Trout Camouflage Illustration Activity Full of Imagination

Students at Cayuga Heights Elementary School had some creative ideas when illustrating a trout camouflaging into a habitat they imagined. One student imagined there were buildings around the creek with graffiti on the walls, so they used the Disruptive Camouflage method of creating a pattern on the trout that mimicked the graffiti. 

Other students imagined more natural habitats, like a sand-bottom creek in the fall time, illustrating this with lots of yellow and red tones on their trout as it tries to blend in to the colors in its environment. Some kids were in the holiday spirit and created their trout based on holiday-related themes. One student, for example, imagined her trout in a candy land environment, and illustrated this with many vibrant colors on the trout to conceal within its surroundings.

Students were told to close their eyes and imagine a place where a stream could be, they were told to be as imaginative and creative as they wanted. Their goal was to illustrate a trout that lives in this steam and to utilize one of the three camouflage methods- Concealing, Disruptive of Countershading- to help the trout blend into their surroundings. By blending in, and using different camouflage methods to change their appearance, trout have more chances of survival, like sneaking up on prey and hiding from predators. This is especially important in young trout, who are still developing and gaining the strength and instincts to survive. That's why black markings, or "parr marks" are found on young trout but not on adults. Parr marks are a form of Disruptive Camouflage, they create a sense of confusion or distraction to prey and predators. When a school of trout with parr marks swim by, the markings make it very distracting to be able to tell one trout apart from another, especially with the addition of water movement and sunlight. All this is a natural adaption trout have gained over time to be able to survive in their environment.

Students across all schools seemed to really enjoy this camouflage activity and made many great observations about other animals in the wild that use types of camouflage for survival techniques. As the trout continue to grow in the Fry or Parr stage, these colorings and markings will become even more noticeable and quite the fascinating spectacle to appreciate, especially with the new understanding of the natural purpose behind their appearance.

 

How do trout change color?

As we've been coming around to classes this December to talk about adaptations, or a trait that helps an organism survive, we've been talking about camouflage methods as a way for animals to adapt to their environment and noticing colors and markings forming on the trout in our tanks. But as we notice parr marks forming on the lateral line of our brook and brown trout, it's interesting to think about how the trout actually change colors.

Many fish, along with reptiles and amphibians, use cells called chromatosomes to alter their appearance. Pigment granules within each chromatosome can be constricted, or pressured, causing the granules to spread out and become more visible. All the colors found in fresh water fish are made up of three pigments, Eyrthrin (red), Melanin (black) and Xanthin (yellow), each occurring in different chromatosomes. All the colors found in freshwater fish like trout, are a mixture of these pigments created a marking or colouring on the fish- like black and yellow chromatosomes coming together to make brown coloring on the trout. 

As we watch the trout in the fry or parr stage, continue to observe as the colors and patterns become even more visible and keep in mind the scientific process creating these fascinating colors that are simultaneously beautiful to look at and useful for camouflage strategies.

Feeding Your Trout

 Now that your Parr Trout are out and swimming, they'll need feeding.  Here's an old favorite of ours...

 

LIVE Trout Cam!

Here's a great way to check in on the growth of our trout!  Introducing the Groton 4th Grade "Think Tank", full of brown trout fry, cared for by Dick Brecht's classes.  (Click to open the video, or click here for the most up to date stream)

Groton Trout Cam!

We look forward to helping more of our participating classrooms take their trout online this year.  Stay tuned....

Spinal Deformities and Survival in Brook Trout

 

At Dryden Middle School today, students were quick to point out a spinal deformity in one of the brook trouts living in their tank. Deformities like this are not unusual to find in fish that come from hatcheries, however it is less likely to find a fish like this in a wild stream. Survival of the fittest will typically win over in the wild, as survival rate of fish with deformities is low. In a hatchery, or more controlled environment, fish have a better chance of surviving to maturity with deformities like this. What will be interesting to observe as this particular brook trout develops, is the effect this spinal deformity has on swimming and agility in the water. Something exciting to keep an eye on in this classroom! Any other deformities noticed in your classroom tank?

Brook Trout as an Indicator of a Stream's Health

Have you ever wondered why we are raising trout, specifically brook trout in the classroom? Brook trout are native to New York State and are the official state fish. They can be found in brooks, lakes and streams and are dependent on water that is cool, clean and pure. While spawning, brook trout need cool gravel areas to create a nest and release their eggs. Their dependence on such high quality of water actually teaches us a lot about the waterways where they live.

Brook trout are very sensitive to warm water, low oxygen, pollution as well as changes in the ph/acidity level. Because of their sensitivity, their presence-or lack thereof- acts as an indicator of the health of the stream/brook/lake they exist in. Just as canaries fled the coal mines when toxic gas present throughout the 1900's, native brook trout are quick to leave streams that present any danger or failure to their survival. 

