Which type of organism would have the least chance of long-term survival in the given environment?

• A. Osmoconformers in seawater
• B. Euryhaline animals in fresh water
• C. Osmoregulators in seawater
• D. Euryhaline animals in seawater
• E. Stenohaline animals that move between fresh water and seawater

Answer: (E)

Verified step by step guidance

1. Understand the terms: Osmoconformers are organisms that maintain their internal environment isotonic to their external environment, typically found in seawater. Osmoregulators actively regulate their internal osmolarity, regardless of the external environment.
2. Recognize that euryhaline animals can tolerate a wide range of salinities, allowing them to survive in both fresh and seawater environments.
3. Stenohaline animals, on the other hand, can only tolerate a narrow range of salinities, making them less adaptable to changes in their environment.
4. Consider the environment: Moving between fresh water and seawater requires an organism to adapt to significant changes in salinity.
5. Conclude that stenohaline animals, due to their limited ability to tolerate changes in salinity, would have the least chance of long-term survival when moving between fresh water and seawater.