Freshwater

Under Sweet Water

In Canada, most people think of the underwater parts of lakes, rivers, and ponds as full of yucky weeds and slimy rocks. Everyone seems to like to throw a fishing line in to catch the delicious fish, but few stop to think how these creatures all live in this supposedly horrible place.

In fact, it is quite beautiful, not yucky if you know how to look at it. Just put on a face mask and fins and look down. Or better yet, get suited up in a full SCUBA rig and be prepared to spend some time examining the small forms of life, looking for details and colours. They are all there!

Did you know that freshwater sponges were common in Ontario lakes and rivers? Well guess what, they are! They are even a pretty good size. This one is about 30 cm long and stands about 10 cm tall. They are quite soft and fragile, but solid enough to live for a long time.

Freshwater clams in northern freshwater represent a huge amount of "biomass" (living material) in the water. They filter plankton from the water and are found in the bottom muds. Because of their strong shells, they have few predators.

Even if the waters are cold, and the waters relatively nutrient-poor, huge schools of small fish, in this case minnows, are sometimes seen in shallow waters. They usually stay inside the weedy areas for protection.

Unlike underwater plants in the ocean, most freshwater plants in the north are not algae. Instead they are flowering plants that have taken up life in the water. The coontail can grow up to three meters in length.

Smallmouth bass are members of the sunfish family. Courtship in sunfish is quite dramatic and prolonged. The male prepares a nest to receive the eggs; then he solicits females to come and spawn with him. After spawning he guards the eggs until they hatch. Smallmouth males guard the young for several days. If they are threatened he will scoop them up in his mouth, spitting them out when the danger has passed.

Waterlilies are aquatic plants but they hold a major portion of their leaves and flowers above the water, often on stalks that are over 3 meters tall. As they begin the stretch upward from the bottom mud, the flower buds are already forming.

Often the coontails grow together in charming and beautiful clusters. The different colors are an indication of the different stages of their growth.

For the photographer, having lots of matter floating in the water is both a drawback and a benefit. The drawback is that the water can look dirty. But the benefit is that the sunlight catches the underwater dust and pierces through it with slanting rays.

Most people think of freshwater fish as drab and uninteresting from a photographic perspective. Some species, however, like the pumpkinseed sunfish, are amazingly colourful and rival some of the coral reef species for gaudiness.

You might really call this Deep Shit! It was just sitting there on the bottom, at about 8 meters (26 feet) depth in perfect condition. So I just had to take a picture of it.

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	Did you know that freshwater sponges were common in Ontario lakes and rivers? Well guess what, they are! They are even a pretty good size. This one is about 30 cm long and stands about 10 cm tall. They are quite soft and fragile, but solid enough to live for a long time.
	Freshwater clams in northern freshwater represent a huge amount of "biomass" (living material) in the water. They filter plankton from the water and are found in the bottom muds. Because of their strong shells, they have few predators.
	Even if the waters are cold, and the waters relatively nutrient-poor, huge schools of small fish, in this case minnows, are sometimes seen in shallow waters. They usually stay inside the weedy areas for protection.
	Unlike underwater plants in the ocean, most freshwater plants in the north are not algae. Instead they are flowering plants that have taken up life in the water. The coontail can grow up to three meters in length.
	Smallmouth bass are members of the sunfish family. Courtship in sunfish is quite dramatic and prolonged. The male prepares a nest to receive the eggs; then he solicits females to come and spawn with him. After spawning he guards the eggs until they hatch. Smallmouth males guard the young for several days. If they are threatened he will scoop them up in his mouth, spitting them out when the danger has passed.
	Waterlilies are aquatic plants but they hold a major portion of their leaves and flowers above the water, often on stalks that are over 3 meters tall. As they begin the stretch upward from the bottom mud, the flower buds are already forming.
	Often the coontails grow together in charming and beautiful clusters. The different colors are an indication of the different stages of their growth.
	For the photographer, having lots of matter floating in the water is both a drawback and a benefit. The drawback is that the water can look dirty. But the benefit is that the sunlight catches the underwater dust and pierces through it with slanting rays.
	Most people think of freshwater fish as drab and uninteresting from a photographic perspective. Some species, however, like the pumpkinseed sunfish, are amazingly colourful and rival some of the coral reef species for gaudiness.
	You might really call this Deep Shit! It was just sitting there on the bottom, at about 8 meters (26 feet) depth in perfect condition. So I just had to take a picture of it.