Pond animals list. Fresh water bodies

All fresh water bodies - from temporary puddles to rivers and lakes - are inhabited by living creatures. Some animals are forced to adapt to the fast current, others to the periodic drying out of their homes, and others have learned to survive in conditions of fierce competition for food. Residents of reservoirs breathe atmospheric air or oxygen dissolved in water.

Life in fresh water bodies and on their banks is quite diverse; even on different sections of the same river, completely different species of living creatures can live. This is due to the fact that the reservoir can begin high in the mountains and have a clear cold water with a fast current, so its inhabitants will be adapted to such, quite extreme conditions. When this river flows through a valley, its flow will slow down significantly, the water temperature will be slightly higher and other species of fish, amphibians and insects will thrive in it. Today we will talk about various animals from all over our planet that have chosen fresh water bodies as their home.

Big-headed turtle (Platysternon megacephalum)

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Inhabitant of mountain rivers and streams of southern China and Indochina. This is a predatory animal with a shell length of up to 20 cm and hunts aquatic invertebrates, fish and frogs. She has very low fertility: there are only two eggs in the clutch. Big-headed turtle leads twilight image life. Very mobile. Unusual is the ability to climb rocks, bushes and trees well. And the turtle's head is so large that it cannot be pulled under the shell. AND a long tail It also doesn't fit underneath.

Piranhas (Serrasalminae)

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About 25 various types Piranhas inhabit the rivers and lakes of tropical regions of South America. These predators attack other fish species. Most often, their victims are injured or sick individuals. The signal that prompts these fish to attack is the smell of blood. But stories about the bloodthirstiness of piranhas are greatly exaggerated. They become dangerous, as a rule, only in unusual stressful situations. This happens during droughts, when rivers become very dry and fish unwittingly end up crowded in surviving reservoirs. Often the person himself is to blame for their aggressiveness. In many places, it is customary to dump waste from slaughterhouses into rivers, thus people accustom fish to meat and the smell of blood.

Gray Heron (Ardeacinerea)

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The largest heron in Europe is also interested in life in fresh water bodies. Its range occupies most of Eurasia. The gray heron inhabits coastal areas of rivers, lakes and reservoirs. It feeds on coastal and aquatic insects, fish, and frogs. It also preys on lizards, snakes, small birds and mammals that she finds in coastal thickets. It nests in colonies, often together with other heron species. There are 4-6 eggs in a clutch. In autumn it migrates to Western Europe and Mediterranean countries.

Red-crowned crane (Grusjaponensis)

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It is one of the rarest birds in the world. It is considered one of the most beautiful cranes. It feeds on rhizomes, tubers and succulent shoots of marsh plants, pecking at the same time various small animals. Creates a pair for life. The nest is built in a wetland. The chicks that have hatched desperately fight among themselves, and the parents manage to raise only one crane.

Discus (Symphysodondiscus)

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One of the most beautiful aquarium fish. IN wildlife lives in the fresh waters of the Amazon. Discus form married couples, who carefully look after the laid eggs, and then the larvae. When the larvae turn into fry, the most interesting part begins - feeding with “milk”. Fish “milk” is a thick, protein-rich substance secreted from the skin of discus fish and hardens on the sides of the fish in the form of a grayish-yellow coating. In the first days of life, the fry feed on this substance.

Capybara (Hydrochoerus hydrochaeris)

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The largest rodent in the world, lives in tropical and subtropical swamps, rivers and lakes of South America. Body length up to 1.5 m, weight up to 50 kg. Feeds on coastal vegetation. Swims and dives beautifully. The female gives birth to 2-4 well-developed cubs, which soon become independent. The capybara lives both in forests and in open areas. It always stays near bodies of water, which is why it received its second name – “capybara”.

Night heron (Nycticorax nycticorax)

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One of the most common birds in the world. It is not found only in Australia and northern Eurasia. Inhabitant of shallow swampy reservoirs. It got its name from the peculiar “kwa-kwa” that it calls out during nesting. Feeds on aquatic invertebrates, small fish, amphibians and their larvae. It prefers hunting at dusk, relying on its excellent eyesight and hearing. The night heron is one of the few bird species that can catch fish using bait. Breeds in colonies. A massive nest of branches is placed on trees or reeds. There are 4-5 eggs in a clutch.

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Reservoirs can be fresh or salty. The first type includes streams, swamps, canals, rivers, lakes, and ponds. Let's consider who lives in them.

Lives in ponds a large number of animals. Fresh water is home to many different insects - a variety of bugs and beetles. There are even more insect larvae in the water. When they become insects, they live in the air above or near bodies of water. These are dragonflies, mosquitoes, water striders, and caddis flies.

Cancers

The largest representative of the crustacean species that lives in fresh water bodies is the crayfish. Its body length can be twenty centimeters. He is quite picky about the purity of the water and the amount of oxygen it contains. The cancer makes a hole at the bottom of the reservoir under a snag or stone. He stays in it all day long. In the evening he leaves the hole to search for food. It eats small sedentary animals, algae, carrion of fish, worms and snails.

Toads and frogs

Some freshwater bodies are home to various toads and frogs. With the onset of spring, they organize concerts near the water and lay eggs in it. The lake frog, pond frog and toaded toad always live near bodies of water.

Fish

Crucian carp, catfish, carp and pike constantly live in fresh water bodies. They live, breed and eat here.

Animals

The inhabitants of such reservoirs are also animals that have valuable fur. These are beaver, nutria, otter and muskrat.

The main problem is ecology, in other words, water pollution in reservoirs. A large number of pollutants enter the water.

Most often, pollution of water bodies is invisible, due to the fact that the pollution dissolves in water. However, there are exceptions. These are detergents that create foam and petroleum products that float on the surface of the water. Every year about twelve million tons of oil enter the seas and oceans.

There are a number of pollutants natural origin. Aluminum formations located in the ground end up in fresh water bodies due to chemical reactions. During floods, magnesium compounds are washed out of meadow soils, causing great damage to fish stocks.

But in most cases, water pollution occurs due to human fault. Every year, several thousand chemical compounds end up in water bodies.

Who lives in the pond

At the bottom of stagnant and slowly flowing reservoirs, you can often notice large (from 8 to 20 cm) bivalve shells, half-buried in the ground. The feeding of the toothless fish occurs simultaneously and in parallel with its breathing, since the current of water carried into the gill cavity carries with it small living creatures suspended in the water.

He actually moves on his side. Some species have enviable jumping ability - by sharply straightening their body, they are able to jump thirty centimeters. That is why they are also called flea crustaceans.

About 7 mm in length. Usually without wings, a winged insect is very rarely found. They prefer fast streams and spring pools; keep in shady places. Live on floating leaves aquatic plants, on the surface of the water or on the shore - in moss, on damp soil. Like water striders, predators grab everyone they can defeat.

One of the most agile and evasive water bugs. It is distinguished by extremely high visual acuity, since each of its eyes is divided in half by a transverse groove, so that from two it turns out to be four eyes, of which one pair surveys the sky and everything moving in the air, and the other - the water and everything living in it. It is the most perfect swimmer among beetles, since the segments of the second and third pairs of legs are so flattened and expanded that they represent a kind of plates. Thanks to this, their rowing surface imparts much greater force to the blows of these paws and gives the body a much greater push.

Marginated stonefly - Perla marginata. Body 1.5-2.5 cm in length. They are very different in color and pattern. Flies from May to August. Sluggish, inconspicuous insects with 2 more or less pronounced tail filaments; with 4 wings (so obviously not flies). At rest, the wings lie flat on the abdomen. Lives mainly near water.

The larvae are similar in body shape to adult stoneflies, but, of course, at first they do not have wings, the rudiments of which appear only at the end of the larval period of life. Unlike adult stoneflies, the larvae have strong, serrated jaws. The larvae of small stoneflies feed on algae, but most are predators, eating the larvae of mosquitoes, midges, mayflies and other small invertebrates. Breathing of oxygen dissolved in water is carried out with the help of tracheal gills, which are rarely leaf-shaped (Nemura), but more often represent bundles of filamentous outgrowths penetrated by tracheas, located on different segments of the chest and abdomen. The legs of the larvae are long and tenacious with a large number of hairs. The larvae can run well along the bottom and swim well, but spend most of their time clinging to the protrusions of the bottom with their feet, watching for prey. The entire development cycle in most stoneflies lasts a year, in some large species V northern rivers stretches for 2-3 and even 4 years.

During the first days it feeds on rotten plants, but then, having changed its skin, it becomes a predator. Coming out of the cocoon, fast, long-legged, it hastily crawls through the plants and devours with such gluttony the snails that constitute the best food for them and works so hard with its jaws that it increases significantly in size during the month. The color is dark brown. She can lengthen and shorten her body at will. The head, wide and horned, is armed with a pair of jaws, which, however, do not have holes, like the jaws of diving beetles. Having grabbed the snail from below, the larva throws its head back and, pulling out the mollusk from there, devours it. The method of protecting this larva is extremely interesting. If you grab her, she immediately becomes soft, lifeless, as if dead, and if this trick fails, she compresses her stomach and throws out a black, stinking liquid, which, surrounding her in a cloud of turbidity, gives her the opportunity to hide from the enemy. The water lover remains in the larval state for about 3 months, after which the larva emerges from the water and digs a deep hole, like a cave. She carefully smoothes the inner walls of this hole. Here it turns into a whitish pupa, the edges of the chest shield are equipped with three points that prevent it from touching its head to the cocoon. The pupa remains in this position for about a month. Then the skin on her back cracks and a beetle crawls out of it, the covers of which, however, are still very soft and colorless.

