{"id":4406,"date":"2024-05-02T12:35:34","date_gmt":"2024-05-02T17:35:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wp.stolaf.edu\/naturallands\/?p=4406"},"modified":"2024-05-02T12:35:35","modified_gmt":"2024-05-02T17:35:35","slug":"april-aquatics","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/wp.stolaf.edu\/naturallands\/2024\/05\/02\/april-aquatics\/","title":{"rendered":"APRIL AQUATICS\u00a0"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Hello Nature Lovers!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

After a long, weird Winter, Spring is finally here! <\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s beautiful outside! The birds are chirping, flowers are blooming. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

On days like this, most college students like us are focusing on the return to life on land. So the best way to avoid being a mainstream nature lover \u2026 is to jump INTO THE STREAM!!!<\/em> ;D<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Here is a guide to what to expect in streams and lakes around this time of year!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Hydra<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Hydra are a group of tiny freshwater cnidarians\u2013distant cousins of jellyfish, coral and sea anemones. These critters sport long, trailing tentacles to catch micro crustaceans, in lieu of the fishes of their larger relatives(Reid, 2001). One species, Craspedacusta sowerbii<\/em>, actually produces a penny-sized medusa form, and is known as the peach blossom jellyfish(McKerch)! The typical mode of transportation for these guys is to cartwheel across their environment on their tentacles and hold fast!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Bryozoa<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Bryozoa are weird<\/em>! This phylum of animals construct colonies of individuals, each playing a different role in the superorganism. Filter feeders, each individual organism feeds by channeling water to its mouth by beating a horse-shoe shaped ring of tentacles called a lophophore<\/em>. Usually found in still waters, bryozoa resemble moss or algae, but are not plants. The colony will produce a capsule known as a statoblast <\/em>which will germinate and start a new colony(Reid, 2001). Fredericalla<\/em>, one of the major groups of bryozoa to be found in our rivers and lakes, have a branching appearance, like tiny twigs. Pectinatella<\/em>, on the other hand, look like semi-transparent half-deflated basketballs. And the members of the genus, Plumatella<\/em>, coat sticks, looking like a tight mass of fibers wrapped around a sunken piece of wood(accessed 2024).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Fish<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Oles will find fish of all sizes in our natural lands. Flat head minnows, native to Canada and the Rockies, have been introduced to other regions. They have a light belly, a dark stripe down their side, and are about 3 inches long. Redfin shiners are native, specifically to the Mississippi River and Great Lakes region. They mostly eat vegetation and small insects, and live in gravel and substrates. A few larger fish, like the white sucker, may also be observed in rivers. These fish can grow to about a foot and a half long, and have long, silvery bodies. Northern redbelly dace reach a maximum length of 12 inches, and are identifiable by a dark green back, a bright yellow belly, two horizontal black lines and one horizontal red line. Sunfish are also super common, with their flat, oval, green bodies. Blue gills, coming in at 8 to 12 inches, are somewhat bigger, and can weigh up to a pound! You might find largemouth bass, pumpkinseed, Johnny darter, channel catfish and other beautiful fish dancing in the sparkle and foam! And while no one I talked to has seen any in our natural lands, you could also keep an eye out for a parasitic, foot-long, living fossil; the silver lamprey.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Insects<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Insects occupy every freshwater niche imaginable! One of the most recognizable representations of such creatures is the dragonfly larva. Sometimes called the devil\u2019s darning needle, these critters are voracious predators, feeding on tadpoles and fish, and propelling themselves through the water by shooting water out their anuses(Mill and Pickard, 1975)! Many caddisfly larvae build portable cases made of a wide range of materials\u2013including snail shells\u2013which they bind together with silk. Other species build fixed retreats where they lay in weight for food. And some species build nets in running water to catch prey! The well known water treader skates across the water on surface tension. Water boatmen flap through the water with their hind legs, and carry a pocket of water under their carapaces(Reid, 2001). In contrast to these tiny, detritivorous bugs, the terrifying giant water bug can grow up to 3 inches<\/em> long and hunts vertebrates<\/em>(Reid, 2001)! Not to be outdone is the menacing water scorpion. With long limbs, dark brown in color and a pair of creepy claws reminiscent of those of its namesake, these predators breathe through a snorkel on their abdomens and snatch prey with their long forelimbs(H.)!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Snails<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Snails\u2013shell-baring members of the class Gastropoda<\/em> in the phylum Mollusca<\/em>\u2013reside in all aquatic ecosystems, eating algae and detritus. They sometimes hitch a ride on aquarium plants where they cause trouble for fish keepers, as they breed fast!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Water Fleas<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Water Fleas are tiny crustaceans which inhabit mostly slow moving waters in lakes and streams. Some of them adapt to the presence of predatory fish by growing protective spines(Cole)! Other species are transparent, and it is so cool to get to watch their hearts beating and guts churning food under a microscope!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Copepods<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Another prolific group of tiny aquatic arthropods are the copepods<\/em>. Found in salty and fresh water, these tiny crustaceans sport a pair of conspicuous antennae, and between three and five segments with one pair of limbs each(Barns, 1982). Females are often identifiable by the huge masses of eggs which hang from their bodies. Most copepods have only one bright red eye, similar in structure to an insect\u2019s, and these animals are the inspiration for the character Plankton in Spongebob Squarepants(Wilson)! <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Tadpoles<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Tadpoles are the larval stage of amphibians. The most familiar group to Minnesotans are toads and frogs, but Minnesota also is home to a number of salamander species! Tadpoles tend to be herbivorous if they will grow into frogs, while the tadpoles of salamanders are carnivores. The tiger salamander, which is common in our part of the state, has a set of gill fronds. The ubiquitous American toad breeds in Spring and early Summer, and produces dark brownish tadpoles. Another familiar species, the Spring peeper, lays its eggs during warm spells in Spring, and has brownish, mottled tadpoles. Northern leopard frogs breed in March through June, and produce tadpoles that are a dark, sandy brown with black spots, and Bullfrog tadpoles are greenish with dark speckles, are bred in May through July, and take two years to mature<\/em>(Reid, 2001)!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Crayfish<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

