Silverfish

High school (ages 12+)
Animals & Nature

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/lepisma-saccharinum

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. What is the scientific name?Lepisma saccharinum
2. What does a silverfish look like and why is it called a fish?A silverfish is tiny and shiny, covered in fine scales that give it a silvery glow. It moves in a quick, wiggling way that looks a bit like a fish swimming, which is why it gets its name.
3. What do silverfish eat?Silverfish love sugary and starchy foods. They also munch on paper, book bindings, wallpaper paste, and fabrics like cotton, linen, and silk.

Zygentoma: An order of primitive, wingless insects that includes silverfish and their close relatives.
Gradual metamorphosis: A type of insect development where young nymphs resemble adults and grow through a series of molts without a pupal stage.
Synanthropic: An organism that lives in close association with humans, often benefiting from human-modified environments.