Activities Friday 8th May

A Little Quiz:

This weeks quiz is about river water life all the information from this quiz is from Canal & River Trust so once you have finished the quiz take a look for more information

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Is this Fish:

By Jelle Wissink - Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, Link
Correct! Wrong!

Brook lamprey Endangered Status: listed on the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red list of Threatened Species Listed on Annex III of the Bern Convention and Annex II of the EC Habitats Directive (3). Rare in the UK Special Area of Conservation (SAC) Annex II species at a number of sites Typical size: 10-15cm Lifespan: 4 to 8 years

Is this Fish:

Public Domain, Link
Correct! Wrong!

Zander Non Native Invader Zander (Stizostedion lucioperca) are a member of the perch family but with the predatory feeding behaviour of the pike. Illegally introduced: zander have been illegally introduced into several fisheries. They were introduced originally (legally) into lakes at Woburn Park in 1878 and later into the Great Ouse Relief Channel. In very turbid canals, many of the native fish populations in the waters where zander have been illegally introduced have suffered greatly by the aggressive feeding of this top predator. It is still not clear whether natural fish populations of species such as gudgeon will ever fully recover.

Is this Fish:

By Woluhar - Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, Link
Correct! Wrong!

Bullhead Endangered These small fish are only found in clean, stony waters and around the brick work at canal locks. Read more about the Bullhead (Cottus gobio). Status: Listed on the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red list of Threatened Species Listed on Annex II of the EC Habitats Directive (3) Special Area of Conservation (SAC) Annex II species at a number of sites British record: 1oz 0dms (British record committee 2015) Lateral line: no scales but 33-35 pores Lifespan: 3 to 5 years

Is this Fish:

Correct! Wrong!

Spined loach Endangered Status: Listed on the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red list of Threatened Species Listed on Appendix III of the Bern Convention and Annex II of the EC Habitats and Species Directive (3) The inclusion of this species on Annex II of the EC Habitats and Species Directive has resulted in an increase in interest in its conservation, and an obligation for member states to designate Special Areas of Conservation (SACs) in key areas where the spined loach occurs. Typical size: 5cm Lifespan: 3 to 5 years

Is this Fish:

By Jik jik - Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, Link
Correct! Wrong!

Pike Native -Not endangered Appearance: They have large bony heads with prominent forward/upward looking eyes, a broad flattened snout and a large mouth. The mouth contains a fierce arsenal of teeth, with rows of backward pointing, razor sharp teeth in the top jaw and larger needle-like teeth in the lower jaw. The head is mounted on a long, torpedo shaped body with fins being primarily rear positioned for fast acceleration. Individual marking patterns are unique to each pike, like fingerprints to humans. This olive and cream colouration helps the pike to camouflage itself, while it lies in wait for its prey. British record: 46lb 13oz (British record committee 2015) Lateral line scale count: 110-130 Lifespan: Up to 25 years but 10 to 15 years is more typical. We like pike because of their distinct and fierce appearance

Is this Fish:

By Karelj - Own work, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=14954932
Correct! Wrong!

Roach Native Common The roach (Rutilus rutilus) is the most abundant fish on the canal network. Appearance: the roach is a shoaling fish, silver in colour with grey-brown to orange fins. Roach can often be confused with rudd. To check, you can count the lateral line scales (rudd have 40-55), look at the shape of the mouth (rudd have an upturned mouth as they primarily feed at the surface) and make sure the front of the dorsal fin is in line with the pelvic fins (In rudd the dorsal fin is well to the rear of the pelvic fins). Size: above 1lb is a specimen British record: 4lb 4oz (British record committee 2015) Lateral line scale count: 42-45 (this is the dark row of scales along the central length of the body). Lifespan: 8 to 14 years

Is this Fish:

By Viridiflavus - Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, Link
Correct! Wrong!

Crucian carp Status: listed on the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red list of Threatened Species British record: 4lb 9oz (British record committee 2015) Lateral Line scale count: 31-35 (this is the dark row of scales along the central length of the fishes body). Lifespan: 10 years Appearance: Crucian carp are hump backed with a deep bronze or golden body. They have no barbels around the mouth, unlike the common carp and have a long convex dorsal fin. They prefer shallow waters and are found in ponds and slow flowing rivers and canals. They are extremely hardy fish and can tolerate very cold, polluted waters and low oxygen conditions.

Is this Fish

Correct! Wrong!

Grass Carp Non native invader Appearance: Grass carp can be identified by a long slender cylindrical, almost torpedo shaped body with a low flat head and small upturned mouth. They are fully-scaled across the body and have a deep bronze appearance. They can be seen easily during the summer at the surface of the water, warming their backs with their distinctive torpedo shape. British record: 44lb 8oz (British Record Fish Committee January 2015) Lateral Line scale count: 42-43 (this is the dark row of scales along the central length of the fishes body). Lifespan: 10 to 15 years A non-native species introduced from Asia, some of first introductions to the UK were carried out as an experiment in weed control on the Lancaster Canal with British Waterways and Liverpool University. They spawn in water temperatures well in excess of 20 degrees C and therefore unable to breed naturally in the UK.

Is this Fish:

Correct! Wrong!

Eel Endangered Eels (Anguilla Anguilla) are born in the Sargasso Sea and it takes them around three years to reach UK waters. They can live to be 100 years old. Read more about this fascinating species. Status: listed as Critically Endangered on the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species UKBAP Priority Species on the OSPAR list of threatened and/or declining species and habitats species of principal importance for the purpose of conserving of biodiversity under the Natural Environment and Rural Communities Act 2006 European Eel Regulation (EC) No 1100/2007 the Eels (England and Wales) Regulations 2009 British record: 11lb 2oz (British record committee 2015) Lifespan: eight to possibly 100 years (if landlocked)

Is this Fish:

Correct! Wrong!

Minnow Native - Common Minnow (Phoxinus phoxinus) are very good at hiding. Find out more about this small fish which is hunted by most predators. Appearance: Minnow are distinctive in appearance with green to dark olive sides, usually with a stripped banding similar to perch. They have a short rounded dorsal fin and an upturned mouth. Female minnows have a white shiny belly whereas the male has a red belly and red pelvic fins. Sometimes the male minnow can be confused with a three-spined stickleback. British record: 13.5dms (British record committee 2015) Lateral line scale count: 80-95 (this is the dark row of scales along the central length of the fishes body). Lifespan: 2 to 4 years

River Fish
Keep up the good work!

Well done! You know your fish.

Training Videos

Here is a nice video on the different types of craft:

 

This video is about hip Snaps (or flick!)

Part 1

 
Part 2

 

Something to get your brains working

Thanks to Will and Steve Egginton for these photos.

Alton Sports Centre begins to tumble:

Someone put a Digger in the Baby Pool: