The Great Barrier Reef is the world's largest deposit of coral which stretches along the east coast of Australia. However it is not just one long reef, it is made up of over 2,900 different coral reefs. The reef consists of tiny polyps which are skeletons of flowerlike water animals. It is the home to 360 species of coral, 1,500 species of fish, 800 species of starfish, 5,000 species of mollusks, and 1,500 species of sponges. This Great Barrier Reef is about 1,250 miles long, which is about half the size of Texas!!
Some categories of animals that are found on the Great Barrier Reef are:
Fish -they are cold blooded and can be found in both
fresh and salt water. Unlike humans, they breath through gills. Categories of
fish include: jaw less fish, cartilaginous fish, and bony fish.
Amphibians - they are cold blooded and live
in warmer parts of continents. They tend to be aquatic and are limited to moist
surroundings.
Mollusks
- tend to have soft, segmented bodies, like octopus, jellyfish, and slugs but
can have a protective shell, like snails.
Birds -they are warm blooded and most species are capable
of flying; however some are sedentary and some are flightless. They lay shelled
eggs and care for young in a nest.
Mammals - they are warm blooded animals
consisting of three main groups: marsupial, monotreme, and placental. For more
information on the distinction between these categories click here.
Here are some questions to keep in mind as you are gathering information about these animals:
1. Is this animal a vertebrate or invertebrate? 2. What type of animal is this: mammal, fish, bird, etc.? 3. Is this animal native to Australia, if not where is it from? 4. What are some defining characteristics of this animal? 5. Is this animal poisonous?
Search the following web sites to learn more about animals that live in the Great Barrier Reef:
