There are not many species of fish living deep in the oceans, but the deep-sea fish occasionally pulled up by fisherman have been bizarre creatures, such as the deep-sea anglerfish with its giant fangs and bioluminescent lure. Why have these fascinating deep-sea fish never been shown live on exhibit in an aquarium?

Question

A.  Their diet is too specialized.
B.  They are adapted to cold temperatures and total darkness.
C.  They might frighten visitors.
D.  They are adapted for high pressure, and will die at low pressure.


Clarify question:
  What is the key concept addressed by the question?

What type of thinking is required?


Gather Content:
What do you already know about the deep sea environment? What other information is related to the question? 

Choose Answer:
Given what you now know, what information is most likely to produce the correct answer?


Reflection on Process:
Did your problem-solving process lead you to the correct answer? If not, where did the process break down or lead you astray? How can you revise your approach to produce a more desirable result?

Answer 1

D.  They are adapted for high pressure, and will die at low pressure.

Clarify question:
  What is the key concept addressed by the question?

The key concept is to identify the conditions in the deep sea that would prevent establishing a similar environment in an aquarium.

What type of thinking is required?
This is an analyze level question, you will need analyze each scenario to see which would most accurately answer the question.


Gather Content:
What do you already know about the deep sea environment? What other information is related to the question?  Deep sea environments are cold and dark. The darkness and cold temperatures are easy to replicate in an aquarium setting. What is the other major environmental factor the makes the deep sea different from the upper reaches? 


Choose Answer:
Given what you now know, what information is most likely to produce the correct answer?
The most difficult requirement of deep-sea fish is high pressure. They are adapted to the extreme pressure of the deep sea, and without that pressure their cells and tissues will not function properly and they will die. Bringing a deep-sea fish up to the surface and constantly maintaining the appropriate pressure is a major challenge to ever displaying these animals at the surface.


Reflection on Process:
Did your problem-solving process lead you to the correct answer? If not, where did the process break down or lead you astray? How can you revise your approach to produce a more desirable result?
Were you able to make the correct choice? You needed to break down the question and consider each of the major components of a deep sea environment and if they could be replicated in an aquarium.