What is adaptation? Adaptation is something that happens as animals and plants evolve. Over time they adapt to the environment they live in, in different ways to help them survive. For example a polar bear adapts to its habitat by having: Thick fur to keep warm. White fur to camouflage it against the snow when hunting for prey. Thick, sharp claws and teeth to help it catch its prey.

Can you think of any ways that animals or plants have adapted to living in their habitat?

How have marine species adapted to living in their habitats?

How have sea anemones adapted to living in their habitat? Sea anemones camouflage themselves so that small fishes and shrimps will come closer to them. A sea anemone is a slow moving animal so it has adapted by using tentacles to sting small fishes and shrimps and drag them into its mouth. When the water is drained from a rock pool with the tide, sea anemones adapt by closing their tentacles so that they are protected.

How have starfish adapted to living in their habitat? Starfish have hundreds of tiny suckers underneath each arm. These help them to strongly attach themselves to rocks, protecting themselves from waves. If they lose their arms starfish can grow new ones. Starfish are very slow moving so they have adapted to eating slow moving shellfish.

How have sea urchins adapted to living in their habitat? A sea urchin has hundreds of sharp spines to protect itself from predators. It has sharp teeth to scrape algae off of rocks and to gnaw a hole for itself within the rock to make itself a home. It uses many long suction tubes to hold onto rocks when large waves crash on to it.

How have limpets adapted to living in their habitat? Limpets have very hard conical shells which help protect them from waves crashing into them and also from humans stepping on them! Limpets have a sandpaper-like tongue called a radula to help them scrape algae from the rocks. Limpets clasp tightly to rocks by carving themselves a place called a home scar. This makes it very difficult to remove them from the rock and helps to protect them.

How have mussels adapted to living in their habitat? Mussels have strong byssal threads that they use to attach their shells to the rocks. During low tides mussels close up their shells tightly to protect themselves from drying out. Mussels live in large groups known as mussel beds to protect themselves from predators.

How have barnacles adapted to living in their habitat? Barnacles attach themselves to rocks, and form a cone shaped shell made of calcium carbonate plates to protect themselves. Barnacles have adapted to close their shells up tightly so they can stay out of water for long periods of time without drying up. A barnacle uses its legs to filter its food, plankton, from the water.

How have crabs adapted to living in their habitat? Crabs have hard shells to help protect them from predators. When a crab gets too big for its shell it moults. A moulted crab has a very soft, delicate body, so it has to find a place to hide from predators. Once it has found its hiding place it takes in lots of water and becomes even bigger! It continues to hide away from predators until it grows a new bigger shell. A hermit crab has a soft body and does not have a shell of its own. It has adapted by making its home in other abandoned shells. When it gets too big for a shell it moves to another!