Name: ______Date: ______Per: ______

Lab: Fashion-A-Fish

UN I T: E V O L U T ION

Introduction: Does the coloration of an animal effect its changes for survival? Do feeding mechanisms alter an organism’s chance of living? Throughout time, people have marveled at the great amount of diversity found in nature. It is adaptations, however, that have led to this vast array of variation and which have resulted in the enormous variety among species. In this activity, you will be studying the effects that an adaptation, a trait that increases an organism’s reproductive success (fitness) in its environment, has on a fish’s success in different habitats.

Materials:

Cardstock (for fish)

Large poster paper (for habitat)

Colored markers, crayons, and pencils

Scissors, tape

Procedure:

  1. You will be working with a partner
  2. Your teacher will give you a stack of four cards, one for each type of adaptation your fish has.
  3. Complete table #1 describing your fish’s specific adaptations.
  4. Using your paper and colored markers, design, color, and cut out one fish showing the four adaptations.
  5. On the larger piece of paper draw and color the habitat in which your fish would be well suited for survival.
  6. Be prepared to present your fish and habitat to the class explaining how your fish is adapted for your environment. Which adaptations are most important for your fish’s survival?
  7. Answer questions.

Habitats

Habitat / Open Water / Coral / Deep ocean / Kelp Forests
Jaw shape / -Large and sharp teeth
-Large / -Beak-like
-Protrusible / -Large and sharp teeth / -Protrusible
Body shape / -Streamlined / -Eel-like
-Elongated / -Flatfish
-Streamlined / -Eel-like
-Flatfish
Coloring / -Countershading / -Warning
-Cryptic
-Disruptive / -Countershading / -Warning
-Cryptic
-Countershading
Reproductive Strategy / -Migrate to specific breeding grounds
-Internal Fertilization / -Broadcast Spawners
-Internal Fertilization / -Hermaphrodite / -Broadcast Spawners
-Internal Fertilization

Table #1

Adaptation / Card Given / Of the choices above choose which habitat would your fish be best suited for survival with that adaptation
Jaw Shape
Body Shape
Coloring
Reproductive Strategy

Determine which habitat would be best suited for your fish.

Which habitat did you write down the most in the table above: Open Water, Deep Sea, Coral, Kelp Forests? ______

One person will now draw and color your fish on computer paper showing the following traits: jaw shape, body shape, and coloring. Color and cut it out when finished.

The other person will use the poster paper to create a habitat that your fish is best suited. It must be colored and include the following elements:

a)Food your fish’s mouth is adapted to eat

b)It’s predator

Questions

  1. Define the following terms:
  2. Adaptation-
  1. Species-
  1. Natural Selection-
  1. Fitness-
  1. How do adaptations increase the likelihood for an organism’s survival?

______

  1. Which adaptation is most important for the survival of the individual fish? Explain your reasoning.

______

  1. Which adaptation is most important for the survival of the species? Explain your reasoning.

______

  1. What role do adaptations play in Darwin’s Theory of Natural Selection?

______

Switch your habitat with another student’s habitat, then answer the questions below.

  1. Which traits in your fish will limit the success of your fish in its new habitat? Explain why.

______

  1. Which traits in your fish will still increase the success of your fish in its new habitat? Explain why.

______

Tape your fish on your OWN original habit. Make sure both of your names are on it before you turn it in.