Why is the fish hard to see in the kelp environment?

1. Why is the fish hard to see in the kelp environment? The fish’s color and pattern blend in with the environment. It is camouflaged.

2. What benefit does the fish get from the camouflage pattern? Survival. By blending in, it might be overlooked by a predator or be able to ambush prey more easily.

3. How do you think the fish came to be camouflaged to blend into the kelp enviroment? Note: The fish didn’t “decide” to change its appearance as a survival strategy. The kelp fish’s pattern is an adaptation that allows it to blend into its surroundings, improving its chances of survival.

4. Adaptation Any structure or behavior of an organism that increases its chances of surviving and reproducing.

5. Next Steps: • Complete the Adaptations Anticipation Guide (before reading T/F column) • Open the Green text book to page 42

6. Adaptation • Any structure or behavior of an organism that increases its chance to survive and reproduce

7. Structural Adaptation • Any body characteristics such as body part, feature, colors or patterns that increase the organisms chance to survive and reproduce. • Kelp – strong rootlike structures called holdfasts and flexible stipes to hold them in place in the ecosystem • Abalone – large foot that acts like a suction cup. Streamlined shape of the shell both allow it to stay attached to the rocks • Sea Otter – thick fur • Seals/Whales – insulating fat

8. Structural Adaptations Cont… • Sea urchin – Spines • Crabs and Snails – Hard protective covering • Fish – fins for fast swimming • Cacti – Spines, stem

9. Behavioral Adaptation • Action of an organism that increases its chance to survive and reproduce. • Octopus – Nocturnal hunting • Lingcod – Egg guarding • Sea otter – Kelp Anchoring

10. Trait • The way a feature is expressed in an individual organism, such as brown eyes, small spots, or early migration. • Examples – little bumps on the walkingsticks legs or smooth legs = trait • Specific Color – green, brown, green/brown = trait

11. Feature • A structure, characteristic, or behavior of an organism, such as eye color, fur pattern or timing of migration. • Walkingsticks have long legs, a thin body, small eyes and a tough exoskeleton, as well as characteristic size, shape and color. They also move slowly, eat leaves and rest for long periods of time among twigs. All of these general structures, characteristics and behaviors are known as features.

12. Variation • Several traits for some feature within a population, such as the different eye colors, all the different fur patterns, and all the dates on which migration starts.

13. Protective Coloration • Kind of adaptation in which organism blends into its surrounding making it difficult to see.