Biology
Survival of the Fishes
Due: Friday, March 21
Regardless of your personal beliefs regarding evolution, you must admit that the much of the
life around us is amazingly well adapted to its particular way of life. Luckily for us, life is
amazingly resilient and well designed. To illustrate this point (and to have a little fun while
we're at it) you will design an organism using all of your knowledge of the natural world and
see how you stack up against the forces of nature.
Assignment:
Your goal is to design a fish for each environment that has the best chance of survival; this is
known as fitness. You will make two fish - one for fresh water and one for salt water. Your fish
will have variations on the eight characteristics that are listed below. Draw each fish on a
separate piece of paper, cut it out, and decorate it. On the back of your fish you must put your
name, state whether it lives in a fresh water or marine ecosystem, and describe your fish for
each of the eight required traits. List each trait by # (1 through 8) and be as specific as
possible (e.g. #1: Medium mouth and small teeth). Finally, put your fish in the ocean or lake.
Characteristics To Control:
1. Mouth/teeth: big, medium, or small mouth and teeth (could have big mouth/small teeth).
2. Length: how long is your fish?
3. Girth: how big around is your fish? This measurement - in relation to its length determines the overall shape of your fish.
4. Color scheme: what color and color pattern is your fish?
5. Fins: more fins make fish more maneuverable (faster turns), but they also create more drag
and increase its profile to predators. How many fins does it have and how big are they?
6. Habitat: surface, middle, or bottom of the water column (or any combination of them).
7. Feeding: does your fish eat smaller fish, carrion, plankton, seaweed, bugs, crustaceans - or
something else entirely? Note: this should be reflected in its mouth and teeth.
8. Special Features: choose one special feature for your fish that already exists in the natural
world. Examples are bioluminescence, electric shock, puffer fish (spines and poison), ability
to jump out of the water, anadromy (lives in both fresh and salt water like salmon), etc.
Possible Hazards:
-
Being eaten (predation) by other fish, mammals, birds, or people.
Not eating (starvation) from not finding or capturing food, change in the food available, or
being out-competed by other fish for available food.
Pollution.
Change in water currents or temperature.
Change in ecology/food chain of habitat.
Change in the physical structure of the habitat.
Natural disasters such as floods, tsunamis (tidal waves), or drought.
Anything could happen, really. It's life. It's survival of the fittest.
Grading:
Every other day one hazard will affect the ocean and the lake. Some fish will live, some fish will die. The
more days your fish lasts, the better your grade. Each day will be worth an increase in 1/2 of a letter
grade and all fish turned in on-time will start with a 70% on this assignment. Good luck!