Wetlands
By: International School of Kuala Lumpur
Supported by: Zoo Negara
Introduction
• Zoo Negara: Place where we
observed the different species of
fish and habitats of them
– Observations:
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Various fish communities and habitats
Physical attributes and adaptations
Possible reasons for variation
To enhance comprehension of Malaysian
wetlands
Objectives
• To ascertain different factors that
affect fishes’ adaptations to their
environment.
• To understand the purpose of these
adaptations
• In order to comprehend and be able
to identify the different habitats
along a single continuous stream
Representatives
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John Hodges……………………………….Teacher
Arjun Ravi…………………………………Student
Bradley Leusner…………………………...Student
Cameron Banks……………………………Student
Cecile Rushton…………………………….Student
Connor Petty………………………………Student
Daniel Link………………………………..Student
Inez Westerhausen.......................................Student
RueyHerng Lim…………………………...Student
Simon Huie………………………………..Student
YuSun Chung……………………………..Student
XuYing Zhu………………………………Student
ZuDienle Tan……………………………..Student
Did you know?: upper stream
fish have extremely
hydrodynamic bodies!
Adaptations:
Upper Stream
• Strong Current:
– Streamlined ‘torpedo’
bodies
– Swims fast
• Shallow Water
– Small bodies
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Narrow streams
High oxygen content
Frigid waters
Coarse, rocky substrate
Evidently, the creation of dams
creates lakes; and a new habitat
along the river for fish to inhabit.
Adaptations:
Dams/Lakes
• Camouflage
– Grayish brown murky
colors
– Not easily seen by
lurking predators
• Low Current:
– Flat bodies
– Big fins
– Superior mouths, only
upper jaw moves
Fascinatingly, it is in the MidStream where small headwaters
meet up to form larger rivers!
Adaptations:
Mid-Stream
• Mid-Stream:
– Mixture of Upper
stream & Lower
stream
– Current is fairly
fast
• Fairly slim bodies
• No big fins
• Comparatively
small fish
Astonishingly, The water is
saturated with mud and dirt; yet
fish species thrive here.
Marshes, Bogs, and Swamps
• Inclusive of rice paddy fields
• Rich diversity of fish
– Suitable living conditions
– Either petite and small or very large
• Home to snakeheads
Adaptations:
Lower Stream
• Low Current
– Flat Bodies
– Larger Fins
– Slower Currents
• Slower moving fish
– Fairly Large Fish
– Stronger to be able
to move without
aide of current
Surprisingly, lower streams
are superior in size to the
previous streams and lead into
tributaries to the ocean.
Adaptations:
Peat Swamps
• Shallow water
– Surface feeders
– Superior (upturned) mouths
• Murky waters
– Avoid predators
– Plant decomposition
– Tannins darken water
• From decomposing plants
• Small & Colorful
– Unable to be seen by
predators
• Low Diversity
Fun Fact: The peat
swamps have PH levels
less than 4.5, or as
acidic as lemonade!
Interestingly, the roots of mangroves
are submerged in meters of water
before they reach soil!
Adaptations:
Mangroves
• Use low levels of
oxygen
• Sometimes even
develop lungs
instead of gills
• Crabs are prevalent
• Home to the
amphibious
mudskippers
Unique Malaysian Adaptations
• Over 500 species of fish throughout
Malaysia
– Dully colored to remain hidden
– Very few brightly colored fish, in contrast to
Caribbean and Mediterranean species
• 70% of the fish present in the Malaysian
wetlands are less than 3 centimeters long.
– Malaysian fish tend to be extremely small!
Conclusion
• Fish adapt their physical appearances based on
their environment
• Behavioral adaptations of fish are common to
accommodate their needs
– Feeding
– Survival
– Reproduction etc.
• We learned there are diverse species in the
wetlands especially in Malaysia
• Special Thanks to :
– Zoo Negara
– Herman Ganapathy