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Fishing /
Species /
Content Index |
The Spiny Water Flea
Like a burr hitching a ride on a passing animal, the spiny water flea, a crustacean about 1 centimetre in length, uses the thorn-like barbs of its long tail spine to attach itself to fishing lines and downrigger cables.
The water flea's sharp tail - about 70% of its body - makes the organism hard to swallow, protecting it from preying fish and allowing it to survive, multiply and consume a disproportionate amount of plankton. The flea's hearty appetite places it in direct competition with plankton-eating juvenile fish.
The water flea also benefits from the ability to reproduce both asexually and sexually. In the warm water conditions of late spring and summer, females can produce genetically identical female offspring without fertilization, while in lower temperatures, both males and females are produced. Eggs are fertilized, and protected by a coating that allows the species to survive the harsh conditions of Great Lakes winters.
Like the zebra mussel and the round goby, the water flea probably arrived in the discharged ballast water of seagoing freighters. (The most likely source is St. Petersburg, Russia, where the spring runoff temporarily transforms the port into a freshwater harbour.) Although water flea populations in the Lakes are currently increasing, the long-term effects of water flea proliferation are not yet known. Successful predation by some fish species, such as perch, may keep the flea under control and even have a beneficial impact on overall fish populations. |
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| With its eel-like body and round suction-cup mouth filled with circular rows of teeth, the half-metre long sea lamprey looks like a creature from a horror movie. |
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| Travellers to Ontario can visit many urban centres, rural areas and remote wilderness. |
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| Ontario has many lakes and rivers, including the Great Lakes, where canoeists, kayakers, sailors and rafters can enjoy their crafts. |
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| Ontario has many trails to entice hikers, bikers, horseback riders, skiers and snowmobilers. From the heavily-populated south to the remote north, trails abound in the province. |
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Land of the Loon
Across Canada, the sight of the Loon, with its red eyes, dagger-like beak, glossy black head, black and white checkered back and distinctive feathered "necklace," is familiar to outdoor enthusiasts. |
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©2007 Digital Wizards (Ontario) Inc.
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