The largest of the European water beetles. Mostly it lives on plants or grottoes, where it likes to crawl, hiding in dark corners, and eats the algae that cover it. It crawls along the bottom only when looking for food, and sorts through grain of sand, tasting and as if chewing each one. The water lover makes his flights both during the day and at night, but especially loves to fly on moonlit nights. Water lovers swim worse than swimmers, since their legs, longer and less wide than those of the latter, do not move evenly and simultaneously, like oars, but in disorder, one after the other. As a result, although water lovers are protected by their hard coverings, like chain mail, they often become prey to swimming swimmers, who, overtaking them while swimming, pierce with their jaws their only vulnerable spot, their Achilles heel - the neck - and kill them to death.

Up to 2 cm in length. There are 10 species in Central Europe. They live in calm bodies of water, even in the smallest puddles. Many species are found in both full-winged and short-winged forms (only the full-winged ones fly). They feed on small insects caught from the water. During rain and strong wind get ashore. Most species have 2 generations per year.

Rod-shaped pond strider - Hydrometra stagnorum. Very thin body, 9-12 mm in length. It usually lives near the shore, on the floating leaves of aquatic plants, without being too conspicuous. Unlike real water striders, it does not glide through the water, but walks. Sucks out small insects, such as mosquitoes, flies, aphids.

Usually 1.2 cm in length, somewhat smaller. Found in stagnant or slowly flowing freshwater bodies, as well as in brackish waters; among plants or at the bottom of reservoirs. It feeds on dead plants and lays eggs in a brood pouch, in which young crustaceans live for some time after hatching.

6-22 mm in length. Gray or brownish, difficult to see in water. Often found at the bottom of calm waters (prefers shallow water), very slow. Before wintering, it migrates, flying from body of water to body of water. With its powerful front legs it grabs aquatic animals (even small fish) and sucks them out. The injection is given with the proboscis. For the fence atmospheric air serves as a long breathing tube at the end of the body.

The body is in the form of a hollow cylinder, about 1 cm in length (excluding the hunting tentacles). The sole is attached to aquatic plants or other substrate, usually near the surface of the water. At the slightest irritation, the hydra shrinks and is difficult to notice. Very gluttonous. It defeats animals even larger than itself, but more often it catches daphnia and small crustaceans. The hunting apparatus is tentacles armed with three types of stinging capsules. The latter shoot threads that either pierce the victim like a harpoon (while paralyzing it with poison), or entangle it, or stick to it. During the entire warm period, reproduction is predominantly asexual: a small polyp grows from a bud on the body, and later it separates. Sexual reproduction with the formation of eggs and sperm occurs with the onset of autumn. Hydra has a high ability to regenerate lost body parts.

14-16 mm in length. The air reserve is located on the dorsal side, under the elytra; swims in the water column on its back. Lives in standing and flowing bodies of water. Predator: attacks any animal it can handle (even small fish!). Like rowers, it flies well; capable of launching directly from the water. It can sting strongly and painfully (this is why the smoothie is sometimes called a water bee or a water wasp).

The development of the tadpole lasts 2-3 months. The longest tadpole in the frog is 55-60 mm. Metamorphosis ends in August. Young frogs that have just completed their metamorphosis have a body length of 13-20 mm.

The comb is 13-15 mm in length. Skilled swimmer; floats in the water column or clings to underwater plants or something at the bottom. Males make chirping sounds (especially in the spring, with the beginning of the mating season). They often migrate and at this time fly en masse towards the light.

Transparent, greenish, reddish or yellowish; with a double-leaf sink. The second pair of antennae is large and serves for movement. Most daphnia live in shallow ponds or in the coastal zone of other stagnant bodies of water. Using leaf-shaped legs, small (about 0.01 mm) algae, bacteria, organic particles suspended in water, etc. are filtered out.

About 3 cm long, 1.5 cm high and 2 cm thick. With the help of adhesive threads (secretion of the byssal glands) it is attached to solid objects (stones, etc.); found in fresh and brackish waters.

Hoverfly larvae different types lead very varied life. The larvae of some species live in aphid colonies and feed on aphids, others live in sludge and feed on sludge substances, and still others eat dead wood.

Adult hoverflies prefer to feed on the pollen and nectar of bright yellow flowers, like this hoverfly Helophilus pendulus.

Caviar does not tolerate low temperatures. Fast frogs begin to mate only when the water temperature rises to 4-5 degrees. One female lays from 600 to 1400 eggs. The diameter of the egg is 2-3 mm, and the diameter of the entire egg is 9-12 mm. The upper half of the egg is brown or blackish, the lower half is yellowish or off-white.

About 3 cm wide and 1 cm high. Flat and disc-shaped, like all reels. The shell often has a wavy sculpture. It is found almost everywhere on the plains in stagnant bodies of water. Lives in bottom mud. It feeds on dead parts of plants, algae and detritus. Red blood pigment provides better oxygen supply.

