Group 5: (Carnaje, Forro, Magbanua, Paniza, Tirador

Bio 3202 (Marine Biology)

Laboratory Exercise No. 10
Chordates in the Marine Environment

Objectives:

1. To familiarize with the different species of chordates thriving in the marine

environment and;
2. To know the biology and ecology of these group of marine animals

Materials:

1. Computer/Cell phone
2. Textbooks
3. Brochures
4. Magazines

Procedure:

1. Search for the different species of chordates thriving in the marine environment:
2 fishes, 2 amphibians, 2 reptiles, 2 birds, and 2 mammals.
2. Classify them using K, D/P, C, O, F, G, S system of taxonomic classification.
3. Discuss the morphology, distribution/habitat, defense mechanisms, food and
feeding habit, reproduction, life history and their economic importance.

Illustrations and Discussion(s):

Mammals
Tiger shark
Kingdom Animalia
Phylum Chordata
Class Chondrichthyes
Order Carcharhiniformes
Family Carcharhinidae
Genus Galeocerdo
Species G. cuvier

Morphology
The tiger shark has many distinctive characteristics making it easy to distinguish from other
requiem sharks. It has a broad, flat head with a snout shorter than the width of the mouth,
long labial furrows, and a slender body. The caudal fin is long and pointed with reinforcing
ridges and its teeth have curved cusps with serrated edges and a deep notch on the outer
margin. Juvenile tigers up to 150-180 cm in length have a distinctive mottled pattern on
their dorsal surface. Striped tiger-like patterns or bars appearing on adult specimens are
from spots fusing together. These bars tend to become faded as the shark ages but remain
apparent on the flanks and caudal region. Color can vary from bluish or greenish gray to
black above and light gray to dirty yellow or white below.
`Habitat
The tiger shark is often found in tropical and warm temperate waters. It inhabits both
oceanic waters (up to 140 m) as well as shallow coastal waters. They seem to prefer turbid
coastal areas where fresh water runoff occurs as different prey species may congregate to
feed in these areas. They have not been reported inshore in Canadian waters.

Defense mechanism
Tiger shark defends himself using a variety of tactics. Using a combination of powerful
body slams and vicious bites, sharks pummel, disorient and tear apart their enemies.

Food and Feeding Habitat

The tiger shark is a non-selective feeder and a voracious predator. It has been known to
consume a wide variety of marine prey and even some terrestrial animals. Common prey
includes crabs, shellfish, lobsters, squid, bony fish, small sharks, skates, rays, porpoises,
turtles, marine birds and mammals. A large number of inorganic artifacts and garbage
associated with humans have been found in the stomachs of tiger sharks as well. With such
a diverse range of prey, the tiger shark is considered the most adaptable of all shark species.

Reproduction
The tiger shark is ovoviviparous; bearing 35 to 55 pups in a single litter. Gestation is
believed to last just over 12 months. Pups are generally 68 to 85 cm long at birth. The males
and females mature between 4 to 7 years.

Life History
The shark was first described by Peron and Lesueur in 1822, and was given the name
Squalus cuvier. Müller and Henle in 1837 renamed it Galeocerdo tigrinus. The genus,
Galeocerdo, is derived from the Greek galeos, which means shark, and kerdo, the word for
fox. It is often colloquially called the man-eater shark.

Economic Importance
As apex predators, tiger sharks play an important role in the ecosystem by maintaining the
species below them in the food chain and serving as an indicator for ocean health. They help
remove the weak and the sick as well as keeping the balance with competitors helping to
ensure species diversity.
Group 5: (Carnaje, Forro, Magbanua, Paniza, Tirador

Irrawady dolphins

Kingdom Animalia
Phylum Chordata
Conclusion(s):
Class Mammalia
Order Carcharhiniformes
Family Delphinidae
Genus Orcaella
Species O. brevirostris

Morphology
The Irrawaddy dolphin's colour is grey to dark slate blue, paler underneath, without a
distinctive pattern. The dorsal fin is small and rounded behind the middle of the back. The
forehead is high and rounded; the beak is lacking. The front of its snout is blunt. The flippers
are broad and rounded. The finless porpoise (Neophocaena phocaenoides) is similar and has
no back fin; the humpback dolphin (Sousa chinensis) is larger, and has a longer beak and a
larger dorsal fin. It ranges in weight from 90 to 200 kg (200 to 440 lb) with a length of 2.3 m
(7.5 ft) at full maturity.

