Question

Write the adaptations of aquatic animals.

Answer 1

Hint: Aquatic conditions are far more extreme than terrestrial environmental conditions. The organisms thus develop a plethora of adaptations to survive the aquatic environment. These adaptive features help in the survival of the organism under severe temperature, pH, and salinity conditions.

Complete answer:Following are the adaptations in aquatic animals which help them survive in an aquatic environment:
1. GILLS: Like humans and all the animals, aquatic animals also need a constant supply of oxygen to survive. But, lungs are useless underwater therefore, Gill enables fishes to absorb oxygen from the water.
2. LOCOMOTION: The streamlined bodies of aquatic animals are perfectly adapted to moving through water. Forked or indented tails are seen in aquatic animals that help them in swimming for a long period of time.
3. SWIM BLADDER: Most aquatic animals have a swim bladder which is like an internal organ that contains gas. By changing the amount of gas in the bladder an aquatic animal can move up or down through the water column.
4. CIRCULATORY SYSTEM: Aquatic animals have a circulatory system with two-chambered hearts. Their digestive system is complete and includes several organs and glands. They use their jaws and teeth to grind up food before passing it to the rest of the digestive tract.
5. SALINITY: Organisms need to have the right amount of water, salt, and exactly the right temperature to survive. Adaptation helps to maintain this balance. A major problem in the aquatic environment is salinity. Aquatic animals in saltwater have kidneys that produce very little urine and keep most of their water inside their body.
6. TEMPERATURE: Aquatic animals have a big problem when it comes to keeping warm. Water transfers heat about twenty-five times faster than air does, which means an animal loses heat a lot faster in an aquatic environment than a terrestrial one.

Note:These adaptations make the survivability of the aquatic animals possible even in extreme environmental conditions.