Anas platyrhynchos

look like sticks with short legs. Before leaving the water they grow enough to catch and little fry. At the end of the abdomen they have three lobes of external gills. The larvae can wave them from side to side, like a fan.

similar to tarantula spiders. As a rule, due to the many bristles on the body, they are also heavily overgrown with all sorts of algae and, when caught, resemble an ugly lump with paws. Leads a hidden bottom lifestyle. Dragonfly larvae (nymphs) have a special device under their snout - a mask. Babok's mask looks like a scoop that can open. With this scoop, the nymph digs the soil and selects something edible from the mask. It's very interesting to watch this. Moves like a spider. When in danger, uses " jet engine"Dragonfly nymphs have the ability to suck water into their hindgut and forcefully expel it.

The nymphs of the Grandfather dragonfly (Gomphidae) are similar to the nymphs of the Grandmother dragonfly (Somatochlora), but have a slightly more elongated body that tapers at the end. In addition, they have the same mask as the nymphs of the Rocker; Eli larvae are an order of magnitude less common than the more familiar Rocker and Grandmother. In an aquarium it prefers to live completely buried.

The nymphs of the rocker dragonfly (Aeschna) have an elongated body that more closely resembles a torpedo. Most of the time he sits motionless. If necessary, includes the "reagent". Swims willingly and skillfully. The mask of the rocker dragonfly is terrible weapon. Possessing excellent eyesight, the ability to swim quickly and camouflage perfectly, rocker dragonfly nymphs are tireless predators. They eat everything I can handle, even small fish. The fry are destroyed at once. Large fish As a rule, they do not touch it.

Together with mosquitoes, horseflies and midges, midges make up the so-called “gnus” - a complex of bloodsuckers.

Midling larvae are long and thin, whitish or pinkish with a dark head. They crawl like snakes, swim well and feed on a wide variety of dead organic substances. The larvae of some species live in Formica anthills, and some eat the living tissue of grasses, living in their roots.

These are the larvae of a number of species of bell mosquitoes from the Chironomus family.

often found on the surface of ponds and puddles - it’s like raindrops jumping on the water. Springtails belong to the lower, primarily wingless insects. The size is only a few millimeters, sometimes found in large clusters. Jumps on the ground using an abdominal fork. It feeds on plant foods or small animals.

1-2 cm in length; (m) larger (g). It lives in reservoirs rich in oxygen and vegetation, where it builds a bell-net filled with air. To breathe, it rises to the surface, but can remain under water for up to 4 days. Having drawn air into the lung (and into hairline on the abdomen), the spider carries the air bubble under the water. Feeds on small animals. The eggs are in several cocoons in a special two-chamber bell. Sits in the lower chamber, guarding the offspring.

Up to 9 cm in length, 4 cm in height and 3 cm in thickness. It feeds on organic matter suspended in water and moves along the bottom of the reservoir with the help of a wedge-shaped leg.

Young leeches feed on larvae and worms, while adults suck the blood of vertebrates (especially mammals) and can, having pumped to the limit, go without food for more than a year. Cocoons are laid in damp coastal soil. Leeches, like oligochaetes, are hermaphrodites and are similar to them in their reproductive features (they lay cocoons through the girdle); however, their ability to regenerate is much lower and they reproduce only sexually.

One of the largest predatory water beetles. It not only devours the smaller of its fellows, but even boldly attacks the fish itself. The swimmer is dirty green-black with a yellow-orange border along the edges of the chest shield, upper lip and elytra. Of the six legs, the four hind ones are equipped with strong muscles and serve as oars, and the two front ones (in males) are equipped with wide plates with two suckers and hold the prey while this bloodsucker torments it with its terrible jaws. The swimmer's body is flat, boat-shaped, perfectly adapted for swimming and chasing prey. The eyes are quite large, shiny under water, like silver, and very keen.

Common mayfly Ephemera vulgata. Body 1.4-2.2 cm in length. Wingspan up to 5 cm. Flies from May to August. Most often near slow-flowing rivers. The female lays eggs (about 5000) directly into the water, plunging the end of her abdomen into it and raising her tail filaments. There are about 70 species of mayflies in Central Europe. These are delicate insects with small (sometimes there are none at all) hind wings, with 3 or 2 tail filaments. Adults do not feed; their oral apparatus is reduced. Mayflies live only a few days and sometimes only hours (hence their name). They usually fly in the evening near bodies of water. After breeding, adults die.

Mayfly larvae living in fresh water bodies feed on plants (algae), detritus or small animals. Development lasts from 1 to 3 years.

The larvae are well distinguished by large sizes the posterior pair of spiracles, which are clearly visible on the cone-shaped last segment of the body, appearing in the form of two brown spots. In the spring, they damage the sown seeds; in the summer, they often bite into the tillering node of cereals, causing weakening and death of plants. It takes several years for the larvae to fully develop. The beetles appear in the spring. They are dark brown, rather inconspicuous.

Common pond snail -Lymnaea stagnalis. The most common and largest of the European pond snails. Up to 6 cm in height and 3 cm in width. The color is variable due to various plaques. Prefers calm waters rich in vegetation. Like all pond snails, the shape of the shell changes depending on habitat conditions. Like all species of this genus, it feeds on aquatic plants and carrion.