`Habitat
Irrawaddy dolphins are found in coastal areas in South and Southeast Asia. Although
sometimes called the Irrawaddy river dolphin, it is not a true river dolphin, but an oceanic
dolphin that lives in brackish water near coasts, river mouths, and estuaries. It has established
subpopulations in freshwater rivers, including the Ganges and the Mekong, as well as the
Irrawaddy River from which it takes its name. Its range extends from the Bay of Bengal to
New Guinea and the Philippines, although it does not appear to venture off shore

Defense mechanism
Dolphins use a plethora of defense mechanisms to defend themselves from danger. These
include using their vast intelligence, incredible speed, communication, echolocation, and
traveling in pods. In fact, dolphins are able to scare off and intimidate their main predator
(sharks) just by swimming in large groups.

Food and Feeding Habitat

There are plenty of food items that this dolphin feeds upon. They include fish, crustaceans,
and cephalopods. During foraging periods, herds of about 7 dolphins will circle around prey
and trap their victim. These prey entrapments occur slightly below the water surface level.

Reproduction
These dolphins are thought to reach sexual maturity at seven to nine years. In the Northern
Hemisphere, mating is reported from December to June. Its gestation period is 14 months;
cows give birth to a single calf every two to three years. Length is about 1 m (3.3 ft) at birth.
Birth weight is about 10 kg (22 lb). Weaning is after two years. Lifespan is about 30 years.
 Life History
One of the earliest recorded descriptions of the Irrawaddy dolphin was by Sir Richard Owen
in 1866 based on a specimen found in 1852, in the harbour of Visakhapatnam on the east
coast of India. It is one of two species in its genus.

Economic Importance
Of great cultural significance to the local communities, the Irrawaddy dolphin is also
regarded as a sacred animal by the locals, and is a key source of income and jobs for
communities involved in dolphin-watching ecotourism. Dolphin-watching tours are a major
contributor to economic growth in Mekong.

Birds
Albatross
Kingdom Animalia
Phylum Chordata
Class Aves
Order Procellariiformes
Family Diomedeidae
Genus Diomeda
Species D. exulans

Morphology
The wandering albatross and the southern royal albatross are the largest of the albatrosses and
are amongst the largest of flying birds. They have the largest wingspans of any bird, being up
to 3.5 m (11 ft) from tip to tip, although the average is a little over 3 m (9.8 ft). Large adult
males of these two species may exceed 11 kg (24 lb) in weight, as heavy as a large swan.

`Habitat
The great albatrosses’ range across the Southern Ocean, and nest (for the most part) on
isolated oceanic islands. The wandering albatrosses’ nest on islands around the Southern
Ocean, from the Atlantic Ocean (South Georgia and Tristan da Cunha), to the Indian Ocean
and New Zealand's Subantarctic islands. The royal albatrosses nest only on New Zealand's
Subantarctic islands, with one unusual colony on New Zealand's Otago Peninsula.

Defense mechanism
Albatrosses use their formidable wingspans to ride the ocean winds and sometimes to glide
for hours without rest or even a flap of their wings. They also float on the sea's surface,
though the position makes them vulnerable to aquatic predators.
Group 5: (Carnaje, Forro, Magbanua, Paniza, Tirador

Food and Feeding Habitat

The favorite foods of albatrosses include large zooplankton (krill) and squid plus dead
animals on the ocean surface (carrion). Krill are associated with large masses of
phytoplankton and are tied to upwellings, regions of the oceans with vertical currents that
bring nutrients to the surface.

Reproduction
Through breeding. These long-lived birds have reached a documented 50 years of age. They
are rarely seen on land and gather only to breed; at which time they form large colonies on
remote islands. Mating pairs produce a single egg and take turns caring for it.
The pair will mate for life, breeding every 2 years. Mating season starts in early November
with the Albatrosses creating nests of mud and grass on one of the Sub-Antarctic islands. The
female will lay 1 egg about 10 cm long, sometime between the middle of December and early
January.

Life History
The wandering albatross was first described as Diomedea exulans by Carl Linnaeus, in 1758,
based on a specimen from the Cape of Good Hope.

Economic Importance
The main reason why albatross is endangered is longline fishing which causes many
albatrosses to get caught on hooks that have been baited to catch fish. This causes the birds to
drown.

Philippine duck
Kingdom Animalia
Phylum Chordata
Class Aves
Order Anseriformes
Family Anatidae
Genus Anas
Species A. luzonica

Morphology
The Philippine duck is a large conspicuous duck. It has a black crown, nape and eye stripe,
with a cinnamon head and neck. The rest of its body is greyish brown with a bright green
speculum. Its legs are greyish brown, and its bill is bluish-grey. The female is somewhat
smaller than the male, but is otherwise the same.
`Habitat
It is found in all types of wetlands within its range, but its preferred habitat is shallow
freshwater marshland.

Defense mechanism
To protect themselves from predators, they can fly or swim away. At night, they sleep on
water to avoid predators.

Food and Feeding Habitat

Its food consists mainly of shrimp, fish, insects and some forms of vegetation in fresh- and
saltwater habitats such as mangroves, rice fields and the open sea.

Reproduction
The Philippine Duck is closely related to the Mallard and it is similar to the Mallard in care
and breeding. Both the drake and the hen are similar. The breeding season begins in May
when the hen lays a clutch of 8 to 10 eggs that are incubated for 26 to 28 days.

Life History
Mallard ducks were introduced from China by traders while Muscovy ducks were introduced
through the Spanish conquistadors. The Philippine Mallard ducks known as Pateros ducks
predominated the population and raised primarily for the production of a Filipino special
delicacy - the "balut".

Economic Importance
They usually command higher prices than commercial chicken eggs. In the Philippine poultry
industry, ducks rank a distant second to chickens in economic importance as sources of
animal protein and income.
Group 5: (Carnaje, Forro, Magbanua, Paniza, Tirador

Reptiles
Tortoise
Kingdom Animalia
Phylum Chordata
Class Reptilia
Order Testudines
Family Testudinidae
Genus Testudo
Species T. graeca

Morphology
Tortoises have thick, short legs and a heavy carapace, or shell. Their coloring ranges from
dull grays and browns to brighter shades of yellow and green. Tortoises come in a wide range
of sizes, depending on the species.

`Habitat
They live in diverse habitats, including deserts, arid grasslands, and scrub to wet evergreen
forests, and from sea level to mountains. Most species, however, occupy semiarid habitats.

Defense mechanism
The tortoise blends into its surroundings with brown and tan markings. This allows it to hide
from predators, often while partially submerged in a shallow burrow. Tortoises are not fast
animals, and hiding by blending into the surrounding landscape is a significant defense
mechanism.

Food and Feeding Habitat

The favorite foods of albatrosses include large zooplankton (krill) and squid plus dead
animals on the ocean surface (carrion). Krill are associated with large masses of
phytoplankton and are tied to upwellings, regions of the oceans with vertical currents that
bring nutrients to the surface.

Reproduction
Mating occurs any time other than during hibernation. Females store sperm and may lay
fertile eggs for several years after separation from a male. Two male tortoises usually fight,
two females may or may not get along, and a male and a female will produce babies for a
very long time. With 6-26 hatchlings each year.

Life History
Tortoises and Turtles have existed since the era of the dinosaurs, some 300 million years ago.
Tortoises and Turtles are the only surviving branch of the even more ancient clade Anapsida,
which includes groups such as the procolophonoids, millerettids and pareiasaurs.
 Economic Importance
Tortoises perform many critical roles in shaping healthy ecosystems, such as dispersing seeds
of native plants and creating open pathways where other animals and plants can thrive.

