Class Response: Aquarium Field Trip

Our class recently took a field trip to an aquarium to see some of the animals that we studied earlier in the year. Since the aquarium was big and considerably far away and we had to be back at school in time for the buses, we didn't get much time to see the animals. However, I am only going to mention two examples that related most to my science curriculum. We got a chance to see hippos and birds. The two hippos seemed to be asleep, and the birds would occasionally land on their heads. After further investigation, I found out that the birds land on the hippopotamus' heads to pick off toxins that are potentially harmful to the hippos. This is a great example of symbiosis, where at least one animal benefits from another animal. In this case, both animals benefit- the bird gets food, and the hippo gets toxins picked off of it.
Another animal that we saw was the medusa jellyfish. It comes from the phylum of "Cnidaria", which means "stinging cells". I'm sure you know that jellyfish sting, but do you know how they sting? Since they don't have eyes, they use the sense of touch rather than sight to find their prey. When something brushes up against them, a cell shoots out of its skin and acts almost like a harpoon. This then injects venom into whatever brushed up against it. The venom is only deadly enough to kill small animals that can be eaten by the jellyfish and are generally uncomfortable but harmless to humans. This is the stinging sensation that you feel, hence the name "stinging cells".
I enjoyed the aquarium field trip. There were quite a few things that I could relate to experiences in my science class this year, and aquariums in general are just fun. I would have liked to have a bit longer to stay at the aquarium, however. I would like to go back with family or friends one day and stay a while longer to see the rest of the animals. Overall, the aquarium was a fun time.