BIO 10 FUNDAMENTALS OF BIOLOGY
Instructor: K. Villatoro
Student’s Name: ____________________
EXTRACREDIT PROJECT – ANIMALS OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA’S OCEAN
WELCOME TO THE CABRILLO MARINE AQUARIUM!
This site was chosen because it exhibits most of the Phyla of the Kingdom Animalia that we have
been studying in class, and these animals are native to Southern California!!!
The objective of this guide is: a) to expose you to some of the animals found in each Phylum
and b)to develop an appreciation of the diversity of animals that Southern California has to offer.
If at any point you need some help with the classification of any of the organisms, consult the
on page 7 of this handout.
ORIENTATION:
Use the following map to orient yourself. This assignment follows each of the exhibit halls
starting with the rocky shores. Be sure to identify the tank by the number. Answer the questions
at each tank using what is in the tank and the information provided around it.
TANK 1: LIVING IN THE SURF
What Phyla are represented IN this tank (actually IN the tank, not JUST in the tank labels)?
Write the common name and the Phylum the organism belongs to, like the example provided.
COMMON NAME
PHYLUM
Sea star
Echinodermata
1
Now you have noticed that this tank has representatives from different phyla but they all have
something in common, they are adapted to living in the same environment, the rocky shores.
What is the main environmental factor of rocky shores that these organisms must adapt to in
order to survive here?________________________________________________________
Each organism is adapted to this factor in a different way. For each of the organisms list the
adaptation that allows them to survive in the rocky shores. See the example provided.
COMMON NAME
ADAPTATION
Sea star
Tube feet provide movable attachment
Your muscle strength is ____________ (greater or lesser) than the checkered periwinkle and
_______________ (greater or lesser) than the California Mussel.
TANK 2: HOUSEBUILDERS
What Phylum do these Feather-dusted worms belong to? _______________________
Why are they classified in this Phylum and not in the other “worm-like” Phyla (eg. Nematoda)?
(hint: body cavity) ___________________________________________________________
What is the “feather duster” for? _________________________________________________
When you see them in the tank they don’t look like worms, why? (hint: where is most of the
body? _______________________________________________________________________
TANK 3: GRAZERS and BROWSERS
These organisms share the same source of food: Plants.
List the phyla represented in this tank and the way each organism is able to obtain their plant
food.
COMMON NAME
PHYLUM
OBTAIN FOOD BY
Snail
Mollusca
Radula scrapes plant
2
What characteristic of the Phylum Mollusca do all the mollusks in this tank share? ___________
Do all mollusks in this tank have a shell? __________________________________________
TANK 4: PLANTLIKE ANIMALS
List the common name and the phyla to each of the organisms found in this tank
COMMON NAME
PHYLUM
Snail
Mollusca
Why do you think that people would confuse these animals with plants? ___________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
Are Gorgonians considered an individual or a colony? __________________________________
Draw a Gorgonian coral showing each of the individual polyps
Tank 6 and 7: Predatory and Non-predatory Echinoderms
The organisms in this tank belong to the Phylum Echinodermata. What characteristic of the
Phylum is visible in these animals? ______________________________________________
3
Find each of the following echinoderms in these tanks, observe them and indicate in this table
where in their body are the tube feet located
COMMON NAME
TUBE FEET LOCATION
Sea star
Sea urchin
Sea Cucumber
Bristle Star
What do the following echinoderms eat?
COMMON NAME
FOOD
Heather star
Sea cucumber
Purple sea urchin
Bat star
Describe how sea stars prey on other animals? ___________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
Observe the tube feet of the sea urchin. Are all the tube feet identical to each other ?
____________________________________________________________________________
TANK 12: TOUCH TANK
Identify the organisms in this touch tank. You are welcome to touch but always be nice!!!
COMMON NAME
PHYLUM
4
Express yourself!!!
Draw your favorite animal of the touch tank or any other tank
TANK 13 AND 14: CRUSTACEANS
What Phylum do all these animals belong to? ______________________________________
What Class do these animals belong to? ___________________________________________
Name two characteristics of the Phylum visible in these crustaceans?
1. ___________________________________________________________
2. ___________________________________________________________
Count the number of joints one appendage has: ___________________________________
What do these crustaceans eat? (hint: what is at the bottom of the tank?) _________________
TANK 17: OCTUPUS
What Phylum and Class does the octopus belong to? ___________________________________
From the diagram on the wall, what characteristic does the octopus share with other members of
the Phylum? ______________________________________________________________
What are the chromatophores for? _______________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
TANK 18: MORAY EEL
What Phylum and Class do these 2 animals belong to?
1. Moray eel:_____________________________________________
2. Red rock Shrimp: _____________________________________________
What is the relationship between the moray eel and the red rock shrimp? __________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
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TANK 25: A MUDFLAT METROPOLIS
List the phyla represented in this tank.
COMMON NAME
PHYLUM
Compare the sole fish to the surfperch.
SOLE
SURFPERCH
Where is the fish found?
Top or bottom of tank
Eye location relative to mouth
Fin location relative to mouth
Why do you think the sole stays mostly at the bottom of the tank?________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
Are soles born with this unusual eye orientation? Explain ______________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
TANK 28: JELLYFISH
What Phylum do the Moon Jellies belong to? ________________________________________
What part of their body do they use for stinging? ___________________________________
Why do they sting? ____________________________________________________________
WHALES AND DOLPHIN EXHIBIT
What Phylum and Class do whales and dolphins belong to? ______________________________
Why are whales and dolphins not classified as Class Osteichthyes (bony fish)? ______________
____________________________________________________________________________
What structures in the skeleton of a whale can you see present that shows that whales don’t
belong in the Class Osteichthyes? __________________________________________________
Name three techniques for feeding in baleen whales.
1. _______________________________________________________________
2. _______________________________________________________________
3. _______________________________________________________________
How much milk does a baby whale drink per day? ________________________________
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CLASSIFICATION OF KINGDOM ANIMALIA
Domain Eukarya: Kingdom Animalia
Phylum Porifera: sponges
Phylum Cnidaria: hydras, jellyfish, corals and anemones
Phylum Platyhelminthes: flatworms
Phylum Nematoda: roundworms
Phylum Mollusca: mollusks
Class Polyplacophora: chitons
Class Bivalvia: clams, scallops, oysters, mussels
Class Cephalopoda: squids, nautilus, octopus
Class Gastropoda: snails, slugs, nudibranchs
Phylum Annelida: annelids or segmented worms
Class Polychaeta: clam worms, tube worms
Class Oligochaeta: earthworms
Class Hirudinea: leeches
Phylum Arthropoda: arthropods
Class Crustacea: Crayfish, crabs, shrimps, roly-poly
Class Arachnida: spiders, scorpions, ticks, mites
Class Chilopoda: Centipedes
Class Diplopoda: Millipedes
Class Insecta: flies, grasshoppers, butterflies, beetles and other insects
Phylum Echinodermata: echinoderms
sea stars, brittle stars, sea cucumbers
Phylum Chordata: chordates
Subphylum Urochordata: tunicates
Subphylum Cephalochordata: lancelets
Subphylum Vertebrata: vertebrates
Class Agnatha: jawless fishes
Class Chondrichthyes: cartilaginous fishes (sharks and rays)
Class Osteichthyes: bony fishes (salmon, catfish, tuna, goldfish)
Class Amphibia: amphibians (frogs, toads and salamanders)
Class Reptilia: reptiles (turtles, snakes, lizards, crocodiles)
Class Aves: birds
Class Mammalia: mammals
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