Photos / Sounds
What
Southern Cattail (Typha domingensis)Observer
clunde09Description
This species was observed on the shoreline of Lake Proctor submerged in shallow water. They tend to grow in standing water or along streamsides and seasonally inundated soils. Their long, flat and narrow leaves extend vertically for up to 10 feet. The stem and roots at the base of the plant are white and store large quantities of starch. They have history with the native Americans as a source of food and we're also used for medicinal purposes.
References: "Cattail Tule." Texas Beyond History. N.p., n.d. Texashistorybeyond.net/coast/nature/images/cattail.html 16 Nov. 2016.
Photos / Sounds
What
Blanchard's Cricket Frog (Acris blanchardi)Observer
clunde09Description
This species was observed in the sediment of Lake Proctor. It is one of the smaller frogs in Texas and average about 1 inch in length. They are very common across the southern and midwestern United States. They have a long snout with short hind legs and webbed toes. They are active all year and prefer shallow ponds with vegetation and full sun or shallow, gravel-lined creeks.
References: herpsoftexas.org/content/northern-cricket-frog
http://greglasley.com/nonBirds/northerncricketfrog.html
Photos / Sounds
What
Genus CladophoraObserver
clunde09Description
This was found within a run portion of the Colorado River watershed in an area that consisted of debris and pebbles. Cladophora is genus of green algae that contain branches filamentous chlorophyte with large cylindrical cells forming long, regularly branched growths. Cells contain many round chloroplasts which join into a net like structure. They are common in unshaded waters especially during the summer in low flow. They are important for structuring benthic stream communities and can be viewed as a nuisance in some areas.
References:
"Landcare-Research -Manaaki Whenua." Cladophora Glomerata | Common in Poor Quality Streams, Lowland Rivers | Landcare Research. Landcare Research, 2016. Web. 16 Nov. 2016.
Photos / Sounds
What
Genus SpirogyraObserver
clunde09Description
This was found on the shoreline amongst a run portion of the watershed. The water was slightly turbid with a heavy amount of algae presence in certain pool areas. Spirogyra are a genus of charophyte green algae with more than 400 species. They are found in freshwater environments world-wide. They are named for their spiral chloroplasts and are filamentous algae that consist of thin unbranched chains of cylindrical cells. They can form masses and float near the surface. They can produce both sexually and asexually.
References: "Spirogyra." Brittannica Online. 9 Sept 2015. Web. www.brittannica.com/science/spirogyra.
Photos / Sounds
Observer
clunde09Description
This was found in the wetlands of Lake Proctor below the dam in water with a slight algae presence. The water was slightly turbid with a silty-sand sediment. The Hyalella azteca is a freshwater epibenthic amphipod that is the primary invertebrate crustacean used in the U.S for sediment toxicity testing and have been the subject of recent gene expression studies in ecotoxicogenomics. They eat primarily on plant and animal matter such as microscopic plants, animals, and debris found on plant leaves, stems, and rocks. They help to keep the water healthy by eating up dead leaves, sticks, and other matter that ends up at the bottom. They breed from February to October depending on the temperature. They are widespread and live in a wide range of fresh and brackish waters. They are an important food for many waterfowl as well.
References: www2.fcps.edu/islandcreekes/ecology/scud.htm
Poynton, Helen C. "Hyalella Azteca Genome Project." HGSC. Baylor College of Medicine. Human Genome Sequencing Center, 2016. Hgsc.bcm.edu/Arthropods/hyalella-azteca-Genome-project 15 Nov. 2016.
Photos / Sounds
What
Non-biting Midges (Family Chironomidae)Observer
clunde09Description
This was found in the wetlands of Lake Proctor below the dam. It was found inside of soft sediment with a heavy algae presence in a slightly turbid watershed. Glycera are a group of polychaetes that are active raptorial species that excavate and inhabit galleries of tunnels in soft sediments. They capture food and dig with a powerful, eversible pharynx which can be expelled forcefully through the mouth. They are an ambush raptor that uses the eversible pharynx for both prey capture and burrowing. They construct a system of interconnected burrows, called a gallery, and occupies one of the branch burrows where it waits in ambush for prey that it seizes with its pharyngeal jaws. It detects prey through vibration in the water with its four antennae. They are also referred to as bloodworms and commercially farmed for the fishing industry in Maine and the Canadian Maritime Provinces.
References: Fox,Richard, and Edward Ruppert. "Glycera Dibranchiata." Lander University. N.p., July 2006. Web. 15 Nov. 2016.
