Adaptations of Stream Organisms

For this project, Grace, Kylie and I researched the water beetle, more commonly known as the water penny. An interesting fact about this bottom dweller is that after fertilization, the female slices open the stem of a plant and injects the egg into the hollow internal tube for protection. Also, the water penny does complete metamorphosis. It grows from egg, to larvae, to pupa, to adult. This bottom dweller needs a lot of dissolved oxygen, so it lives in high-riffle areas with fast moving water. Finally, the water penny is pollution-sensitive—therefore, if you find a lot in your stream, you have good water quality.

Caddis fly:

During the more vulnerable stage of its life, a caddisfly makes a casing out of pebbles, silt, leaves, and other substances to protect its body. Caddisflies are herbivores, and tend to consume algae. Because of this, they help control the algae population. Also, a female caddisfly can lay up to 800 eggs.

Crane fly:

Crane flies are mostly nocturnal, and feed during the night or twilight hours. They can’t be very well observed at this time, so they are believed to eat flower nectar. A crane fly’s body is completely water proof—its legs and wings have tiny hairs that are water repellant.

Flatworm:

Flatworms are bottom feeders, and like caddis flies, help regulate algae. They tend to live in still or stagnant water where algae and other plants can grow, and don’t need much dissolved oxygen. Flatworms can live produce sexually or asexually. In sexual reproduction, the eggs are laid in a gelatin on the lake or river bed.

My favorite part about this project was watching everybody else’s! All of the groups had such interesting things to say about their bottom dwellers, and each group was unique in the way they presented their project. For instance, Rachel and Jill’s—they made a news cast, which was hilarious, engaging and informing.

The most challenging part of this project, for me, was finding an interesting way to present the project. I originally wasn’t aware of what other people were doing in their presentation, but when I saw some of the particularly unique presentations, I started to get nervous because ours wasn’t that original. I felt that we still overcame this, though, because we passed around labeled pictures of the water penny. In the future, I think that I might go a step further and make a model of whatever it is I’m presenting, or even try something different like a prezi.

Maria Leckey