COYOTE

WATER ANIMALS

Coyote is basically a hot and dry planet. 33.3% of Coyote is covered by water while
66.6% is covered by land. Water animals have special ways of finding, storing, and
using water. The ocean of Coyote contains a rich and diverse marine life. Like the fish
on the Earth, it possesses scales, gills and fins. Their habitant are warm desert pools, lakes,
marshes, streams and springs.

_{The Finner Whale:}

_Habitat:
_{A resident population of 150
Finner Whales feed in} _{the rich waters of
the ocean of Coyote.}

_Description:
_{They are the largest animals
on the planet. The} _{Finner Whales
are baleen and toothless whales.}
_{They can reach a length
of 75 feet and weigh} _{as much as 75 tons.
The Finner Whale is}
_{streamlined with a pointed
snout, is milky-white} _{underwater and gray-black
on top. Its name}
_{comes from the extremely small,
hooked fin on its back,} _{which is only a
foot long in adults.}

_Habits:
_{This huge predator feeds on
krill, one of the tinniest of all shrimp-like crustaceans, as well}
_{as algae, codfish, herring,
sardines, squid and anchovies. The Finner Whale} _can
remain
_{underwater for 25 to 30 minutes
before rising for air, but it is erratic in its cycle and is} _{therefore difficult to track. It is extremely gregarious,
showing no fear of boats and usually travels in pods}
_{of 18 to 20, although groups
as large as 100 have been seen.}

_{Life Cycle:}
_{It is monogamous and is extremely
affectionate} _{and loyal to its partner.
They breed May}
_{through August and give birth
the following year to a 18- to} _{25-foot-long
offspring,}
_{which is nursed for 5.5 to
6 months.}

The Desert Fish:

Habitat:
Warm desert pools, streams and springs.

Description:
The Desert Fish is a small, silvery colored fish with 5 to 8 dark bands on its side. This
tiny fish grows to a full average length of only 2.8 inches. The Desert Fish develop quickly, sometimes reaching full maturity within 2.5 to 3 months. Although their average life
span is 7 to 10 months, some survive more than one year.

Habits:
The Desert Fish have a short, scaled head with an upturned mouth. The anal and dorsal fins
are rounded with the dorsal sometimes exhibiting a dark blotch. The caudal fin is
convex at the rear. The Desert Fish feed on brown and green algae. During winter months,
when the water is cold, they become dormant, burrowing in the muddy bottom of their
habitat.

Life Cycle:
As spring approaches and the winter warms, The Desert Fish become very active and begin their mating ritual. The breeding males become iridescent blue in color and defend their territory, chasing away all other fish except females that are ready to spawn. Spawning starts towards the end of February and continues through summer. As temperatures become extreme toward summer, evaporation dries up most pools and streams, resulting in the death of most Desert fish. A few survive in the small number of pools, streams and springs that not dry up completely.

The Opaleye:

Habitat:
The Opaleye Family usually come ashore on the windward sides of cool, fog-shrouded
island, offshore rocks or islets. Members of them are the them are usually found only in temperate and subtropical regions.

Description:
The Opaleye is composed of 3 geographically isolated populations numbering between
80,000 and 120,000. On fairly warm days, they stay continually wet in tide pools and by
rolling in wet sand to keep cool. After extensive swimming and diving, they may be seen
in the water waving one flipper, another means of dissipating heat.

Habits:
The adult male may reach a length of 8 feet and weigh as much as 500 pounds. The adult
female will reach only 6 feet and weigh a third as much. They feed on krill and green algae.

Life Cycle:
In order to breed, the Opaleye establish rookeries, special breeding grounds where they congregate. The breeding males, 5 years and older, arrive at the rookeries first in early spring and battle other males until relatively few are left. The dominate males shift territory with time of day, level of tides, temperature and location of females. The harem size of a bull varies between 12 to 20 females. Females begin to breed at about 3 years of age. Shortly after arriving at the rookery, she gives birth to a single pup, then a few days later, she will go into heat and is bred. After a gestation period of 340 to 360 gays, the pup is born and will nurse for up to 4 months. By mid August, when the breeding seasons ends, the Opaleye scatter along the coast, males and females going in opposite directions, until the following spring.

Bibliography:

Discover Deserts
Jennifer Vogelgesang
Copyright 1992, Publications International,Ltd.

The Text & Photos of The Finner Whale and The Opaleye
Copyright1997, A.R. Royo & Dan Nougier

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