Biology 122/122L – Invertebrate Zoology Summer 2009 Assignment for field trip to Monterey Bay Aquarium 1. Describe four adaptations for a planktonic lifestyle that you saw at the Aquarium. In what invertebrates did you see them (obviously, any individual animal doesn’t have to show all four adaptations)? How is each adaptation beneficial for a planktonic animal? How might it be detrimental? Choose a sensory system (eyes, chemosensory receptors, mechanoreceptors, etc.) and describe how it might differ between planktonic invertebrates and their benthic counterparts. How will the sensory organs differ in the two habitats? Will they be receiving the same kind of information in both habitats? Will the sensory input be more “important” in one habitat than in the other? Describe three different examples of cryptic lifestyles that you saw in invertebrates at the Aquarium. Where were the animals living? In what way(s) did they blend in with their habitat? What made them difficult to see? How did you even find them at all? Choose an invertebrate with which you had some familiarity (it could be an animal that you’ve seen at MBA on previous trips, or while tidepooling, or on TV, etc.) before this class. Describe how the knowledge you‘ve gained from the lecture and/or lab class have changed your appreciation and understanding of this animal.
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