Philippine crocodile
Kingdom Animalia
Phylum Chordata
Class Reptilia
Order Crocodilia
Family Crocodylidae
Genus Crocodylus
Species C. mindorensis

Morphology
The Philippine crocodile is a crocodilian endemic to the Philippines. It is a relatively small,
freshwater crocodile. It has a relatively broad snout and thick bony plates on its back (heavy
dorsal armor). This is a fairly small species, reaching breeding maturity at 1.5 m (4.9 ft) and
15 kg (33 lb) in both sexes and a maximum size around 3.1 m (10 ft). Females are slightly
smaller than males. Philippine crocodiles are golden-brown in color, which darkens as they
mature.

`Habitat
The Philippine crocodile has been extirpated in Samar, Jolo, Negros, Masbate, and Busuanga.
Populations still survive in the Northern Sierra Madre Natural Park within the Luzon
rainforest, San Mariano, Isabela, Dalupiri island in the Babuyan Islands, Abra (province) in
Luzon and the Ligawasan Marsh, Lake Sebu in South Cotabato, Pulangi River in Bukidnon,
and possibly in the Agusan Marsh Wildlife Sanctuary in Mindanao

Food and Feeding Habitat

Philippine crocodiles eat fish, aquatic invertebrates, small mammals, other reptiles and some
birds.

Reproduction
Philippine crocodiles have been observed breeding in January. Their clutch size, or number of
eggs laid, varies from seven to 30 eggs. The eggs hatch after incubating for between 65 and
85 days. During the dry season, females may construct a mound nest of twigs, leaves and soil
or they may construct a hole nest for their eggs. Unlike many other crocodilian species, both
males and females actively take turns guarding the nest. Philippine crocodile eggs have
shown evidence of temperature-dependent sex determination, meaning the temperature at
which the egg incubates determines the sex of the baby crocodile inside.
Group 5: (Carnaje, Forro, Magbanua, Paniza, Tirador

Life History
Until 1989, it was considered a subspecies of the New Guinea crocodile (Crocodylus
novaeguineae)

Economic Importance
Philippine crocodile provides additional funds in the government in the form of tourism.
Philippine crocodile under captivity boost the tourism of one’s place providing more
attraction and source of income.

Amphibians
American bullfrog

Kingdom Animalia
Phylum Chordata
Class Amphibia
Order Anura
Family Ranidae
Genus Lithobates
Species L. catesbeianus

Morphology
A fold of skin extends from the back of the eye, over the tympanum, down to the front leg.
Mature males have tympanums twice the diameter of the eye, while mature females have
tympanums about the same diameter as the eye. Dorsal base color varies based on size.
Typically, smaller individuals are pale green to dark olive green with small dark spots, while
larger individuals have dark mottling. A series of black bands often extends across the legs.
Ventral color is cream to bright yellow with gray to dark olive-green mottling usually
present.

`Habitat
American bullfrogs must live in water and are therefore usually found near some source of
water, such as a lake, pond, river, or bog. Warm, still, shallow waters are preferred. Bullfrogs
are becoming increasingly common in areas that have been modified by humans.

Defense mechanism
One defense of a bullfrog is kicking. A bullfrog kicks at it's predators when it is threatened.
Also, bullfrogs bite when they feel threatened. Another way a bullfrog protects itself is by
making a loud noise that scares predators away.
 Food and Feeding Habitat
Bullfrogs are predators. They usually eat snakes, worms, insects, crustaceans, frogs, tadpoles,
and aquatic eggs of fish, frogs, insects, or salamanders. They are cannibalistic and will not
hesitate to eat their own kind. There have also been a few cases reported of bullfrogs eating
bats.

Reproduction
The bullfrog is generally a solitary animal except during breeding season which runs from
late May into July. Adult Bullfrogs gather at breeding ponds in early summer, much later than
most native frog species. Males stake out territories with good egg-laying sites and defend
them, calling loudly to attract females and chasing away rival males. After mating, females
lay masses of up to 20,000 eggs in a film on the water’s surface. The bullfrog eggs hatch in
four or five days (depending on temperature). Tadpoles hatch out in July and remain in the
ponds through that summer and the following winter, metamorphosing in August or
September of their second year.

