The most unusual marine life. What animals and fish live in the ocean? Interesting facts about bottom dwellers

Seas and oceans are the cradle of life on Earth. According to some theories, all life on the planet originated in water. The sea resembles a huge metropolis, where everything lives according to its own laws, everyone takes his place and performs a very important function. If this order, which has developed into a harmonious mosaic, is violated, then this city will cease to exist. Therefore, it is important to know about the wealth of the animal world. You can find out who the marine inhabitants are, photos with the names of the most common species and interesting facts about their life.

All living creatures that inhabit the sea are conditionally divided into several categories:

• animals (mammals);
• fish;
• algae and plankton;
• deep sea fauna;
• snakes and turtles.

There are some animals that are difficult to attribute to a particular group. For example, spongy or sponges.

marine mammals

Scientists have discovered more than 125 species of mammals - the inhabitants of the sea. They can be divided into three main groups:

1. Walruses, fur seals and seals (pinnipeds order).
2. Dolphins and whales (a detachment of cetaceans).
3. Manatees and dugongs (a detachment of herbivores).
4. Sea otters (or otters).

The first group is one of the largest (more than 600 million individuals). They are all carnivores and feed on fish. Walruses are very large animals. Some individuals reach 1.5 tons in weight and grow up to 4 m in length. The dexterity and flexibility of walruses are amazing with such sizes, they easily move on land and in water. Due to the special structure of the pharynx, they can spend a long time in the sea and will not drown, even if they fall asleep. Thick brown skin becomes lighter with age, and if you manage to see a pink, even almost white, walrus, you know that he is about 35 years old. For these individuals, this is already old age. The walrus is not confused with the seal only because of their distinctive feature - tusks. Measurement of one of the largest tusks showed almost 80 cm in length, and weight - about 5 kg. The front fins of the walrus end with fingers - five on each paw.

Seals live in the Arctic and Antarctic, so they can withstand extremely low temperatures (down to -80˚C). Most of them do not have external auricles, but they hear very well. Seal fur is short but thick, which helps the animal move underwater. It seems that seals on land are clumsy and defenseless. They move with the help of the forelimbs and abdomen, their hind legs are poorly developed. However, they move briskly in the water and swim excellently.

Sea lions are very voracious. They eat 4-5 kg ​​of fish per day. The leopard seal is a subspecies of seals that can catch and eat other small seals or penguins. Appearance is typical for most pinnipeds. The fur seals are much smaller than their fellows in the detachment, so they crawl on land with the help of all four limbs. The eyes of these inhabitants of the sea are beautiful, but it is known that they see poorly - myopia.

Dolphins and whales are related to each other. Dolphins are one of the most unusual creatures on the planet. Their distinctive features:

• Lack of ears, nose, small eyes and at the same time a unique echolocation that allows you to accurately determine the location of objects in the water.
• Bare, streamlined body, without signs of wool or scales, the surface of which is constantly renewed.
• Voice and the beginnings of speech, allowing dolphins to communicate with each other in a flock.

Whales are giants among mammals. They feed on plankton or small fish, breathe through a special hole called a “blowhole”. During exhalation, a fountain of moist air from the lungs passes through it. Whales move in the water with the help of fins, the size of which differs in different species. The blue whale is the largest animal that has ever lived on Earth.

The most popular types of sea fish

The second largest group of marine inhabitants includes the following species:

• Cod (blue whiting, cod, saffron cod, hake, pollock, saithe and others).
• Mackerel (mackerel, tuna, mackerel and other fish).
• Flounders (flounder, halibut, dexist, embassicht, etc.).

• Herring (Atlantic menhaden, Atlantic herring, Baltic herring, Pacific herring, European sardine, European sprat).

• Garfish (garfish, medaka, saury, etc.).
• Sea sharks.

The first species lives in the seas of the Atlantic Ocean, comfortable conditions for them are 0 ˚ C. Its main external difference is the mustache on the chin. They live mainly on the bottom, feed on plankton, but there are also predatory species. Cod is the most numerous representative of this subspecies. It breeds in large numbers - about 9 million eggs per spawning. It is of great commercial importance, since meat and liver have a high fat content. Pollock is a long-liver in the cod family (lives 16 - 20 years). Lives in cold waters, is a semi-deep water fish. Pollock is caught everywhere.

Mackerels do not lead a bottom lifestyle. Their meat is valued for its high nutritional value, fat content and a large amount of vitamins.

In flounders, the eyes are located on one side of the head: right or left. They have symmetrical fins and a flattened body.

