Examples of Species Specific to Florida With Their Characteristics, Research Paper Example

Scientific name: Aurelia aurita
Common name: moon jelly, moon jellyfish, common jellyfish,
Habitat: The species is found extensively around coast of Florida near estuaries, harbours where the temperatures range in between 6 degree Celsius and 31 degree Celsius with optimum range of 9-19 degree Celsius.
Interesting fact: The moon jelly fish is called floating sac which has mouth and arms and moves only by floating even though it can swim

Scientific name: Liguus virgineus
Common name: Hispaniola
Habitat: they are found on smooth barked trees like false tamarind and black ironwood
Interesting fact: there are more than fifty two varieties of snails which include white and black.

Scientific name: Argopecten irradians
Common name: bay scallops
Habitat: Throughout the coast of Florida, especially the west coast
Interesting fact: The bay scallops are able to produce both female and male sex organs.

Scientific name: Octopus bimaculoides
Common name: specific 2 spot octopuses
Habitat: They are found in abundance in the interidal and benthic zone in the low tide to sub tidal depth. They grown in rock caves and debris on sandy surfaces
Interesting fact: they are capable of tolerating extreme wide range of temperatures from 60-80°F

Scientific Name: Sabellastarte magnifica
Common name: Magnificent feather duster
Habitat: they are found on the coral reefs of the shallow waters in areas of Caribbean, Florida and Bahamas.
Interesting fact: The visible part of them is feathery tentacles and the body is nearly invisible tugged in to the tentacles.

Scientific name : Hirudo madicinalis
Common name: leeches
Habitats: found in estuaries, rivers and areas where river join sea. In Florida, there are more number of fresh water leeches found in swarms.
Interesting fact: most of the leeches suck blood of turtles

Common name: Florida stone crab,
Scientific name: Menippe mercenaria
Habitat: they are extensively found in western region of Florida, North Atlantic, Gulf of Mexico. The hybrids occur on the east coast of Florida in coastal waters and estuaries. Interesting fact: along with usual sexual dimorphism, the females possess large carapace when compared to males and males usually have large chelae compared to that of females.

Scientific name: Hemisphaerota cyanea
Common Names: Florida Tortoise Beetle, Palmetto Tortoise Beetle
Habitat: They are found extensively on foliage of anacua and planets like sweet potato and others.
Interesting fact: Both the larvae and the adults live on same plant which acts like host.

Common name: Common Starfish or Common Sea Star
Scientific name : Asterias rubens
Habitat: found commonly on rocky and substances with gravelly texture
Interesting fact: the common number of arms are considered to be 5 but the number of arms could be till 40.

Common name: Purple sea urchin
Scientific name: Strongylocentrotus purpuratus
Habitat: found along the coast of Florida in the places experiencing huge wave action and near rocky surfaces.
Interesting fact: The appearances of urchins resemble hedge hog and hence called as hedgehog of sea.

Scientific name: Alligator mississippiensis

Common Names: American Alligator, Alligator, Gator, Florida Alligator, Mississippi Alligator, Louisiana Alligator, Pike-headed Alligator.

Habitat: They are abundantly found in streams, swamps, lakes and ponds. They prefer fresh water but also found in brackish waters. They copulate in banks or tree clumps

Interesting fact: Alligators possess strong bite but have weak muscles.

Works Cited

Attygalle, A.B., D.J. Aneshansley, J. Meinwald, and T. Eisner. Defense by foot adhesion in a chrysomelid beetle (Hemisphaerota cyanea): Characterization of the adhesive oil. Zoology (Jena). 103:1-6, 2000. Print

Gottfried M. D., Fordyce R. E. An associated specimen of Carcharodon angustidens (Chondrichthyes, Lamnidae) from the Late Oligocene of New Zealand, with comments on Carcharodon interrelationships. Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology, 2001. Print

Stevenson, H. M. Vertebrates of Florida, identification and distribution (Fifth ed. ed.). Gainesville, Florida: University Presses of Florida, 1976. Print

Whitaker, J. O.; W. J. Hamilton. Mammals of the Eastern United States (Third ed. ed.). Ithaca, New York: Cornell University Press, 1998.Print