Life History
Maximum lifespan in the wild is estimated at 8–10 years, but one captive lived almost 16 years.
Time to metamorphosis ranges from a few months in the southern part of the range to 3 years in
the north, where the colder water slows development. Maximum lifespan in the wild is estimated to
be 8 to 10 years, but one frog lived for almost 16 years in captivity.

Economic Importance
North American bullfrogs help to control insect pests. They are important for medical
research because their skeletal, muscle, digestive, and nervous systems are similar to those of
other animals. They are often hunted for meat (frog legs).

Northern Leopard Frog

Kingdom Animalia
Phylum Chordata
Class Amphibia
Order Anura
Family Ranidae
Genus Lithobates
Species L. pipiens

Morphology
The northern leopard frog is a fairly large species of frog, reaching about 11 cm in snout-to-
vent length. It varies from green to brown in dorsal color, with large, dark, circular spots on
its back, sides, and legs. Each spot is normally bordered by a lighter ring. A pair of
dorsolateral folds starting from the back of the eye runs parallel to each other down the back.
These dorsolateral folds are often lighter or occasionally pinkish in colour. Also, a pale stripe
runs from the nostril, under the eye and tympanum, terminating at the shoulder. The ventral
surface is white or pale green. The iris is golden and toes are webbed.
Group 5: (Carnaje, Forro, Magbanua, Paniza, Tirador

`Habitat
Northern leopard frogs have a wide range of habitats. They are found in permanent ponds,
swamps, marshes, and slow-moving streams throughout forest, open, and urban areas. They
normally inhabit water bodies with abundant aquatic vegetation. In the summer, they often
abandon ponds and move to grassy areas and lawns. They are well adapted to cold and can be
found above 3,000 m (9,800 ft) above mean sea level.

Defense mechanism
The leopard frog's first line of defense is to remain camouflaged with its surroundings and
avoid detection entirely. Leopard frogs often lurk in vegetated patches of shoreline where
their dots, bands and color variety help them to blend in.

Food and Feeding Habitat

Adult frogs consume small invertebrates. Larvae eat algae, plant tissue, organic debris, and
probably small invertebrates

Reproduction
Breeding season runs from March to June. Males gather in breeding pools on warm sunny
days and float on the top of the water and call out with a low grunting snore-like sound to
attract females. The female lays a mass of as many as 5,000 eggs in still, warm, shallow
water.

Life History
Leopard frogs may live up to 9 years in the wild, although very few leopard frogs will live for
this long. Most mortality occurs as a tadpole or newly transformed froglet, when as many as
95% will die. The northern leopard frog requires a mosaic of habitats to meet the
requirements of all of its life stages and breeds in a variety of aquatic habitats that include
slow-moving or still water along streams and rivers, wetlands, permanent or temporary pools,
beaver ponds, and human-constructed habitats such as earthen stock tanks and borrow pits.
Subadult northern leopard frogs typically migrate to feeding sites along the borders of larger,
more permanent bodies of water and recently-metamorphosed frogs will move up and down
drainages and across land in an effort to locate new breeding areas.

Economic Importance
Leopard frogs are important predators of their invertebrate prey and eggs and adults can act as
important food sources for small to medium-sized predators.
Fishes
Goldfish

Kingdom Animalia
Phylum Chordata
Class Actinopterygii
Order Cypriniformes
Family Cyprinidae
Genus Carassius
Species C. auratus

Morphology
The common goldfish has two sets of paired fins - the pectoral fins and pelvic fins, and three
single fins- the dorsal, caudal, and anal fin. They lack barbels on the upper jaw, and lack
scales on the head. Goldfish have exceptionally large eyes and acute senses of smell and
hearing.

`Habitat
In the wild, goldfish can be found in slow-moving, freshwater bodies of water. As with their
close relative the carp, they thrive in slightly murky water. In captivity, an aquarium with live
plants and a dirt bottom is ideal. Bi-weekly water changes are a good idea as a goldfish tank
is hard to keep clean.