A runner on the water surface, it is distinguished by a thickened club-shaped head, strongly convex hemispherical eyes, a longer trunk than the head, and legs of the same size. His mouth has from 6 to 12 lines. Body naked, black-brown; the base of the head and cervical scute are rusty-brown, the legs are yellowish-brown. It lives near the coast, mainly between plants. It feeds on small insects that fall into the water.

is different slim body, narrow head and unusually long hind legs. The voice is weak. Agile frogs are extremely mobile. They make jumps of 1-1.5 m in length and up to 1 m in height. When escaping pursuit, they are able to make leaps of up to 3 m. They lead a land-based lifestyle. and leaves for the winter in mid or late October. Overwinters buried in silt at the bottom of reservoirs.

Another name is silt fly or silt fly. The adult fly, with a brownish chest and yellow-black spotted abdomen, closely resembles a bee.

Notable is the bee larva, which is called a rat. The body of the larva is barrel-shaped, unclearly segmented. The last three segments of the abdomen form a characteristic tail - a respiratory tube. These segments are thin, and each subsequent one can be retracted into the previous one or, conversely, quickly move out of it. At the end of the breathing tube there are two spiracles, and inside there are two thick trachea. The fully extended respiratory tube of adult larvae reaches a length of 12-15cm. The larva descends deep into the reservoir, leaving the end of the breathing tube on the surface of the water. The larva pupates in the soil next to the pond.

Usually about 12 - 16 cm in length. Coloring is variable. Lives in clean waters; During the day, in shelters; at night, it crawls along the bottom in search of food—small animals, plants, and carrion. In case of danger, it makes sharp strokes with its belly and quickly swims away with its rear end forward. After mating, in the fall, (f) takes care of the offspring - attaches fertilized eggs to its abdominal legs. Larvae hatch in May next year and quickly develop into crustaceans about 1 cm in length. Pollution of water bodies and epidemic diseases of crayfish have led to a decrease in the numbers of this species, and now it can no longer be said that it is common everywhere, as it was in the past.

The largest bug in Europe is up to 4 cm in length (excluding the breathing tube). Lives in quiet backwaters. It often flies from body of water to body of water. Feeds like a water scorpion.

Adult caddisflies do not feed and do not live long. Their wings are covered with hairs rather than scales. They are only able to lick drops of dew or rain, and some have a reduced oral apparatus.

Clutches of caddisfly eggs look like slimy lumps and attach to underwater rocks or plants. The larva pupates underwater in a case constructed by it. To exit the imago, the pupa floats to the surface, rowing its middle legs like oars.

The larvae are most often light-colored, fusiform, and lack limbs. They are predators or saprophages - they feed on aquatic and soil invertebrates.

The span of the transparent wings of these dragonflies with characteristic black veins can reach up to 80 millimeters, and the length of the elongated body is 45 - 55 millimeters. These insects can often be found near various bodies of water, both small and much larger. These dragonflies feed on smaller insects, hunting them right in the air.

The family of arrowheads includes graceful dragonflies up to 40 mm long, folding their wings at rest with a short pterostigma along the body. They have weak flight and preferentially stay in thickets of aquatic plants. They fly during the day during the hottest hours. There are especially many of them along the banks of water bodies; on the fly they catch their prey - jerk mosquitoes, real blood-sucking mosquitoes and other small insects.

The development of larvae lasts in different species from several months to several years. The larvae are very voracious, breathe through trachea, but do not rise to the surface of the water for air, since their hindgut has tracheal gills. They swim by forcefully pushing water out of the intestines (the principle of jet propulsion).

maximum total length 89 mm (body length 58 mm). In spring, newts appear in March-June at a water temperature of 4-6°C 1-7 days after awakening, first males, then females. Adult males acquire a beautiful breeding plumage. Spawning is preceded by mating games. In reservoirs, newts are active almost around the clock; on land during the day they hide in shady, damp places in various kinds of shelters.

Egg laying begins at a water temperature of 4-10°C in March-June, and the most warm places a reservoir with fairly dense vegetation. The female lays from 60 to 700 eggs. Hatching begins after 14-20 days. Larval development in nature lasts 50-70 days or longer. When emerging from the testicle, newts do not have legs, and only in front of the gills they have a small, hook-shaped appendage on each side, with which they cling to objects and hold on. These appendages disappear no earlier than with the appearance of the front legs, which, in turn, grow only a little earlier than the hind legs. All these metamorphoses are worthy of attracting the attention of an amateur. Metamorphosis usually occurs in June-September, later in the mountains. Young of the year come to land with a body length of 13-22 mm or more. The entire transformation is completed in 3 months.

swims and dives very well. In July-August, females lay from 4 to 40 large elongated eggs measuring 12-23 x 23-32 mm. In mid-August - early September, young snakes with a body length of 110-135 mm appear. During the mating period, it forms clusters of several dozen individuals. Collective clutches are known, laid in one of the most favorable places by several females; up to 1200 eggs can be found in such a place. Eating common snakes mainly amphibians, as well as fish and lizards. Less commonly, small mammals and birds serve as prey, and any victim is always swallowed alive. In case of danger, it regurgitates the swallowed prey and, as a rule, flees. As a defensive reaction, it is also well known that the snake secretes a liquid with a strong repulsive odor, which it throws out from the cloaca.

