Spring Spawning

Koi reproduction begins when warmer spring water signals that it is time to spawn. This passage explains how males chase females through the pond and how females may lay thousands of sticky eggs on plants, rocks, or other surfaces. Readers learn that the males fertilize the eggs after they are released and that the tiny fry hatch within just a few days. The passage also explains that adult koi do not provide much parental care, so the young must quickly begin finding food and shelter on their own.

This worksheet gives students strong practice with sequencing and process-based comprehension. They follow reproduction from courtship to egg laying, fertilization, hatching, and early survival while learning why producing many eggs helps the species continue. Vocabulary such as spawning, fertilization, eggs, fry, and courtship builds science knowledge in context. The passage also helps students compare reproductive strategies and think about how different animals improve the chances that some of their offspring will survive.