Brook trout teach us a lot about the health of a stream. As we make observations about the trout's life cycle and learn to care for them, we also learn about environmental state of the waterways where they live. For example, we learn about the diversity of insects a stream has available for trout to eat, the environmental conditions adult trout need for spawning, and the presence of trees surrounding the stream and offering shade to keep water cold for trout to exist.

As you continue to care for the trout in your classroom, imagine the day when you release them into the stream and they begin to swim around, looking for food. Think about the rocks, the moving water, the sunlight, the trees, the surrounding land. What if the rocks had been moved around? What if there was trash in the water? Or an oil leak that made its way into the stream? What if the surrounding land was barren and there were no trees to offer the stream shade? How would this effect your trout's ability to survive? 

Observations of Brook Trout Egg Development at Northeast Elementary

 

Students at Northeast Elementary School had many observations yesterday as they looked closely at their newly-arrived Brook Trout eggs. Just last week, eggs were delivered to Northeast, as well as many other schools raising Brook Trout. In a short amount of time, orange-colored eggs developed into a more translucent color with more vivid signs of a trout forming inside. Students pointed out the two black specs that were noticeably two eye-balls. They also recognized a black line curled around the inside of the egg. Many asked if this was a tail, but we determined that since it's connected close to the eyes that it was the trout's spine forming. Other students were able to recognize traces of red lines which looked like red veins, this was confirmed when one student was able to notice a small heart beat inside the egg, as they observed them in the petri dish on their table. The eggs could hatch any day, it's amazing to see the subtle changes occurring as the eggs develop into their next stage of life cycle, the Alevin stage. 

Brook Trout Eggs Arrive, Brown Trout Develop into Alevins

Brown trout eggs were delivered to classrooms across the Cayuga and Seneca Lake watershed mid-October, marking the kickoff of DCL’s 2023 Trout in the Classroom Program. Throughout the school year, elementary school students will raise trout in tanks inside their classrooms, observing different phases of the trout’s life cycle through interactive experiments. By Spring, when trout develop into the Fingerling stage, students will release their trout into streams and creeks around Seneca and Cayuga Lake, where they will continue to grow and make their way into the lake where trout can live in the adult phase for 9-10 years.

Brown trout eggs were distributed to classrooms ranging from Watkins Glen to Union Springs and as far south as Newfield, NY. As the eyes were clearly visible in the trout eggs upon receiving them from the DEC Hatchery in Bath, NY, it was expected for the eggs to hatch any day. Classrooms reported within days of the eggs arrival, Alevins began appearing as trout started growing outside their yolk sack, still connected to their bellies. The Alevin stage lasts for 3-4 weeks, as trout take on more of a tadpole-like appearance with large heads connected to a tail. At this stage, they are still feeding from their yolk sack as they grow and develop their gills, fin and their digestive system. When the yolk sack is fully absorbed, trout move into the Fry stage where they start swimming to the surface to look for food. 

At the hatchery where the trout eggs were collected, the process of harvesting eggs simulates what is natural occurring outdoors. Female fish full of eggs are put under anesthesia before the eggs are stroked from their belly. Sperm is then taken from the male trout and combined with the eggs and finally water is added to activate the fertilization process. 

This mimics what is happening in nature, as male and female trout will make their way to a streams for the spawning process, where they build a nest, or a “redd” in shallow water with medium-sized rocks sufficient for moving around to protect the 500-1,000 eggs laid by the female. Males will then step in to fertilize the eggs during the process. 

Last week, DCL gathered brook trout eggs from the SUNY Morrisville Hatchery and delivered those eggs to the remainder of 25 schools hosting aquariums for the Trout in the Classroom Program. We will be working with about 1500 students and 60-plus classrooms this year. To find out more about schools involved with the program, read our latest Trout in the Classroom Blog post.

Eventually, trout will grow to the Fingerling stage, which, as you would guess, is about the size of a finger. This will be the size they reach by Spring time when its time to release the trout into streams, so they can continue to grow in the wild.

Learn more about Discover Cayuga Lake’s Educational Programs and our mission of educating kids and community members the importance of being a mindful citizen within a watershed ecosystem.

Trout in the Classroom is IN SESSION!

The Finger Lakes Trout in the Classroom program is up and running, with more partner schools than even before!

We've been pretty busy, and are just completing the last of 25 classroom aquarium setups right now.  (We will be working with about 1500 students and 60+ classes this year... whew!)

Brown trout eggs were collected from DEC's hatchery in Bath, NY, on October 14 & 17th by students from Enfield Elementary and South Seneca Elementary.  Over 1500 eggs were then distributed to schools throughout a region spanning from Watkins Glen to Union Springs, and south to Newfield, NY.  

Brook trout eggs will be arriving from SUNY Morrisville's hatchery on Wednesday this week for 9 schools.  AND, our brown trout have already hatched and are completing the "alevin" (or "sac fry") stage of their life cycles.  They are developing right before our eyes, and we will share more about that soon!

We're having a great time visiting classes and meeting everyone, and plan to bring classroom observations, activities and fun to this blog throughout the year!

