Name: _________________________________________________ Date: ____________ Per.: ______
Fashion a Fish Adaptations
Task: Create a Fish that adapts to its Habitat. Circle the adaptations that match your fish. Draw and
label all adaptations.
I. Body shape
Adaptation
Compressed Vertical disk
Depressed
Ribbon
Fastform
Sphere
II. & III. Mouth &
Prey
Smaller Fish
Smaller Fish
Smaller Fish
Seals
Crustations
Crustations
Flattened side to side; sharp, quick
turns and very maneuverable; viewed
head-on they almost seem to
disappear.
feeds on the bottom, flat-bottom
hides in rocks and weeds, long, eellike
high speed swimmer, streamlined &
torpedo shaped.
Rounded, globe-like; slow swimmers;
may attract prey to them with light
and lures.
Adaptation
Advantage
Spear-like upper jaw
Slashes prey
Elongated upper jaw
feeds on prey below it, bottom feeder
Elongated lower jaw
feeds on prey above it, surface feeder
Strong jaws – teeth
Eats bigger prey. Seals, large fish, etc….
Sucker-shaped whisker
eats small crustations and plants.
Whisker-like mouth
feeds off bottom, senses food in murky
water
Crushes coral or shell-fish
Coral/Shellfish Beak-like
Baleen, no teeth
Plankton
Elongated jaws
Crustations
IV. Color
Advantage
Adaptation
eats plankton, filter feeder
Reach into holes in coral and eats
crustations
Advantage
Sleeping Camouflage
Hard to see and smell when sleeping
Body Shape Camouflage
Modified body shape to blend in with
surroundings.
less visible to predators above and
below
Predator misjudges the direction and
head of fish. Less vital area.
Counter Shading – dark on
top, light on bottom
Eyespots
Warning Coloration
Disruptive Coloration
Cryptic Coloration
V. Eyes
Adaptation
Advantage
Front
See prey in front
Side
See predators on all sides
Top
Watch for predators or prey above
VI. Tail
Adaptation
Advantage
Lunate
Fastest Swimmers, maximum speed
with minimum effort over long
distance.
Forked
Moderately Fast
Continuous Swimmers
Very Maneuverable
Capable of bursts of speed for short
distances
Very maneuverable
Capable of bursts of speed for short
distances
Bottom Dweller
Slow swimmers
Use body undulations to swim
Eel like form
Squared
Rounded
Tapered
VII. Reproduction
Bright color display warns of danger,
toxic, or inedible.
Bright colors and shapes distracts the
outline of the fish
Blend in with surroundings
Adaptation
Bubble nest builders
Eggs deposited in nests
Floating eggs/Scattered
Eggs
Substrate Spawners
Mouth Brooding
Live bearers
Advantage
Hidden from predators by floating
on the surface
Protected by adults
Dispersed in high numbers over a
large area.
Eggs attached to rocks, vegetation,
and wood. Stable till hatch.
Eggs protected in mouth
Higher survival rate, less fry