~Splendorous Shining Shrimp~
~All you need to know about shrimp~By Alice Gradzki
~Introduction~
The breathtaking Great Barrier reef is home to many of the most interesting underwater organisms on Earth, and no doubt there are a lot of them! Let me tell you one thing, it is clear that the magnificent microscopic creature-eating animal known as the shrimp is the most important, and intriguing animal. So, if you are interested, let me lead you through the life of the shrimp, and along the way you will learn about the amazing animal, and it’s appearance, habitat, and diet.
~Attractive Appearance?~
Imagine, you are a miniature shrimp swimming through the ocean along with your school, fish passing by, trying to steer clear from them. What do the peculiar creatures you travel with look like? What is their appearance? Well, us human see you as pink, but you, tiny shrimp, are a stealthy creature. Did you know that when shrimp are alive and in the ocean, they are a clear grey color. This is so the don’t get caught by predators. Shrimp have a hard shell. Their eyes, legs, and rostrum grow out of the shell. These tiny animals have beady little eyes, and gills, of course. Overall, the appearance of a shrimp is important for its survival.
~Where in The World?~
Now back to you, shrimp! Again, imagine you are a school of shrimp swimming- wait… where in Earth’s waters are we!? Where is our habitat? What if this place too cold? Is it too warm?! Oh, what’s that? Phew, false alarm! Us shrimp can live in frigid waters, or tropical oceans! Hey, what was that? Hmm. It turns out shrimp can live in lakes and rivers, too! Wait… we aren’t too deep… right? Ok, sorry, I didn’t know that we could live in waters up to 16,000 feet deep! As a matter of fact, this reminds me of when I went so far in the ocean, and I still had a really long way down to go before I reached 16,000 feet deep. These unique organisms can live in a variety of different kinds of waters. Fresh water, salty water, and brackish water are just a few. Overall, shrimp can live in a variety of different places!
~What's for Dinner?~
Now… what is a big necessity to both humans and animals? Food, of course! Shrimp eat food, so they need a diet. Now, I’m getting hungry, and it looks like the rest of the school is, too, so let’s hunt. Oh, that crab looks tasty, but stay away from him, he eats us. What do we feast on, then? Microscopic organisms called plankton, yum! Is that salad? No, sorry, that’s algae! We also eat tiny fish. These clear critters eat a variety of small fish, algae, and plankton. Well, that means shrimp and humans have something in common. They both are omnivores! Did you know that shrimp get their prey by sifting through the sand of the ocean floor, or filtering the surrounding waters to ingest small particles of various plant and animal species? Shrimp don’t cause a lot of threat when they catch and eat prey. Wait, don’t stay in one place too long, or you will have the same fate as the plankton you just munched on! Many animals hunt us like sea birds, larger crustaceans, and fish. Wait, a net? Swim away! Our biggest predator has arrived… its human! Humans like to catch shrimp. They end up selling them or cooking them to be eaten. Now, humans think shrimp are delicious, but people are hunting them illegally! This is wrong. If these clear creatures die, shrimp hunters will lose jobs. Plus, the animals that rely on shrimp for food will die, then the animals that relied on those animals will die, and so on.
~Conclusion~
Overall, shrimp are extraordinary specimens. They should be hunted less. Humans underestimate shrimp, but they are needed to help the food chain. This is why we should know more about these enthralling animals and also respect them more.
X~Think Tank~X
Answer Key!
Answer Key!
1. Small fish and algae and plankton
2.Beady Eyes
3.Swim, crawl, and travel in schools
4. EVERYWHERE WITH FOOD!
X~Diorama~X
X~Go Fish~X
Go Fish Description
In the workshop “Go Fish”, I chose the theme “Ancient Roman Ruins”. I had bought a lot of fish and decorations. I purchased a forgotten ruins for $6.79, a ruins house for $16.99, two Asian cherry blossom trees. The trees were $16.99 each. I also purchased a slate rock for $1.99. Roman columns for $8.99, and lastly a ruins for $3. In total, the decorations and equipment cost $166.85. To add color to my fish tank, i got some colorful fish to put in the bland ruins. I purchased two cerith snails for $1.58, three blue female crowntail bettas for $10.77, two green female crowntail bettas for $8.78, three lyretail guppies for $13.17, 1 red minor tetra for $1, and one von rio flame tetra for $3.19. All together the fish cost $33.49. I stayed under budget of $250, and saved $48.66.