Parks Victoria - Marine Mapping Education Resource Kit
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Activity 5: Creature Features
Part B: What the ..?

Objective: To practice using simple keys to identify a number of interesting animals and plants observed in Victoria’s Marine National Parks and Marine Sanctuaries through the habitat mapping project.

Materials:

  • A simple online key for identifying animal and plant groups
  • Images of animals and plants observed in the habitat mapping project

Method:

  1. Go to the online key, first select an animal or plant of interest from the top section. These are all example of animals and plants that were observed, some for the first time, through the marine mapping project.
  2. Use the online key to identify the group to which the animal or plant belongs.
  3. Record these in the table below.
  4. Repeat for three other unknown species and record their details in the table below.
Some of the plants and animals that
can be identified using the online key

Note: Keys are generally specific to the group of things for which they are designed. Our key is an artificial key only useful for separating and naming the species illustrated in Part B.

Specimen
Number 		Phylum Common Name Special Features
       
       
       
       
       

Discussion:

  1. Scientists estimate that more than 12,000 different plans and animals are found in Victoria’s marine environment. Which groups of living things do you think would have the most number of different species?
  2. What is your favourite Victorian marine animal or plant? Write a short piece that explains why you like it the most.
  3. Try using the key provided for some of the species described in Table 1. Does the key still work in all cases?
Download a printable version of Activity 5
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