Aquatic snails feed mainly on algae, scraping them off rocks and plant stems with their small horny tongue.

Female freshwater snails (Pomacea spp., for example) lay clusters of eggs above the water (usually at night). One female is capable of laying 200-600 eggs. The eggs of the marise snail (Marisa) are laid in water, usually on vegetation. Depending on the temperature, the incubation period lasts 2-3 weeks. Young snails eat the same things as adults.

This is a small leech (up to 2-3 cm) with a flat, wide body, brownish in color, speckled. They adhere to underwater objects to which they attach using their suction cups. They cannot swim, but only crawl on aquatic plants and other objects, using their suckers as attachment organs. When moving, they slowly “walk”, like caterpillars, bending their body in an arc. A rather long tube protrudes from the mouth - a fleshy proboscis, indicating that this leech belongs to the group of proboscis leeches. With this proboscis it sucks out small animals whose integument is quite hard. It attacks mainly mollusks, most often carcasses and pond snails.

This is a medium sized bird. The weight of the drake ranges from 800 to 1400 grams, depending on the season and the degree of fatness. The weight of the duck is slightly less. In some places it is called the hollow bird due to its nesting in hollows. Gogol is an excellent swimmer and excellent diver. It obtains food mainly under water, sometimes at a depth of up to 4 meters. The goldeneye feeds mainly on animal food, including fish, with a small addition of plant food, mainly bulbs, nodules and leaves of aquatic plants. Goldeneyes, like all ducks, molt twice a year.

Not more than 0.5 cm in length, very variable both in size and shape. Prefers clean, flowing bodies of water in mountainous or hilly areas. It feeds mainly on algae.

Body length from fractions of mm. On all segments, except the oral one, as a rule, there are setae arranged in tufts. Hermaphrodites; the genitals are concentrated in several segments of the body. Representatives of some families also have asexual reproduction; Parthenogenesis is known in some species. The eggs develop without metamorphosis. playing important role in the cycle of substances in water bodies and soils, determining the rate of silt formation and mineralization of sediments in fresh water bodies, and in soils influencing their structure and humus formation. Oligochaete worms are of great importance for the self-purification processes of polluted water bodies; serve as food for fish.

In shallow waters, minks are dug up to 30 cm deep. They feed on dead small animals, plants and detritus (organic particles that settle to the bottom), for which they usually stick out only the front end of the body from the burrow.

Tetrahedral earthworm - Eiseniella tetraedra. 3-5 cm in length. The middle and posterior parts of the body are noticeably tetrahedral. The belt occupies from the 22-25th to the 26-27th segment. Found only in very wet habitats, e.g. damp earth, in damp moss, near bodies of water. It reproduces parthenogenetically (virgin reproduction without the participation of males). All earthworms similar in lifestyle. They dig deep tunnels underground. After heavy rains, they are forced to leave them so as not to suffocate. They feed on decaying plant debris and soil microorganisms, so many species are extremely useful: they contribute to the formation of humus, loosen, aerate and fertilize the soil. Sexually mature worms (with a belt) mutually fertilize each other (hermaphrodites) and lay cocoons with eggs. According to new research, earthworms, when irritated, release a long-acting fear substance.

They get their name from their garlic-like smell. Only spadefoots have vertical pupils - like cats. They skillfully hide underground: there are special keratinized calluses on their heels, and with them they can dig a hole for themselves in just a few minutes.

are viviparous mollusks. The eggs are brooded in the gill cavity, where the hatched young globules undergo their development. Approximately 12mm long, 10mm high and 7.5mm thick. The most common balloon in Europe. Found in various bodies of water, but without strong currents.

Rice. 2. Lake Arakul ()

Or artificial: pond, reservoir, canal (Fig. 4-6).

Rice. 5. Reservoir ()

Whatever the body of water, natural or artificial, it adorns our land and delights us with its beauty. We take water from fresh reservoirs, which we cannot do without either in everyday life or in production. We swim in bodies of water, sunbathe next to them, travel on ships on water, and transport goods. The importance of reservoirs in nature is great. Fresh water is the most important condition human existence on Earth, and for animals that live in water, this is also the only home. Water contains everything necessary for life: light, heat, air and dissolved minerals.

What plants grow and what animals live in fresh water bodies? Finding yourself near a reservoir in the warm season, you could only observe those of its inhabitants who live on the surface. But life in a body of water is everywhere: near the shores, on the surface, in the water column, at the very bottom and at the bottom. On the banks of reservoirs you can see leaves and stems of reeds, reeds, cattails, and arrowheads. The shallow depth allows these plants to attach to the bottom of the reservoir. By significantly greater depth white water lily and yellow water lily grow (Fig. 7, 8). Their flowers and wide leaves float on the smooth surface of the water.

