If you swim in the sea and get water in your mouth, it tastes salty. Pond water does not. That is the big difference between water habitats.
- Oceans are huge and salty.
- Ponds and lakes hold fresh water that stays mostly still.
- Rivers and streams hold fresh water that flows.
Key idea
The ocean is salty water. Ponds, lakes and rivers are fresh water. Different animals live in each.
Why it works
An animal's body is made for its own kind of water. Most ocean fish need salty water, and most pond fish need fresh water. If you moved them, most of them could not survive.
Worked example: Let's think it through
Could a shark from the ocean live in a small pond?
- A shark is an ocean fish.
- It needs salty water, and lots of room to swim.
- A pond is small, and its water is fresh.
Answer: No. A shark needs the salty ocean.
Common mistake
Children often think all water is the same home, so an ocean fish could live in a pond. Salty water and fresh water are different habitats.
For the grown-up. Stir a spoonful of salt into one cup of water and leave another cup plain. Let your child taste a drop of each. That is the difference between ocean water and pond water.