1. Are there any external resources that can be used by the mechanism?
Answer: No
2. Are physical changes possible to the mechanism?
Answer: Yes
3. Can other parts of the mechanism be used to minimize the effects of the fault?
Answer: Yes
4. Is the fault due to changes in the environment?
Answer: Yes
5. Can the surrounding environment be changed to adapt to the fault?
Answer: Yes
13) Rainbow smelt, Osmerus mordax
Rainbow smelt are native to the United States and can be seen in the Missouri river, Great Lakes, and near Maine in the Atlantic Ocean (U.S. Geological Survey). These fish are able to swim from salt water to fresh water to spawn and they can live in freshwater for an extended period of time as well. Rainbow smelt are able to migrate from one type of water source to the next and survive due to osmoregulation. Osmoregulation is the regulation of ions and water inside the body compared to the external environment (Palmisano, Aldo). Smelt slowly migrate from one extreme to the next so their bodies can adjust to the changing salinity. In the salt water these fish use gills that specialize in removing the excess salt from the body allowing the kidneys to not get over worked and use the water and salt appropriately (Palmisano, Aldo). In fresh water smelt use then use their gills to trap as much salt as they can which helps the kidney obtain the right amount of salt and water and secrete the rest through urine (Palmisano, Aldo). The kidney is the key organ in osmoregulation and so if it gets hurt or dies then the fish will not be able to survive in any environment.
U.S. Geological Survey. [2015]. Nonindigenous Aquatic Species Database. Gainesville, Florida. Retrieved April 23, 2015, from
http://nas.er.usgs.gov/queries/factsheet.aspx?SpeciesID=796.
Palmisano, Aldo. “Why Do Some Fish Normally Live in Freshwater and Others in Saltwater? How Can Some Fish Adapt to Both?” Scientific American Global RSS. Scientific American, 19 Jan. 1998. Web. Retrieved February 14, 2015, from
http://www.scientificamerican.com/article/why-do-some-fish-normally/.
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