Rice. 7. White water lily ()

Rice. 8. Yellow egg capsule ()

How did these plants manage to adapt to life in highly moist soil, where there is almost no oxygen? If you examine a section of the stems of reeds, reeds, and cattails, you can see the air channels that run in the stems of these plants (Fig. 9, 10).

Rice. 9. Reed ()

There are air channels in both the leaves and roots of aquatic plants. In the white water lily and the yellow water lily, the petioles of the leaves and the peduncles on which the flowers sit are also pierced with air channels through which the oxygen necessary for breathing penetrates. By picking a flower, a person harms the entire plant. At the site of the rupture, water begins to penetrate into the plant, this leads to rotting of the underwater part and, ultimately, the death of the entire plant.

Duckweed grass in the form of small green plates also floats on the surface of the reservoir, but is not attached to the bottom by its roots, and in the water column there are tiny green algae, which can only be seen under a microscope. But their presence reveals the color of the water. When there are a lot of them in a reservoir, the color of the water turns green.

What role do plants play in the lives of numerous inhabitants of water bodies? Firstly, green plants, under the influence of sunlight, take carbon dioxide from the air and release oxygen into the water, which is necessary for the respiration of all animals. Secondly, birds, amphibians, insects and their larvae, and fish find shelter and food in the thickets of a reservoir. Animals are everywhere in reservoirs: on the surface and in the water column, on the shore, at the bottom, on aquatic plants. The main connections between animals and plants are food. Here water striders (Fig. 11) quickly run along the surface of the water and hunt mosquitoes and other small animals.

Rice. 11. Water strider ()

Their long legs are covered with fat underneath, which is why the water holds them. And snails live on aquatic plants: pond snail and coil (Fig. 12, 13).

Rice. 12. Prudovik ()

Without whom the river cannot live? Very small crustaceans of reservoirs, daphnia and cyclops, live and winter in water. Their value is slightly larger than the decimal point in the book (Fig. 14, 15).

The most remarkable thing about daphnia is its long mustache. They will wave their mustaches, lower them sharply, push off from the water and jump. The Cyclops has an unpaired frontal ocelli, from which it gets its name.

The river cannot live without crustaceans, since they purify the water from bacteria, green algae and tiny animals invisible to the eye; if not for the crustaceans, the river would quickly overflow with them. Daphnia and cyclops, like other inhabitants of the river, feed on these organisms, thereby purifying the water. They themselves serve as food for fish fry, mollusks, tadpoles, and insect larvae.

Is there really someone living in the river without a head? These are mollusks, toothless and pearl barley (Fig. 16).

Rice. 16 Clams ()

At first, the shell, consisting of two longitudinal plates, will lie motionless, then its doors will open slightly and a leg will stick out of it; neither the toothless nor the barley has a head. Toothless will extend his leg and stick it into the sand, the shell will move. The toothless one will move 2-3 centimeters, rest, and then hit the road again. This is how it travels along the bottom of the river. The toothless fish obtains food and air directly from the water. It opens the shell doors slightly and begins to draw in water, then throws it out. The water is full of tiny animals, they fall into the sink, and the toothless fish uses special devices to stop them. The toothless one breathes and eats, and at the same time purifies the water. And pearl barley also works. Each one purifies approximately 40-50 liters of water per day. Mollusks, insect larvae, and tadpoles are eaten by fish, storks, waders, and ducks. The swimming beetle preys on other insects, as well as worms, snails, and tadpoles. Frogs feed in the coastal parts of water bodies, mainly on flying insects, and they themselves are food for newts and predatory fish, perch and pike. Herons, gulls, and kingfishers hunt for fish and newts.

The main food of cancer is plant-based. But he willingly eats animals, as well as the remains of dead animals. Therefore, crayfish are often called the orderlies of reservoirs (Fig. 17).

Crayfish change their shells throughout their lives. The sense organs of the crayfish are perfectly developed, the eyes are pushed forward on thin stalks and consist of a huge number, 3000, of tiny eyes. A short pair of antennae are the organs of smell, and long ones are the organs of touch. If a predator grabs a crayfish by the claw, the crayfish breaks it off and hides in a hole. A lost claw will grow back. Crayfish are very sensitive to water pollution, so in places where they are found, they talk about the ecological cleanliness of water bodies.

Near the river you can see different dragonflies: the beauty, the arrow, the lute; they live near the river constantly (Fig. 18).

Rice. 18. Dragonfly ()

All dragonflies need water because that is the only place their larvae can live. The larvae are not similar to adult dragonflies, only their eyes are the same. Each eye consists of almost 30,000 tiny ocelli (Fig. 19).

Rice. 19. Dragonfly larva ()

Both eyes are convex, thanks to which the dragonfly can look in all directions at the same time (Fig. 20). All dragonflies are predators; they hunt in the air and grab insects in flight.