A more conspicuous crustacean is, of course, the crayfish. Crayfish are similar to lobsters in appearance, but have much shorter lifespans and a more herbivorous diet(accessed 2024).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Sponges\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

That\u2019s right! Freshwater sponges<\/em>! These simple animals sometimes are a bright green from symbiotic algae within them, and can cover inches to meters of stream and lakebed(Reid, 2001)! Sponges are so simple that their cells can undifferentiate and change between functions; so a cell that is specialized for feeding might one day repurpose itself for structural crystal production(accessed 2024)! <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Bivalves\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

These simple molluscs include such recognizable (and delicious) creatures as clams and mussels. Clams typically stay clear of deeper waters. Freshwater mussels have a fascinating way of reproducing. They grow a lure which looks like a small fish. This tricks larger predatory fish into biting on it. This in turn triggers the release of larvae\u2013called glochidia<\/em>\u2013which will cling to the fish\u2019s gills and thus be distributed to new places(Hartfield and Hartfield, 1996). All this in spite of the fact that the mussels are blind!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Scuds<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

These common crustaceans look like tiny shrimp, and can be found in every freshwater niche. They are found in every aquatic ecosystem, and form the base of many freshwater food chains(L.)!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Sources:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Reid, George K. Pond Life. <\/em>(St. Martin\u2019s Press, 2001)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

McKercher, E., O; et al. Craspedacusta sowerbii <\/em>Lankaster 1880. <\/em>USGS freshwater jellyfish (Craspedacusta sowerbii) – Species Profile (usgs.gov)<\/a> Access Date: 4\/29\/2024<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Phylactolaemata (Freshwater Bryozoans). What-When-How Class Phylactolaemata (what-when-how.com)<\/a> Access Date: 4\/29\/2024<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Mill, P. J. & Pickard, R. S. Jet-propulsion in anisopteran dragonfly larvae Comparative Physiology<\/em> <\/em><\/strong>97<\/strong>, 329-338 (1975).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

