Crayfish are crustaceans of the lobster family except they are much smaller. They can grow to be 2-40 centimeters long (0.8 – 16 inches). They have very strong and powerful claws. Crayfish live in freshwater streams and lakes. Their mating season is in the fall. In the spring, is when they lay their eggs. They eat decaying animals and vegetation. Crayfish are also called crawdads.
Long Nose Sucker Fish can get up to 18 inches, and their weight can get up to 32 pounds. Their colors are dark olive or gray. Nearly black on the upper sides, Cream White on lower sides. Their habitat are in Lake Superior, Lake Michigan, Lake Ontario, Lake Erie, and are in some lakes in Montana.
Water Striders live throughout North America. Water Strider is a common name for the Slender Water Bug. Its family is Gerridae. In Canada they call the Water Strider “Skater” and in Texas they call it “Jesus bugs” because it walks on water. It has hairs on its legs so it keeps it afloat it does this because it keeps tiny air bubble it the hair.
Leeches have been around since the golden times of Greece. From the middle
ages of England, to the mid-nineteenth century, leeches have been used
to suck the blood of people for medical reasons. If someone had a disease
in their blood, the leeches would get it out (most of the time).
Some leeches would eat insects or worms, when others leeches would suck
the blood of average sized fish and other mammals. There are over one
hundred thirty different species of leeches, some are terrestrial, but
most are aquatic. Aquatic leeches can be found in fresh water, in the
shore or bottom mud and ooze of ponds and lakes.
Rainbow Trout have white mouths, black spots, and have no more than twelve
anal fin rays. These fish spend all of their life in the stream or lake
they were born in. Rainbow Trout eat insects and fish smaller than itself.
The Rainbow Trout prefer water temperatures between 55 and 60 degrees
Fahrenheit. Rainbow Trout are known as “Great Migrators” or
“Wanderers”. Many Rainbow Trout spawn in early spring, and
some spawn in fall. They lay their eggs in the bottom of the water source
in gravel at the head of the riffle area. Rainbow Trout do not die after
laying their eggs. After six years, young Rainbows can weigh up to sixteen
pounds.
Spawning normally occurs shortly after the ice thaws, usually in April or May. Perch are random spawners. Yellow Perch do not make nests; protect their eggs, or their young.
Yellow Perch are mainly bottom feeder. They have a slow, deliberate bite. Although they will eat pretty much anything. Yellow Perch prefer minnows, insect, larvae, plankton, and worms.
The water boatman has flat hairy oar like legs. They use them to swim quickly through the water. Their mouths are weak. They eat algae. Water boatmen are the only water bug that don’t have a painful bite.
When something swims near a Northern Pike, it will attack. They are known
as the ”Water Wolves”. Northern Pike usually weigh up to twenty
pounds. The Northern Pike can get up to three and a half feet long. Northern
Pike have a long snout and sharp teeth that angle into its mouth.
Giant Water Bugs are the largest true bugs. They can be found along the bottom of small lakes and marshes. Their flat bodies are about 25 to 60mm long. Their front legs are leathery and used to grab prey. They have a spear like beak. Their spear is used for stabbing its prey and penetrating it.
Scuds swim rapidly through the water on their sides. They are found by or in the fresh water plants. They have seven pairs of segmented legs and two pairs of antennae. Their color is clear to an almost white color. They have a hard shell that covers their whole body except for their head. They are also known as fresh water shrimp.
Snails move very slowly, they leave a track of slime as they crawl. They have tentacles on the bottom of their bodies that make them crawl. Some snails get up to 8 inches long. They have spiral shells around their body to protect them from danger. They eat leaves, flowers, and crops. Snails eat with something called radula in its mouth to grind its food. They can live up to 5 or 10 years. Snails do not like hot and dry weather they prefer cool weather. Snails are both male and female at the same time. It takes 2 years to become an adult. Their enemies are ground beetles, snakes, toads, turtles, birds including chickens, duck and geese. People can eat snails if you clean them really well.
Clams are an animal whose soft body is protected by a shell. They live on the bottom of lakes, oceans, and streams. Clams have no bones in their body. Most clams eat tiny water organisms called plankton. Some eat small shrimp like creatures. Some clams you can eat like the soft shell clam and the hard shell clams. Clams are used in one of America's favorite soups, clam chowder.