Defense mechanism
Goldfish protect themselves through swimming fast and swimming in group.

Food and Feeding Habitat

Goldfish are usually fed with dry foods such as flakes, pellets and gel.

Reproduction
Goldfish may only grow to sexual maturity with enough water and the right nutrition. Most
goldfish breed in captivity, particularly in pond settings. Breeding usually happens after a
significant temperature change, often in spring. Males chase gravid female goldfish (females
carrying eggs), and prompt them to release their eggs by bumping and nudging them.
Goldfish, like all cyprinids, are egg-layers. Their eggs are adhesive and attach to aquatic
vegetation, typically dense plants such as Cabomba or Elodea or a spawning mop. The eggs
hatch within 48 to 72 hours.

Life History
It was first selectively bred for color in ancient China more than 1,000 years ago, and several
distinct breeds have since been developed. Goldfish breeds vary greatly in size, body shape,
fin configuration, and coloration (various combinations of white, yellow, orange, red, brown,
and black are known).
Group 5: (Carnaje, Forro, Magbanua, Paniza, Tirador

Economic Importance
Millions of fish are bred each year and sold to aquarium shops for resale to fish enthusiasts.
In North America there is a demand for goldfish to be used as bait by anglers. Pet shops often
have feeder goldfish to sell to owners of carnivorous aquarium fish.

Milkfish

Kingdom Animalia
Phylum Chordata
Class Actinopterygii
Order Cypriniformes
Family Cyprinidae
Genus Carassius
Species C. auratus

Morphology
The Milkfish has an elongate and almost compressed body, with a generally symmetrical and
streamlined appearance. Its body color is olive green, with silvery flanks and dark bordered
fins. It has one dorsal fin, falcate pectoral fins and a sizable forked caudal fin. Mouth of this
fish is small and toothless.

`Habitat
Milkfish are euryhaline, stenothermic fish. They occur and can be cultured in freshwater,
brackish water, and marine waters but only in the tropical and subtropical Indian and Pacific
oceans (rare in eastern Pacific from southern California to Peru) where temperature is >20°C.

Defense mechanism
Swim in group.

Food and Feeding Habitat

Milkfish take copepods and suction feed on benthic diatoms and epiphytic algae in their
natural environment. In the hatchery, larvae are fed rotifers (Brachionus), water flea (Moina),
copepods, and brine shrimp (Artemia). Milkfish fry can be weaned on to artificial feed 2–8
days after hatching.

Reproduction
Milkfish reach sexual maturity at 1.5 kg (3.3 lb), which takes five years in floating sea cages,
but eight to 10 years in ponds and tanks. Once they reach 6 kg (13 lb), (eight years), 3–4
million eggs are produced each breeding cycle. This is mainly done using natural
environmental cues.
 Life History
The natural life history of milkfish is one of continual migration. Adults are relatively large
(to 1.5 m or 15 kg), long-lived (to 15 years), pelagic and schooling. They spawn offshore near
coral reefs or small islands. A fishery on inshore larvae supports the centuries-old aquaculture
of milkfish in southeast Asia.

Economic Importance
Its fisheries importance is highly commercial, especially in aquaculture, and it is also used in
game fish as bait. It is especially valued as a food fish in Southeast Asia. Milkfish fry can
either be obtained through collection from coastal areas or littoral waters or can be produced
in captivity.

Conclusion:
Chordates are primarily animals with some very distinctive characteristics. The Phylum Chordata
includes more than 60,000 species with over 57,000 vertebrate species, 3,000 tunicate species
and few lancelets. Animal groups in the chordate phylum include fish, amphibians, reptiles,
birds, and mammals.
All the vertebrates are chordates, but not all the chordates are vertebrates. There are more
vertebrates than non-vertebrate chordates. Clear cephalization is much pronounced in
vertebrates than in non-vertebrate chordates. The vertebrates’ muscles are arranged in paired
masses, but not in all chordates. Also, vertebrates have a spinal cord and a backbone, but not the
other chordates.