Aquatic Animals
Mosquito Fish
Pond Snails
Aqua
 Aqua
means water.
 Aquatic means living or growing in water.
 An aquarium is a glass-sided tank or bowl
where fish or other aquatic animals or
plants are kept.
Mosquito Fish
*Mosquito fish look a lot like guppies, but they are more
adaptable.
-they don’t mind sudden movement or changes
-they can survive a wide range of temperatures
(from 40°F- 100°F)
-they can live in almost any body of fresh water
*Mosquito fish are territorial, which means they will
fight off other types of fish in their tank.
guppies
mosquito fish
*The scientific name of the mosquito fish is Gambusia.
*It lives along the southeastern coast of the United
States, in places like North Carolina.
*They like live food, including elodea.
*They are most famous for feeding on mosquito larvae
(immature mosquitoes that wriggle around in the
water before they can fly—baby mosquitoes), which
helps lower the number of mosquitoes in the air.
This fish has been brought to more than 70 countries
around the world to help control mosquitoes!
*Mosquito fish bodies are covered with
protective scales that overlap like roof tiles
or shingles.
*They have large round eyes and see very well.
*They have a dark line (called a lateral line)
running the length of their bodies. It is made
up of sensitive nerve endings that detect
pressure in the water.
*They breathe by pumping water through their
mouth and over their gills.
Male or Female?
Male
*Grow up to 1½ inches long
*pale grayish-blue color
*slim body
*round tail
*dorsal fin and tail often
marked with rows of
tiny dark dots.
Female
*Grow up to 2½ inches long
*pale grayish-blue color
*body is plump
*round tail and fins
*dorsal fin and tail often
marked with rows of tiny
dark dots.
Having Babies
*When a female mosquito fish is pregnant,
her abdomen becomes very swollen.
*A black spot, called a gravid spot, appears on
each side of her body just above the rear fin.
*She may have from 3 to 200 fry at one time
(usually it’s between 40 and 50).
*Mosquito fish are live-bearers, meaning their
fry are born alive and fully formed.
Fry
*Baby mosquito fish are called fry.
*When they are born, they are rounded and dullcolored, but more transparent than adults.
*Like most live-bearers, mosquito fish like to
eat their fry.
*To survive, the baby fish swim immediately to plants
for protection.
(This is another reason elodea is so important in our
aquariums!)
*Within a week or two, the fry will be too large for
their parents to swallow.
Label your mosquito fish:
Snails
*Snails are found all over the globe.
*There are more than:
- 1,500 kinds that live on land
- 35,000 kinds that live in the sea
- 80,000 kinds that live in fresh water
*Our snails are fresh water pond snails.
*Snails belong to a large class of animals called
gastropods, which means “stomach foot”.
*Gastropods have a soft body that is covered by a shell,
which:
-hides them and protects them from predators
-has space for an air bubble so it can breathe
through its lungs
Inside the snail’s body, an organ called the mantle
secretes the shell.
*Part of the soft body that sticks out of the shell is
called the “foot”.
-it is made mainly of muscles
-it helps the snail move
-it releases a thin film of mucus which
helps the snail glide along
*Snails don’t make any noise and can not hear.
*The head has a set of tentacles with eyes.
*Snails can move them up and down to see, although
they don’t see very well. (probably only light and dark)
*The snail’s mouth is on the underside of the head. It is
a small opening that opens and closes.
*Inside the mouth is a tongue called a radula. It has
tiny teeth that file down the snail’s food into bits.
*Pond snails are scavengers. They eat the soft tissues
of dead plants and animals. They are like the
“clean up” crew of their environment.
*Pond snails will also eat algae and live plants.
Baby Snails
*Most snails reproduce by laying eggs. The eggs grow in
a clear “jelly” substance near the water line or on the
underside of leaves in the water.
*In a week or two, the baby snails walk out, little copies
of their parents.
*As the baby snail’s soft body grows, its outer shell
does too. The snail makes its own shell, much like you
grow your own fingernails, so it needs calcium from
its environment.
Label your snail: