Book Review
Critter Catalogue
A guide to the aquatic invertebrates of South Australian inland waters.
Sam Wade, Tracy Corbin and Linda-Marie McDowell, 2004. Environment Protection Authority.
Our creeks, rivers, ponds and wetlands contain a vast diversity of living creatures. They are not just homes for fish, frogs and birds. These systems are dominated by aquatic invertebrates – animals without backbones. They are an important part of the aquatic food web and essential to the healthy function of aquatic ecosystems. Without them our waters would be almost lifeless.
These aquatic invertebrates are good ‘biological indicators’ and studying them can tell us about the health of our aquatic ecosystems. It also educates us about broader biological and ecological issues. Many of these creatures have evolved remarkable adaptations to solve some of the challenges of life in water, such as the jet propulsion used by dragonfly larvae to escape danger!
Understanding these critters and how they survive is interesting in its own right; however, it also encourages us to appreciate the value of aquatic systems from a perspective other than human use. Hopefully this will promote better custodianship of our aquatic resources and encourage behaviour that minimises pollution. This will lead to better quality waters for humans as well as natural ecosystems that depend on them.
All information taken from Critter Catalogue
This book is available for loan from the Fleurieu Environment Centre