Question

1. Sharks are able to detect bioelectric fields of their prey. What other adaptations (morphological, behavioral, or physiological) do these sharks possess that make them excellent predators?
2. What are two features that put the octopus in the phylum Mollusca?
3. Which is more closely related to a human, an octopus or tunicate? Why?
4. What body form do sea jellies exhibit, medusa or polyp? What 3 or 4 components of the organism can you identify?
5. Why does a sea otter groom its fur so much?
6. How do they obtain their food preferences? How does it eat hard-shelled prey?
7. How do sea otters “stay warm”? How does this differ from the way in which seals stay warm?
8. . What type of coloration do penguins exhibit and how does this type of coloration aid them in their natural environment?
9. What other organisms at the aquarium have this type of coloration?
10. How is their body shape and morphology adapted for an aquatic habitat?
11. the giant sea bass, also known as the black sea bass. These fish were hunted to near extinction before laws were put in place to protect them. How does this fish move?
12. What do you think is this animal’s top predator as a full-sized adult?
13. What type of coloration do they exhibit?
14. What are two ways by which seals and sea lions differ anatomically?
15. Which set of flippers do sea lions use for propulsion? Seals?
16. How do you generally identify males vs. females?

Answer 1

1)sharks are one of the fastest swimmer in water which helps to chase the prey and catch it. The endoskeleton is made up of cartilage which enables it to float and allows to move at unbelievable speeds through water It also poses dynamic fins and strong tail which helps balance their body and to swim at an extremely fast speed

Sharks have very highly developed and strong senses smell. Which enables it to sens it prey and detect its distance . beside it it also have good eyesight and great hearing.

They poses a strong pair of jaws and the upper jaw is not attached with the skull allowing it to work independently . this provides a very powerful pull

Sharks have sharp and many rows of teeth which helps to rip through flesh and bones instantly.

Large body size, sharks may be up to 20 feet length .because of this it has very few predators and large no of prey come under it, on which it can feed.

2) octopus do not have metamerically segmentation on body, and they posses gills and mantles , these two common features , of octopus put it into the phylum mollusca.

3) octopus are the organisms come under phylum mollusca which does not poses dorsal hollow nerve cord and brain and are more primitive organisms .while the tunicates belong to the phylum chordates which have mollusca feature of presence of dorsal hollow nerve cord and  brain and thereby share more common characteristics with humans. so tunicates are more closely related to the humans.

4) sea jellies are the jelly fish which have free floating body form known as medusa . some components of jelly fish are hood , tentacles ,oral arms.

5) sea otter grooms its fur so much to keep itself waterproof . regular grooming also helps to maintain the air pockets in between the thick dense furs which acts as an insulator and keep it warm and also facilitate floating.

6) Sea otters get their food by diving in the ocean. they can dive more than 200 feet . They use their webbed feet, that are well adapted for swimming,. They can sense their prey using their whiskers and agile front paws to find and catch their prey.Sea otters are known to use tools to obtain and eat their prey. They can use a rock to separate attached urchins and mollusks   from the rocks . when they come to the surface they place the food on their stomachs,and then smash the prey by a rock to open it and eat at the flesh present inside.

7) Sea otters use their fur to stay warm . they consists of two layer of furs which helps in trapping the air packets . as air is a a good insulator of heat , so it prevents heat loss by decreasing the heat loss. Where as seals doesn't have thick fur in place of furs they consists of thick dens layer of fat beneath the skin .fat act as good insulator of heat thereby keep them warm. Without blubber they will not be able to survive.