Lesson 4:Ultimate adaptation

Become an ocean explorer (ages 11-14)

How many stonefish can you see?

Can you see them now?

How have they adapted to survive on the reef?

How have these coral types adapted to live on different parts of the reef?

Wave strength

Exposure at low tide

Amount of sunlight

Example of coral symbiosis

Coral has also adapted to the nutrient poor waters of the tropics by forming a symbiotic relationship with zooxanthellae.

It is not the strongest of the species that survives, nor the most intelligent that survives. It is the one that is the most adaptable to change.

Charles Darwin

Dive 4 – Ultimate Adaptation

- We are going to find out how different animals have adapted to survive on the reef

- Then we will go on a dive on a mystery reef and you will need to draw a picture of the ultimate coral animal

Speed (jacks)

These big-eyed trevally are extremely fast swimmers. This means that they can escape from bigger predators.

Shoaling (silverfish)

Sea cucumbers are designed a bit like hoovers, sucking up the sandy bottom and taking out any food.

Sea cucumbers have a defence trick of launching their guts out of their anus to scare of predators.

As we saw before, some animals use camouflage to hide from predators and to sneak up on prey, like these stonefish.

Ambush (mantis shrimp)

Mantis shrimps hide in small holes in the reef, waiting to ambush their prey. They use their claws to smash or spear small fish.

Venom (triton’s)

The crown of thorns starfish is covered with spines and is also poisonous to protect it from predators.

This starfish has a special way of eating coral, by sucking onto the coral and throwing up its stomach and special enzymes to dissolve the coral polyps.

Beaks (parrotfish)

This parrotfish has a special ‘beak’ to scrape the coral and algae from the reef. Why do you think it is called a parrotfish?

Mucus bubble (parrotfish)

This parrotfish has developed a safe way of sleeping. At night it envelopes itself in a mucus bubble. This stops predators smelling it out on the reef.

Hoover (manta ray)

Can you see how this manta ray is designed to ‘sieve’ the sea for microscopic algae and animals?

Speed and smell (sharks)How is this tiger shark designed to survive on the reef? How does it get its food?

Symbiosis (anemonefish)

This clownfish has developed a symbiotic relationship with the sea anemone. The sea anemone provides protection from predators, and the clownfish wards off other fish who try to eat the anemone.

Dive 4 log

- Complete your dive log- Why do you think your coral reef animal is best adapted to life on the reef?

- Remember to get your buddy and dive master signatures!

Slide Photo Credit5 Zooxanthellae Emma Kennedy / University of Exeter5 Coral polyp OIST

All other images and photos Catlin Seaview Survey

Photo credits