the mantle secretes the shell. *Part of the soft body that sticks out of the shell is called the “foot”. -it is made mainly of muscles -it helps the snail move -it releases a thin film of mucus which helps the snail glide along *Snails don’t make any noise and can not hear.

*The head has a set of tentacles with eyes. *Snails can move them up and down to see, although they don’t see very well. (probably only light and dark) *The snail’s mouth is on the underside of the head. It is a small opening that opens and closes. *Inside the mouth is a tongue called a radula. It has tiny teeth that file down the snail’s food into bits. *Pond snails are scavengers. They eat the soft tissues of dead plants and animals. They are like the “clean up” crew of their environment. *Pond snails will also eat algae and live plants.

Baby Snails *Most snails reproduce by laying eggs. The eggs grow in a clear “jelly” substance near the water line or on the underside of leaves in the water. *In a week or two, the baby snails walk out, little copies of their parents. *As the baby snail’s soft body grows, its outer shell does too. The snail makes its own shell, much like you grow your own fingernails, so it needs calcium from its environment.

Label your snail: