Feathers, Fins & Things in the Wet & Wild
2015, Session 1, Week 1 – Clues
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When I fly, my long legs and toes hang below or behind.
I am one of the smallest the species of frog, growing up to 2.5 cm long
I am a fern, although I don’t look like one.
My babies don’t show my brilliant blue feathers until they mature.
I have a black stripe through my eye.
I live on the bottom of coastal freshwater streams amongst lots of vegetation
The females lay up to 900 elongated eggs which attach to a solid object. The egg is blunt at one end
and pointed at the other. The eggs hatch in 4 to 6 days, and the fingerlings eat the egg sac.
I grow in water with a high nutrient load, at temperatures from 15-30 degrees.
I am sometimes called sleepers because I sit and wait for prey.
I am edible and high in protein and minerals therefore make a good stock feed.
My colour and size is part of my name.
I like to hang out around the pond, on long strappy plants
My nest is of trampled reeds making a platform.
I float on the surface of water, and my roots hang down approximately 3cm.
I can swim but prefer to walk around the edges of wetlands.
I have two separate and distinct dorsal fins.
I can fix nitrogen, so I am a great companion plant for a crop such as rice and also make a good
ingredient for compost.
I use my long toes to grasp food, which includes small animals, eggs, and soft reeds.
There are many different species in waters over the world, including Australia and I like to be at the
deepest part of the pond.
You will often find me in your garden, in the east of NSW and Qld.
I have a large red face shield
I can cause problems where I block flow of or access to the water, and can reduce oxygen in the water
when I die.
I am carnivorous and will prey on other fish that are small enough and am good at eating mosquito
larvae.
My toes are 75% webbed, and I have very small toe disks.
Wetlands Environmental Education Centre – Wet and Wild 2015