Animal A Day!

Haikouichthys Haikouichthys is quite a mouthful to say for such a tiny creature. (High-Koo-ICK-Thisss!) These prehistoric swimmers measured only about an inch long, and lived way back in the Early Cambrian around 530 million years ago! Haikouichthys is one of the many, many animals that evolved during the Cambrian . This period, which lasted from 542-488 million years ago, saw rapid and diverse evolution and population growth. What makes this particular animal so interesting is that it could be considered one of the very first fish. They had skulls, designating them as some of the earliest craniates. However, the fossil record is unclear as to whether they had actual spines, or just primitive notochords . Spine or not, Haikouichthys demonstrated several other traits that can be found in modern fish. They had relatively fish like shapes, complete with two eyes and a mouth at the front of their heads, fines, and bilateral symmetry. Status : Lived 5...

Sea Lamprey Mouth Phylum : Chordata Class : Cephalaspidomorphi Order : Petromyzontiformes Family : Petromyzontidae Genus : Petromyzon Species : marinus Length : 20in (50cm) IUCN Status : Least Concern Despite the name, the Sea Lamprey can be found in freshwater areas as well as the sea. They are a parasitic species located in and around the Atlantic Ocean, the Mediterranean Sea, and the American Great Lakes. Some Sea Lampreys spawn in freshwater, but some have made the Great Lakes their home, moving in permanently as  invasive species . Sea Lamprey attached to Lake Trout The Sea Lamprey is a primitive, cartilaginous fish with an eel-like body. They have circular mouths filled with sharp teeth that they use to latch on to their hosts bodies. The Lamprey saliva also possesses and anticoagulant that makes it very difficult for their host's wound to heal. They allows the Lamprey to feed for much longer. If the host ...