Lotic Water Habitats

What does the word lotic mean? Bodies of water that are lotic are moving. Rivers, streams, and creeks are all lotic.

Lotic habitats can be fun to explore. Try throwing a stick into the water. What happens? The current pulls it away from you! Investigate the current. Is it the same in every part of the stream? Are there places where the current is faster or slower?

The water in a lotic habitat is always moving. But not all parts of a stream move in the same way. In some places, the water moves slowly; in other places it can run more quickly. When water runs swiftly over rocks, it forms riffles. Riffles are often a sign of good water quality in a stream.

Do you see the riffles in this stream? Look for the water that is moving quickly.

Would you like to live where the water is always moving? There are some creatures that call these places home. Try gathering up some leaves or rocks from a stream. (Be sure to ask a grown-up to help.) What can you find? Here is a mayfly nymph found crawling on the bottom of a stone in a mountain stream. Notice its three tails.

This mayfly nymph is only about 2 centimeters long.

If you find any creatures in a stream, be sure to observe them carefully, and then put them back exactly where you found them. Life in a lotic habitat is tough enough--we don't need to make it any harder!

Have you ever visited a lotic habitat? What did you notice?