In biology, being semi-aquatic refers to various macroscopic that live regularly in both aquatic and terrestrial environments. When referring to , the term describes those that actively spend part of their daily time in water (in which case they can also be called amphibious), or that have spent at least one life stages (e.g. as or ) in aquatic environments. When referring to , the term describes whose have adapted well to tolerate regular, prolonged submersion in water, as well as emergent plant and (occasionally) floating-leaved aquatic plants that are only partially immersed in water.
Examples of semi-aquatic animals and plants are given below.
Semiaquatic animals
Semi
include:
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Vertebrates
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Amphibious fish; also several types of normally fully aquatic fish such as the grunion and plainfin midshipman that spawn in the intertidal zone
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Some such as Salamander, and some such as fire-bellied toads and Wood frog.
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Some such as , , water snakes and .
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Waterbirds, especially , , and .
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Some rodents such as , and .
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Some insectivorous mammals such as , and .
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Some carnivoran mammals, including pinniped, otter and .
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Some marsupials, including the water opossum and the two Lutreolina.
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Hippopotamus.
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Indian rhinoceros.
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Water buffalo.
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.
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Moose.
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Semiterrestrial of the intertidal zone, such as the "cliff-clinging" sea urchin Colobocentrotus atratus and the starfish Pisaster ochraceus
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(e.g., Dragonfly) with at least one non-aquatic life stage (e.g., adults), or amphibious insects (e.g., amphibious caterpillars or the ant Polyrhachis sokolova). Members of the hemipteran infraorders Gerromorpha and Nepomorpha occupy a variety of semiaquatic and aquatic niches, with many of the former locomoting on the water surface; a few of these are marine (e.g., Halobates, Hermatobates).
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Semiaquatic , such as Anurida maritima
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Semiterrestrial (e.g., many , such as Pachygrapsus marmoratus, some , such as Orchestia gammarellus, some , such as Ligia oceanica and some , such as Balanus glandula)
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are mostly aquatic but spawn in the intertidal zone; juveniles live in
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Semiaquatic , such as Ancylometes or Dolomedes (these are distinct from the almost fully aquatic Argyroneta)
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An amphibious centipede, Scolopendra cataracta
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Semiaquatic , such as the earthworm Sparganophilus
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Semiterrestrial of the intertidal zone, such as the Myoramyxa pardalota
Semiaquatic plants
Semi
aquatic plant Embryophyte include:
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Semiaquatic (e.g., , reeds, Ipomoea aquatica and the entire order Nymphaeales)
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Semiaquatic , such as pond cypress
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Semi, such as Pilularia americana
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A semiaquatic horsetail, Equisetum fluviatile
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Semiaquatic , such as Isoetes melanospora
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Semiaquatic , such as Lycopodiella inundata
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Semiaquatic , such as Sphagnum macrophyllum
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Semiaquatic , such as Riccia fluitans
Notes