Birds, primarily
gulls, phalaropes
What do the flies eat in Mono Lake?
These adaptations are particularly impressive in Mono Lake, where the water is also extraordinary. The hypersaline conditions make it inhospitable to fish, but very hospitable to brine shrimp,
algae and bacteria
. Underwater, the alkali flies feast on algae and lay eggs free from competition and predators.
What do the alkali flies eat?
Flies eat
algae
, mate, lay eggs in water, which hatch into aquatic larvae that eat mostly algae and bacteria.
Do alkali flies eat brine shrimp?
Brine shrimp, which, along with alkali flies, are
food
for millions of migratory and nesting birds at Mono Lake. Photo by Sandra Noll.
What are alkali flies?
Alkali flies are one of the
unusual creatures
that make up Mono Lake’s unique and highly productive ecosystem. In late summer, alkali flies carpet the shoreline, providing food for millions of migratory birds, and a wild experience for visitors when clouds of flies erupt as people approach.
How do alkali flies defend themselves?
An “external lung” allows these flies to flourish where almost no other creature can: California’s Mono Lake. Researchers have now found that these “diving” flies are able to withstand the lake’s highly alkaline waters,
crawling into it to feed and lay eggs
. …
Why are there so many flies at Mono Lake?
But the alkali flies of Mono Lake seem to have evolved over time to be much hairier and waxier and hardier. As a result, when they wander into Mono Lake by the millions in search of algae to eat, or a place to lay their eggs, they
remain watertight
.
Does anything live in Mono Lake?
Mono Lake is filled with trillions of brine shrimp, Artemia monica, a species that
lives nowhere else on earth
. These tiny, fascinating shrimp feed millions of migratory birds and contribute to Mono Lake’s ecological importance on a global scale.
Are there bears at Mono Lake?
Here in the
Mono Basin
bears are our neighbors and it’s important that we keep good relationships with them. To do this we have to ensure they aren’t eating human food. In a rare sight, a blonde black bear was spotted running on the east shore of Mono Lake in late August, 2007.
Why do so many birds stop there in their migration in Mono Lake?
Shoreline wetlands and creek deltas provide shelter and freshwater in close proximity to the abundant food resources of Mono Lake. Today’s thousands of ducks are a mere shadow of the estimated one million waterfowl which historically stopped at the lake each fall before
excessive water diversions to
Los Angeles began.
What does brine shrimp eat?
Brine shrimp are filter feeders and remove fine organic particles from the water as they swim.
Unicellular algae and bacteria
are natural foods. You can also powder fish food flakes and scatter the powder on the water’s surface. A yeast suspension is also convenient food for shrimp.
What does it mean that Mono Lake is an alkaline lake?
Mono Lake, the oldest lake in North America, is naturally hypersaline and alkaline. It is
a terminal lake
, meaning it has no outlet. Water entering the lake from Eastern Sierra streams leaves only via evaporation, resulting in high concentrations of salts and minerals being left behind.
Are there fish in Mono Lake?
A unique, productive ecosystem
Mono Lake has no fish
, but is teeming with trillions of brine shrimp and alkali flies, which sustain millions of migratory birds that visit the lake each year. Freshwater streams feed Mono Lake, supporting lush riparian forests of cottonwood and willow along their banks.
How long do brine flies live?
Behavior and ecology. Throughout the summertime, the flies, which live for
3 to 5 days
, feed and lay eggs under the surface of the water. Upon hatching, the larvae roam underwater, feeding on algae and bacteria.
Are flies hydrophobic?
Like most insects, the flies are covered in a waxy cuticle festooned with tiny hairs (setae). As in water striders (5), these
hydrophobic
hairs trap a layer of air, so that as a fly crawls into the water an air bubble forms around its body and wings.
What animals live in Mono Lake?
American avocets (Recurvirostra americana), eared grebes (Podiceps nigricollis), red-necked phalaropes (Phalaropus lobatus) and Wilson’s phalaropes (Phalaropus tricolor)
are among the more than 80 species of migratory birds that stop in the millions to rest and feed on flies and brine shrimp (Artemia monica) at Mono …