~Bill, Astrid & Katie

Participating Schools, Fall 2022 to Spring 2023

Dryden Middle & High Schools

Groton Elementary School

Ithaca School District

Belle Sherman Elementary

Beverly J. Martin Elementary 

Caroline Elementary

Cayuga Heights Elementary

Enfield Elementary

Fall Creek Elementary

Northeast Elementary

South Hill Elementary 

Lehman Alternative Community School

Lansing Elementary

       Newfield Middle School

South Seneca Elementary

Trumansburg Middle School

TST BOCES Smith School

Union Springs Middle School                                      Elizabeth A Clune Montessori School  

Special Thanks to All Who Make This Program a Success! 

Trout Unlimited, Leon Chandler Chapter                    Federal Fish & Wildlife Service                                    NYS Dept. of Conservation                                        SUNY Morrisville Fish Hatchery                                  Fantastic Classroom Volunteers                                  Amazing & Creative Teachers!   

Breeding Toads and the Amplexus Position

During a trout release on Wednesday, May 11 in the Salmon Creek at Salt Point, students from TST BOCES Turning Point program were in for a special treat when we discovered a pond filled with breeding toads.

In the Springtime, male and female toads gather in large numbers to breed in small bodies of water with very little movement like ponds, marshes and ditches, which is just what students from Sarah Kunz' class were able to witness first-hand.

In the mating position of toads, called amplexus, the male toad clasps to the female's back and the pair swims around as the female, filled with eggs, selects a site for depositing them. 

Toad eggs are distinguishable from frog eggs because toads lay eggs in long jelly-like strings while frogs lay eggs in a large cluster. Females expel several thousand eggs, with the capacity of releasing up to 30,000 eggs. Males fertilize the egg with their sperm through the amplexus position. 

The jelly surrounding the eggs swell in the water until each egg is covered with a thick coating. The coating allows the eggs to float to the surface of the water where there is more oxygen for the eggs to survive. 

In a few days, a tadpole will hatch from each fertilized egg and over the course of four to six weeks, the tadpole will go through three stages of development- growing longer, growing a body and tail, then absorbing the tail and growing limbs before finally metamorphosing into a small toad. 

Young toads will leave the pond they lived in as tadpoles and may only return to breed again later on.

Trout Release with TST BOCES Turning Point

Schools from across the Cayuga Lake Watershed involved in the Trout in the Classroom program are in the process of releasing trout into creeks and rivers feeding into Cayuga Lake after spending most of the school year raising the trout in their classroom. 

Students from TST BOCES Turning Point program came out to Salmon Creek at Salt Point, where they walked upstream to find a good spot to release their trout. The students first evaluated the quality of the stream by gathering a sample of macroinvertebrates and using the macroinvertebrate identification key to assess the aquatic life before releasing the trout.

In their stream sample, students in Sarah Kunz' class found lots of mayfly larvae, stoneflies and crayfish among the insects living in the creek. All of these macroinvertebrates will eventually be food to the young trout being released, so it was important to first make sure the trout would have enough food to eat. They also use the macroinvertebrates sample as an indicator of a healthy stream life, since insects are dependent on clean water to survive. The class determined that the creek possessed enough biodiversity to make it habitable for the trout to survive in the water, and moved upstream away from their sampling area to release the trout.

Each student got a small container filled with a couple trout that they had raised throughout the year in their classroom. Students gently released their trout into a pool of water just upstream from a swift current and watched as the trout paused for a minute to acclimate, and then swim away to their new home in the wild!

Monster Trout

As our classes anticipate releasing their trout over the coming weeks, a little friendly competition is always fun.  Liz McCheyne's fifth grade class at South Seneca Elementary has tossed out the first challenge!

My class is wondering how big your biggest trout is---I'm including a picture of Monster, our tank giant.  He is 15.1 cm and he's a cannibal so we've had to provide lots of cover for his peers. Please send pics of your big ones.

Tennesee Trout Release!

Spring is here, and our network of schools will be releasing trout to local streams over the next six weeks.  We'll try to post updates and opportunities to observe the fun and learning!

One of our local Trout Unlimited volunteers, Bob Walters, just shared this great article about a Trout in the Classroom program in Tennessee... spring comes earlier down there, and so they are releasing trout before we do. 

We love some of the adaptations they are using, and my goal is to build a fish observation box, just like this one.  Can you name all three species of trout visible?

Answers:  top fish is a brown trout; lower left is a rainbow and lower right is a brook trout!  (We only raise brown and brook trout in our classrooms.)

Listen to the Frogs!

School is on spring break this week, which means (we hope!) more time to get outdoors and explore.  There's plenty of water filling streams and ponds and vernal pools here in upstate New York, and as the weather warms you'll hear plenty of frogs and toads.  In fact, if you listen closely, you might notice three or four or even five different calls happening all at once!

To help you sort out the chorus, check out Calls of Frogs and Toads of the Northeast, on Lang Eliot's "Music of Nature" website.  Many of these amazing records have beem made right here, around Ithaca.