Information Report Writing by Ruma Maunga students

                  Macroinvertebrates

 Some macroinvertebrates are eels, shrimp, bully fish, mayflies, and snails. 

 Macroinvertebrates means it doesn't have a backbone. Macro means you can see them with a human eye. Most aqua macroinvertebrates live in freshwater rivers and creeks.

Appearance 

Eels are long and slimy with blaky green skin. Shrimp are small and various colors such as red, pink, yellow, green, blue, and even black. Some  Mayflies can be white, brown, and yellow and even have wing's. Bully fish have a blue bit on their necks they are dark grey or brown.

Diet

Shrimp feed on rotting leaves and worms. 

Mayflies eat algae and plants.

Bully fish filter water as it goes.

Eels eat other macroinvertebrates. 

Habitat

Shrimp, Mayflies, BullyFish, and Eels mainly live in rivers. Some live in creeks and lakes. 

By Ella Commins

MACROINVERTEBRATES

New Zealand has over 200 species of freshwater macroinvertebrates. Macroinvertebrates have no backbone and they can be seen without a magnifying glass or a microscope. There are many types of macroinvertebrates such as eels, mayflies, freshwater mussels and so much more.

DIET

• Some Macroinvertebrates feed on rotting leaves and wood

• Some feed on algae and fish

• Some feed on periphyton 

• Some feed on bacteria

• Some even eat other Macroinvertebrates! 

  HABITAT    

Freshwater Macroinvertebrates live in streams, rivers, lakes, and ponds. Some live under rocks, stones, sand and some live on top of the water. Some Macroinvertebrates such as spiders, worms, snails, springtails, and other insects live in the long grass on the land beside the freshwater.

FACTS

*Most Macroinvertebrates live for a week to several years.

*Macroinvertebrates are only as long as 0.25 cm 

to 15 cm.

*Macroinvertebrates do not have a backbone.

*Fish, Frogs, and platypus eat macroinvertebrates.

By Flynt Hendrickson         

Freshwater macroinvertebrate

New Zealand's streams and rivers are home to most of our macroinvertebrates.  They are tiny little animals that usually live under rocks and under plants that are in the water and even wood hollows. They have no backbone and can be seen without a magnifying glass.

Examples of macroinvertebrates

They can range from skinny, to thick and bulky. some have legs such as fresh water shrimp and some have no legs like leeches 

and eels.

What Macroinvertebrates eat:

They eat algae, decaying leaves and even wood. Some even eat other macro invertebrates and they can filter things from on top of the water and eat them as well. They eat live plants or dead plants, and they even eat each other. They  are important for birds and fish for eating purposes, and are part of an important ecosystem.
By Louisa Robson