Catfish!
The article, "Blue catfish boom threatens region's river ecosystems" describes how the blue catfish, when it is introduced to Bay waterways, poses a threat to other fish. See if you can get a purr-fect score on this catfish quiz by matching the words listed here with their definitions or description.
Antarctica
Asia
Barbels
Detritivore
Flattened-Head
Gas Bladder
Mudcat
Rays
Scales
1. This head shape helps a catfish sweep the bottom for food.
2. This continent is home to the world's largest catfish, the Mekong Giant Catfish.
3. Many catfish eat dead matter on the bottom of a waterway. This is what animals that eat this type of diet are called.
4. This organ helps a fish stay afloat in the water. Because this organ is very small in catfish, they are more likely to sink than to float.
5. Taste buds located at the end of these "whiskers" help the catfish find food in muddy waters.
6. Most fish have these. Catfish don't.
7. This is the only continent where there are no catfish.
8. This is a common nickname for a catfish.
9. These hollow, bony spine-like features are found on the dorsal (upper) and pectoral (side) fins of a catfish. When threatened, the fish locks these "spines" so they stick outward. They can seriously wound any predator. (Note: This feature is absent in electric catfish, which are not found in the Chesapeake Bay or its watershed).
Answers
1. Flattened-head
2. Asia
3. Detritivore
4. Gas bladder
5. Barbels
6. Scales
7. Antarctica
8. Mudcat
9. Rays
- Category:
Kathleen A. Gaskell, the layout & design editor for the Bay Journal, has been involved with several environmental programs for children.
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