Rice. 20. Dragonfly eyes ()

The dragonfly larva, having watched its prey, throws forward a very elongated lower lip. Usually the lips are folded and cover the head like a mask. The larva sucks water into a large muscular sac inside the body and then forcefully throws it out. It turns out to be a water shot. After a year, and some after 3, the larvae emerge to the surface, the skin of the larva bursts, and a dragonfly emerges from it. It will sit for several hours, spread its wings and fly away.

Who lives in a drop of water? If you look through a microscope, it will open amazing world unusual creatures. Here is an almost transparent lump that changes all the time - this is an amoeba (Fig. 21).

Other creatures resemble tiny shoes, which is what they are called. The body of the shoe is covered with cilia, each skillfully controls these cilia and swims quickly (Fig. 22).

Rice. 22. Shoe ()

Trumpeters are the most beautiful inhabitants drops, blue, green, similar to bindweed flowers (Fig. 23).

The trumpeters move slowly and only forward. If something scares them, they shrink and resemble balls. Amoebas, slippers and whelks are single-celled organisms that feed on bacteria.

Predators also live in a drop of water. This is didinium (Fig. 24).

Although he is smaller than a shoe, he not only boldly attacks her, but also swallows her whole, swelling up like a ball.

Plants, animals, and bacteria live together in a fresh body of water, all of them are well adapted to life in water and are interconnected by food chains. When plants and animals die, they accumulate at the bottom of reservoirs, are destroyed by bacteria and turn into salts, which dissolve in water and are used by other animals. A body of water is natural community.

Today in the lesson you gained a new understanding of a freshwater body as a freshwater community and became acquainted with its inhabitants.

Bibliography

1. Vakhrushev A.A., Danilov D.D. The world 3. - M.: Ballas.
2. Dmitrieva N.Ya., Kazakov A.N. The world around us 3. - M.: Publishing House "Fedorov".
3. Pleshakov A.A. The world around us 3. - M.: Enlightenment.

1. Makuha.ru ().
2. Youtube.com().
3. Sbio.info().

Homework

1. What fresh water bodies do you know?
2. What animals can be found in bodies of water?
3. Why do they say that a body of water is a natural community?

On the territory of our country there are many reservoirs with fresh water: some of them are with flowing water (large and small rivers, streams and canals), others are with running and standing water (lakes, ponds, artificial reservoirs). Each type of reservoir is characterized by its own unique aquatic vegetation and special animal world. The inhabitants of fresh water bodies provide food for a variety of fish, and these, in turn, serve as food for various amphibians, aquatic and semi-aquatic animals, reptiles, birds and animals. Some of them are of economic interest to humans, especially fish (as one of the most important sources of nutrition).

There are about 775 thousand rivers in Russia (including small ones, at least 10 km long), and the density of the river network throughout the country is extremely uneven. For example, forest zone The European part of Russia has from 0.25 to 0.35 km of river bed per 1 km2, while in the deserts of the Caspian Lowland the length of rivers per 1 km2 is 0-0.05 km.

Most rivers in Russia are covered with ice, but the duration of freeze-up depends on their geographical location. In northern Siberia, ice in rivers lasts 8-9 months, while in the southern regions it lasts only 1-2 months. The most abundant rivers in the Northern basin Arctic Ocean, which together provide 3/5 of the annual flow, mainly through the Yenisei. At the same time, many rivers in Central Asia are either lost in the sand or flow into lakes.

In addition to rivers, Russia has a lot of lakes, which make up 32% of the world's lake area. They are very diverse in size, depth, shape, water composition, and regime. Just like rivers, lakes are distributed very unevenly across the country. There are especially many lakes in the zone of excess moisture, in particular in Karelia, where in some places there are up to 30 lakes per 1 km2. Almost all large lakes in the north of Russia there are wastewater lakes with fresh water, while in the south many lakes are drainless and become salty or bitterly salty over time.

Depending on the degree of water movement (current), rivers and streams are classified as flowing reservoirs, and lakes and ponds are classified as standing ones. There is some difference between them from the physical and biological side, which determines the specificity and originality of the flora and fauna of each type of reservoir.

The speed of flow in rivers and streams is influenced by the terrain. On the plains and lowlands it is small, while on the steep slopes of the mountains there is rapid and even violent movement of water, and in some places there are waterfalls.

For the development of aquatic plants and associated animals, calm water bodies are the most favorable, therefore, the lush development of fauna and flora is usually observed in slowly flowing sections of rivers (at the bottom) and in very quiet backwaters (in the coastal zone), as well as in heavily overgrown lakes and ponds.

Both in standing reservoirs and in quiet rivers it is possible to distinguish a number of biotopes (territories occupied by a certain plant community and the associated animal population) and identify their characteristic biocenoses (a set of plants and animals inhabiting areas of a reservoir with more or less homogeneous conditions).

In flowing bodies of water (rivers, streams and flowing lakes) there are also various biotopes with their typical biocenoses. Of the individual groups of organisms living in fresh water bodies, it is customary to distinguish plankton (a set of small organisms living in the water column and passively moving in it), benthos (soil inhabitants at the bottom of a reservoir) and nekton (a set of organisms actively moving in the water column).