Environment Introduction
Arctic Environments are amongst the most harsh in the world. Temperatures tend to get as low as -40*C with winds reaching speeds of 40 miles per hour. Artic seas can reach temperatures below 2*C and water freezes at 1.8*C many people would think these conditions are inhospitable, however for many organisms it is home to many fishes, polar bears, seals, whales and dolphins among other species. These species have all adopted to this climate, amongst these are the Arctic Fish.
Background
Fish have appeared in the last 500 million years of the earths life. Although not proven fish may have evolved from a coral like sea squirt and turned first into a jawless fish and then slowly through millions of years into its various present forms through natural selection and evolution. It can be said that jawless fish which is said to be the first type of fish would not be able to live in the arctic water and would die.
Evolution (4-points of natural selection)
Variations
Variations in Fish were between fish that could best survive in colder waters.
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Struggle
During the Ice ages Ice began to cover most of the sea up until America And places in Australia. During these times fish were struggling to keep up with the cold waters as they weren't used to them
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Environmental Selection
As the ice progressed and the sea got colder and colder the fish that could adapt to the cold waters would live and pass on their genetic information and the fish which couldn't adapt to the cold waters would more likely die and not be able to pass on their genetic information
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Reproduction And Inheritance
The fish that could better adapt to the cold waters would be more likely to survive and pass on their genetic information to the next generations. As this process of reproductions happens many gene changes took place that supported the fish living in the arctic waters. (Refer to the Adaptation variations Part of this page)
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Note - The fish that had been used to the colder water as the ice retreated the fish would slowly drift back with it, as they were used to the cold water.
Adaptations
As talked about in the above table many fishes adapted to the colder waters as this happened there were many mutations that helped one of them was Antifreeze. Fish are cold blooded meaning that as the temperature goes down it lowers their metabolism. Not only this many Mediterranean fish if put in waters colder then -1*C would freeze and die. This is where anti-freeze comes into account this is a mutation in the genetics of fish which allows the cells of the fish to function without freezing and allows the fish to perform its normal functions. As this mutation took place it was selected by the environment and many generations got the gene for anti-freeze.
Anti-Freeze is an example of a physiological change with in the fish to better suit it for the Arctic world
*This is for Arctic fish in general there are many types of fish such as : Arctic Char, Arctic Cisco, Northern pike etc.*
Anti-Freeze is an example of a physiological change with in the fish to better suit it for the Arctic world
*This is for Arctic fish in general there are many types of fish such as : Arctic Char, Arctic Cisco, Northern pike etc.*
*Fish can be classified within the Animals kingdom*