Ethan Weed Sunfish

1. Why do you think the sunfish looks the way it does? Why did it evolve to look the way it does? How does it's appearance and features help it live and survive? Take a guess.

If I had to take a guess as to why sunfish had a flat body, I would guess that it's flat body would make it easier for sea birds to consume parasites off of its body. The arrival mentions that sunfish will swim twords the surface of the water and lay flat so that parasites can be removed from their skin. Not only that, but by being more flat, sunfish can better warm themselves up when laying in the sunlight. By increasing the surface area of their skin consumed by sunlight, the more effectively they would be able to warm up.

2. Why and how do you think new species appear?

I believe that all new species appear through evolution. Adaptation falls within evolution, and by adapting, different organisms can change to better fit their need to survive. Species that survive due possessing to more life preserving traits often reproduce and pass on those traits.

3. What do you think the sunfish's future looks like in terms of survival?

I don't feel that the sunfishes survival in the future is high. Pollution and ocean acidification a major threats to marine wildlife today. Not only that, but sunfish are also described in the article as being very hard to find, suggesting that they may have a small population. The article l also describes how seals often tear the fins off of sunfish, resulting in them being consumed by other marine wildlife.