What the fish?
Ali was walking along the muddy banks of the Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve when he saw a funnylooking fish-like creature hopping around. Thinking that the fish was struggling to get back into the
water, Ali grabbed it and threw it back into the water. To his surprise, it quickly swam to the water’s
edge and hopped back onto the muddy bank. Ali was fascinated by the creature and took a picture of it.
From his observation, the creature had a slimy-looking body covering, a pair of fins and seemed that it
could breathe both in and out of water. “How could that be possible?” Ali thought to himself.
Questions for pupils
1. In your group, list about 3 science-related topics relevant to the case you’ve just read.
2. Watch the video from the URL below.
http://video.national geographic.com/video/player/nat-geo-wild/wild-all-videos/ngc-mudskipperswalking-fish-1.html
Individually, write down what you already know in the left column. In the right column, list specific
questions that you like to know or learn more about. You can also compile inputs from group
members.
What I already know
What I like to know
3. As a group, choose 1 question in which you would like to explore in detail.
4. Look into the various forms of references available to explore and know more about the chosen
question. (E.g. http://www.vexen.co.uk/holyshit/mudskipper.html)
Characteristic
Body shape
Body pattern
Mouth shape
Adaptation
Purpose
Related follow-up activity
1. You are to create a virtual fish that will survive in the chosen environment. Visit the URL below.
http://sv.berkeley.edu/showcase/flash/fish.html
2. Design a mini-poster to describe how your fish has adapted to survive in its habitat.
Some guidelines / pointers:




How are their body parts (structural) adapted to survive in the habitat?
How are they behaviourally adapted to survive in the habitat?
What are the characteristics of their habitat?
What are their diets / possible predators?
Prepared by: Ms Mok Wan Kay, Mr Lim Ting Yang, Mr Lim Kok Meng & Mr Fadylla Rashiman
27 July 2011
Annex 1: Adaptations in Fish
Adaptation
Purpose
Examples
Mouth

Terminal (at the end of the
snout)
Feeds throughout the water
Walleye, sauger, northern pike

Under the snout/longer upper
jaw
Feeds on prey it sees below it;
usually feeds off the lake or
river bottom
Bullhead, whitefish, carp,sucker

Angled upward/longer lower
jaw
Feeds on prey it sees above it;
small fish, or aquatic insects,
often at surface of water
Goldeye, rock bass, smallmouth
bass, tullibee

Ventral (under the head)
Feeds off the bottom
Sturgeon

Sucker-shaped
"Vacuums" up food off the
bottom; eats aquatic insects,
vegetation
Sucker, sturgeon

Strong jaws and welldeveloped teeth
Feeds on other fish
Northern pike, walleye

With barbels
Feeds off the bottom; Can sense
food in murky water
Catfish, bullhead, stonecat,
sturgeon

Large
Feeds by sight
Walleye, perch, goldeye, bass

Small
Likely feeds off the bottom and
relies on barbels to detect food
Catfish, bullhead, stonecat,
sturgeon
For protection or to stiffen fins
for swimming
Catfish, bullhead, stonecat, perch,
walleye, bass, sturgeon
Feeds off or rests on the
bottom; less conspicuous to
predators
Sucker, catfish, sturgeon
Eyes
Spines
Body Shape

Rounder, flat bellied

Oval, fairly long
Prefers more open water or a
few weeds
Walleye

Oval, very long, eel-like
Fast-moving in quick bursts;
Agile around rocks and weeds
Northern pike, burbot

Thin, shorter, disc-shaped
Agile around rocks/weeds;
round shape harder for
predators to swallow
Bass, perch

Torpedo-shaped
Stream-lined for high speed or
swimming in currents
Brook trout, rainbow trout, arctic
char

Large
Used for protection; speed not
needed to catch food
Carp, sucker

Small or non-existent
Fish more streamlined and fastmoving to catch prey
Northern pike, catfish, burbot
Scales
Colouration

Fairly uniform, no markings
Swims in open water
Walleye, goldeye

Stripes
Hides in weeds for protection or
to ambush prey
Perch, smallmouth bass, rock bass

Mottled
Hides in rocks or on bottom
Northern pike, young sturgeon

Dark on top
Less visible to predators above
it
Catfish, sturgeon, carp

Light coloured belly
Less visible to predators below
it
Perch, walleye, sturgeon, sucker,
catfish
Taken from- http://www.gov.mb.ca/conservation/sustain/adapt.html
Annex 2: Table of Adaptations and Their Purposes
Body Part
Mouth
Eyes
Fins
Body shape
Adaptation
Purpose
at the end of the snout, symmetrical
open water feeder
angled downward/longer upper jaw
feeds on prey below it, bottom feeder
angled upward/longer lower jaw
feeds on prey above it, surface feeder
strong jaws - teeth
preys on other fish
sucker-shaped
eats small plants and animals
barbels
feeds off bottom, senses food in murky water
duckbill jaws
grasps its prey
no teeth
eats plankton
very large mouth
surrounds prey
both on the same side of the head
lies flat on the bottom of the ocean
small
shallow water fish
large
usually deep water fish
Large, forked caudal fin
strong, fast swimmer
spines on fins
protection, more difficult to swallow, can be
poisonous
large pelvic fins
bottom dweller
small pelvic fins
open water swimmer
round
difficult to swallow, slow swimmer
flat bottomed
feeds on the bottom
long, eel-like
hides in rocks and weeds
torpedo shaped
high speed swimmer
flat from side to side
almost invisible from the front and rear, feeds
above and below
flat from top to bottom
hides on the bottom
hump backed
stable in fast moving water
Adapted from- http://www.geocities.com/sseagraves/Adaptationsinfish.doc
Taken from: http://outreach.mcb.harvard.edu/teachers/Summer06/CateStabile/FishAdaptations.doc
Rubrics for poster making
CATEGORY
Required
Elements
Graphics Relevance
Content Accuracy
Attractiveness
4
The poster
includes all
required
elements as well
as additional
information.
All graphics are
related to the
topic and make it
easier to
understand. All
borrowed
graphics have a
source citation.
At least 7
accurate facts
are displayed on
the poster.
The poster is
exceptionally
attractive in
terms of design,
layout, and
neatness.
3
All required
elements are
included on the
poster.
2
All but 1 of the
required
elements are
included on the
poster.
1
Several required
elements were
missing.
All graphics are
related to the
topic and most
make it easier to
understand. All
borrowed
graphics have a
source citation.
5-6 accurate
facts are
displayed on the
poster.
The poster is
attractive in
terms of design,
layout and
neatness.
All graphics
relate to the
topic. Most
borrowed
graphics have a
source citation.
Graphics do not
relate to the topic
OR several
borrowed
graphics do not
have a source
citation.
3-4 accurate
facts are
displayed on the
poster.
The poster is
acceptably
attractive though
it may be a bit
messy.
Less than 3
accurate facts
are displayed on
the poster.
The poster is
distractingly
messy or very
poorly designed.
It is not
attractive.
Adapted from- http://www.scribd.com/doc/6241436/Poster-Rubric