Biodiversity of Alabama: 100 Species to Know Common Aquatic Species

Freshwater Species

37. Cattails Grow around wet areas Female flowers are brown, male flowers above them Brown stalk becomes fluffy, seeds dispersed by wind Important habitat for animals (protection, nesting)

38. Cahaba Lily Hymenocallis coronaria Requires fast-moving water (shoals) Numbers declining due to damming of rivers Only blooms for a few weeks in May/June – Cahaba Lily festival Each flower blooms for a single day

39. Phytoplankton Microscopic green plants that float in the water, many different species Important for two reasons: 1. they are the producers that form the base of aquatic food chains 2. they produce a lot of oxygen in photosynthesis

40. Zooplankton Microscopic animals that float in the water, many species but one common type here are copepods (crustaceans related to shrimp) Important as primary consumers in aquatic food chains: phytoplankton  zooplankton  small fish  large fish http://www.microscopy-uk.org.uk/index.html?http://www.microscopy-uk.org.uk/pond/

41. Dragonfly Territorial, predatory insects Nymphs (immature insects) live in the water, wingless, emerges as a winged adult after metamorphosis Nymphs are an important food source for many aquatic predators, like fish, frogs, turtles, Nymph lives underwater, is a predator Adult flies around ponds, catches prey on the wing

42. Least Crayfish Common crustacean in sluggish waters Scavenger Alabama has 83 species of crayfish, more than any other state

43. Water strider A true bug (hemiptera) “Walks on water” due to water’s surface tension

44. American Bullfrog Rana catesbiana Very common near ponds Very large, noisy greenish brown frog Carnivore – eats anything it can catch and stuff in its mouth (insects, worms, small turtles, frogs, even birds and small rodents)

45. Yellow-bellied slider Trachemys scripta scripta Very common in rivers, ponds Yellow underside of shell, lines on top Diurnal – active in the day, often basks on logs in water Omnivores – growing young eat more animals, adults eat more plants Sometimes sold as pets

46. Alligator snapping turtle Macrochelys temminckii Largest freshwater turtle in North America (100+ pounds), found only in south Thick neck and heavy body, spiky shell Ambush predator, sits with mouth open exposing wormlike tongue that lures in prey, then snaps shut on prey

47. Bluegill Sunfish (common name: brim) Lepomis macrochirus Name comes from dark blue flap on gill cover Unusual because the male builds a nest (scooped-out depression on muddy bottom) and tends to the eggs

48. Channel Catfish Ictalurus punctatus Has distinctive “whiskers” or barbels Feed on insect larvae, crayfish, snails, small fish State record: 40 lbs Now farmed (aquaculture) Good eats! Noodling – not recommended!

49. Crappie Two types in AL Crappie live primarily in rivers and reservoirs, although small individuals occasionally enter small streams. Prior to spawning, adult crappie aggregate into schools, move into shallow water, and aggressively feed on small fish. During this time anglers catch thousands of white and black crappie on live minnows and jigs around aquatic vegetation, submerged logs, and other structures. Black Crappie Pomoxis nigromaculatus White Crappie Pomoxis annularis

50. Alligator Gar Atractosteus spatula Found in Mobile delta, nearby coastal waters Predator, has two rows of sharp teeth Gets to be very large, record: 151 pounds

51. Brown Water Snake Common in southeast AL coastal plain Found near flowing water of rivers, canals and blackwater cypress creeks, often in trees Eats mammals but also fish and lizards

52. Mallard Anas platyrhynchos Most common duck in N. America Lives in AL except in summer when it migrates to breed in northern states Found in shallow water of ponds, lakes, marshes, and flooded fields where it feeds on plants Sexual dimorphism – males have green heads

53. Beaver Castor canadensis Once almost extirpated, now common. Found statewide in all habitats with open water. Considered a pest in some areas, because of flooding caused by construction of dams. In April-June, three to five young born after a gestation of about 107 days. Sexual maturity reached at two years. Diet includes leaves, branches, and bark of most kinds of woody plants that grow near water. 19

Saltwater species

54. Sea Oats Type of grass named for resemblance to oats Seeds are important food for some beach animals Help stabilize dunes

55. Blue Crab Callinectes sapidus Crustacean, economically important as a food source Widely distributed along east coast of North and South America

56. Bull Shark Carcharhinus leucas Large, stocky shark – “pit bulls” of the sea Can be aggressive, inhabits shallow waters and can go into rivers, known to bite people http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E9kkfX1d6N4

57. Bottlenose Dolphin Tursiops truncatus Mammal, not fish Most common cetacean (member of the whale order) on the Gulf Coast Very intelligent