Pufferfish

Adaptation

The process by which a species becomes more fit for its environment over the course of several generations. It is a result of natural selection.

Algae

A group of plant-like organisms typically found in water.

Animals related to jellyfish and sea anemones comprised of tiny polyps working together to support the colony.

An ocean habitat made of many individual corals typically found in warm, shallow waters.

Dominant

Used to describe the biggest, strongest, most fit individual in a group.

Fish

A group of ectothermic (cold-blooded) animals that live primarily or entirely in water, have fins instead of limbs, and breathe using gills.

Fuse

Join together.

Gills

The respiratory organ that allows fish, amphibians in their larval phase, and crustaceans to absorb oxygen molecules from water.

Herbivore

An animal that eats mostly plants.

Juvenile

Young animal that has not reached adulthood.

Mucus

A slimy substance produced by animals (often by a membrane on their skin).

Overfishing

Collecting fish from the ocean faster than they can reproduce.

Photosynthesis

The process used by plants and algae to change energy from the sun into sugar (energy) for the organism.

Predator

An animal that hunts other animals for food.

Prey

An animal that is hunted and eaten by another animal.

Species

A closely related group of animals with similar characteristics that are capable of reproducing (example: tigers).

Tropical

A region near the equator that has warm temperatures year round.

Zooxanthellae

Microscopic algae found in some Cnidarians (corals, jellyfish, etc.). They provide the animal with energy through photosynthesis.