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Fins and Features

Activity

Fish in Focus

Find a spot near a body of water to quietly observe any fish swimming. Note their body shapes, fins, scales, and other features that help them survive. How do you think each of these physical adaptations helps fish thrive in their underwater habitats?

Science Seed

Fish have developed special physical features over time to survive in their underwater habitats. Their streamlined bodies reduce resistance as they swim, helping them move quickly and efficiently. Specialized fins allow them to steer, balance, and change direction, while scales provide protection from predators and parasites. Each structure can give us clues to its habitat, diet, or behavior. When fish have huge eyes, they can see better in dark water. If their eyes are below their mouths, they have adapted to eating prey that is above them on the water’s surface. When their eyes are far above their mouths, they probably eat food that is on the bottom. You can draw a line from the eye to the mouth to guess where the fish eats. Round short pectoral fins on the sides of a fish help the fish change direction quickly and dart around, while fins that are flat and long and point straight out to the side are for balance while swimming fast and far. Spines on top of the fish’s head can wedge a fish under a rock so a predator can’t pull it out, or can be used for defense, such as the spine on top of a catfish. Huge fish mouths can suck in prey or food by opening it quickly and creating a vacuum, while tiny mouths are best for nibbling algae or tiny prey underwater. Some fish have fins adapted to jump out of the water to hunt or escape predators, while others have fins that let them walk on land through the mud.

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earn Badges

Badges can be earned through hands-on experiences within each of the 16 branches of science, or “Science Slices.” You can earn a badge in each branch of science by doing four activities in these categories. We also encourage participants to keep a Nature Journal to record their memories, and to express themselves creatively through writing or drawing after each activity. We recommend that each child (and parent if they’d like) write or draw in a journal after each activity, with expectations of your children that match their age (the goal is self-expression, not perfection).

Explore the Memorial Park Conservancy

The mission of Memorial Park Conservancy is to preserve, restore, and enhance Memorial Park for the enjoyment of all Houstonians, today and tomorrow.

join Families in Nature

It is our vision to inspire all families to fall in love with nature and foster the next generation of conservationists. Becoming a member of Families in Nature will give your family the opportunity to have adventures in nature, experience field science, develop as youth conservation leaders, and make memories that will last a lifetime. Memberships are free for everyone.

Who are we?

Families in Nature works to create opportunities for nature connection with the purpose of sparking a deep love and desire to protect, conserve and restore the environment. Our mission is to connect children and their families to nature and to each other through time spent learning, playing, and volunteering outdoors. It is our vision to inspire ALL families to fall in love with nature and foster the next generation of conservationists.

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