H., Rebecca Water Scorpion Facts & Information (Nepidae). Pond Informer Water Scorpion Facts & Information (Nepidae) – Pond Informer<\/a> Access Date: 4\/29\/2024<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Cole, Eric. Professor of Biology, St. Olaf College. In-person question. 4\/29\/2024<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Barns, Robert D. Invertebrate Zoology<\/em>. (Holt-Saunders International, 1982)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Wilson, Amy Stephen Hillenberg created the undersea world of Spongebob. The Orange County Register via <\/em>Wayback Machine Stephen Hillenburg created the undersea world of SpongeBob.(The Orange County Register) – Knight Ridder\/Tribune News Service | HighBeam Research (archive.org)<\/a> February 12, 2002. Archived June 10, 2014. Access Date: 4\/29\/2024<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Crayfish vs. Lobsters: 5 Key Differences Explained. A-Z Animals Crayfish vs Lobster: 5 Key Differences Explained – A-Z Animals (a-z-animals.com)<\/a> Access Date: 4\/29\/2024<\/p>\n\n\n\n

THE PHYLUM PORIFERA. THE CIRCULATORY SYSTEM Porifera – The Circulatory System (weebly.com)<\/a> Access Date: 4\/29\/2024<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Hartfield, Paul & Hartfield, Elizabeth. Observations on the Conglutinates of Ptychobranchus greeni (Conrad: 1834) (Mollusca: Bivalvia: Unionoidea) The American Midland Naturalist <\/em>135<\/strong>, 370-375 (1996). <\/p>\n\n\n\n

L., Angaline Freshwater Scud Facts (Gammaridae). Pond Informer Freshwater Scuds Facts (Gammaridae) – Pond Informer<\/a> Access Date: 4\/29\/2024<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Images:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

User Shi Annan. Hydra sp. 2010.jpg. Wikimedia Commons File:Hydra sp. 2010.jpg – Wikimedia Commons<\/a> Licensed under Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 International Licence Access Date: 4\/30\/2024<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Phylactolaemata (Freshwater Bryozoans). What-When-How Class Phylactolaemata (what-when-how.com)<\/a> Access Date: 4\/29\/2024<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Silver Lamprey. The Land Between Silver Lamprey- Species At Risk in The Land Between<\/a> Accessed: 4\/30\/2024<\/p>\n\n\n\n

User: Jeffdelonge. Nepa cinerea01.jpg. Wikimedia Commons File:Nepa cinerea01.jpg – Wikimedia Commons<\/a> Licensed under Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported Licence & Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 1.0 Generic License. Access Date: 4\/30\/2024<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Cole, Charles. Unknown snail. own work. Photographed; 4\/22\/2024<\/p>\n\n\n\n

User: Paul Herbert. Daphnia pulex.png. Wikimedia Commons File:Daphnia pulex.png – Wikimedia Commons<\/a> Licenced under Creative Commons Attribution 2.5 Generic Licence Access Date: 4\/30\/2024<\/p>\n\n\n\n

User: PDH. Cyclops.jpg. Wikimedia Commons File:Cyclops.jpg – Wikimedia Commons<\/a> Public Domain as the work of an EPA employee.<\/em> Access Date: 4\/30\/2024<\/p>\n\n\n\n

User: Renee Grayson. Relict leopard frog tadpole 6. Flickr Relict leopard frog tadpole 6 | Renee Grayson | Flickr<\/a> via User: Monkeystyle3000. Wikimedia Commons File:Relict leopard frog tadpole 6.jpg – Wikimedia Commons<\/a>. Licenced under Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic Use. Access Date: 4\/30\/2024 <\/p>\n\n\n\n

User: Smithsonian Environmental Research Center. Cambarus_bartonii_08-01-20_0799. Flickr Cambarus_bartonii_08-01-20_0799 | Cambarus bartonii, Common \u2026 | Flickr<\/a> via User: Smithsonian Environmental Research Center. Wikimedia Commons File:Cambarus bartonii 08-01-20 0799 (50190193252).jpg – Wikimedia Commons<\/a>. Licenced under Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic Use. Access Date: 4\/30\/2024<\/p>\n\n\n\n

User: Taollan82~commonswiki (Onthank, Kirt L. ). Spongilla lacustris.jpg. Wikimedia Commons File:Spongilla lacustris.jpg – Wikimedia Commons<\/a> Licenced under Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported. Access Date: 4\/30\/2024<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Cole, Charles. Unknown bivalve. own work. Photographed; 4\/22\/2024<\/p>\n\n\n\n

User: Snek01. Gammarus roeselii.jpg. Wikimedia Commons File:Gammarus roeselii.jpg – Wikimedia Commons<\/a> Licenced under Creative Commons Attribution 2.5 Generic Licence Access Date: 4\/30\/2024<\/p>\n<\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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