Herring fish is a pioneer among commercial fish. Distinctive features - no or very small teeth, and almost all lack scales.

Garfish-shaped elongated fish with long, sometimes asymmetrical jaws.

The shark is one of the largest marine predators. The whale shark is the only one that feeds on plankton. The unique abilities of sharks are sense of smell and hearing. They can smell the smell for several hundred kilometers, and the inner ear is able to pick up ultrasounds. The shark's powerful weapon is its sharp teeth, with which it tears the victim's body to pieces. One of the main misconceptions is the opinion that all sharks are dangerous to humans. Only 4 species are dangerous to people - bull shark, white, tiger, long-winged.

Moray eels are marine predators from the eel family, whose body is covered with poisonous mucus. Outwardly, they are very similar to snakes. They practically do not see, they navigate in space by smell.

Algae and plankton

It is the most numerous form of life. There are two types of plankton:

• Phytoplankton. It feeds on photosynthesis. Basically, it's algae.
• Zooplankton (tiny animals and fish larvae). Eats phytoplankton.

Plankton includes algae, bacteria, protozoa, crustacean larvae, and jellyfish.

Jellyfish are one of the oldest creatures on Earth. Their exact species composition is unknown. One of the largest representatives is the Lion's Mane jellyfish (tentacle length 30 m). The "Australian wasp" is especially dangerous. It is small in size and looks like transparent jellyfish - about 2.5 cm. When a jellyfish dies, its tentacles can sting for a few more days.

deep sea fauna

The inhabitants of the seabed are a great many, but their sizes are microscopic. These are mainly the simplest unicellular organisms, coelenterates, worms, crustaceans and molluscs. However, in deep water there are both fish and jellyfish, which have the ability to glow. Therefore, we can say that under the water column is not absolute darkness. The fish living there are predatory, they use light to attract prey. One of the most unusual and terrifying, at first glance, is howliod. This is a small black fish with a long mustache on the lower lip, with which it moves, and with terrible long teeth.

One of the most recognizable representatives of the order of mollusks is the squid. It lives in both warm and cold seas. The colder the water, the paler the color of the squid. The change in color saturation also depends on the electrical impulse. Some individuals have three hearts, so they have the ability to regenerate. Squids are predators, they feed on small crustaceans and plankton.

Clams also include oysters, mussels, and scallops. These representatives have a soft body, closed in a shell of two valves. They practically do not move, burrow into silt or live in large colonies, located on rocks and underwater reefs.

snakes and turtles

Sea turtles are large animals. They reach 1.5 m in length and can weigh up to 300 kg. Ridley is the smallest among all turtles, weighing no more than 50 kg. The front paws of turtles are better developed than the hind ones. This helps them swim long distances. It is known that sea turtles appear on land only for procreation. The shell is a bony formation with thick shields. Its color is light brown to dark green.

To get their own food, turtles swim to a depth of 10 meters. Basically, they feed on mollusks, algae and sometimes small jellyfish.

Sea snakes exist in 56 species, united in 16 genera. They are found off the coast of Africa and Central America, in the Red Sea and off the coast of Japan. A large population lives in the South China Sea.

The snakes do not dive deeper than 200 meters, but without air they can stay for 2 hours. Therefore, these underwater inhabitants do not swim further than 5 - 6 km from land. Crustaceans, shrimps, eels became food for them. The most famous representatives of sea snakes:

• The ringed emidocephalus is a snake with poisonous teeth.

Marine inhabitants, their photos with names, habitats and unusual facts of life are of great interest to both scientists and amateurs. The sea is a whole universe, the secrets of which people will have to learn for more than one millennium.

The selection contains a wide variety of living creatures that inhabit the depths of the sea: strange and unusual, creepy and frightening, colorful and incredibly cute. Many of them have been opened recently.

Marine "flycatcher"

These predator shells live in deep-sea canyons near California. According to the method of hunting, they are somewhat similar to carnivorous plants, they are fixed at the bottom and calmly wait until the unsuspecting prey swims into the open mouth itself. This way of eating does not allow them to be too picky in food.

shark walker

Off the coast of the island of Halmahera (Indonesia), a new species of shark was discovered, which “walked” along the bottom in search of prey, just like a lizard. An unusual fish, a relative of the bamboo shark, grows up to 70 cm in length. She hunts mainly at night, and small fish and invertebrates become her dinner. And by the way, this is far from the only fish that “walks” along the seabed. Representatives of the family of bats and lungfish are able to walk on fins.

Christmas tree

Fans of marine fauna and divers call the colorful inhabitants of the Pacific and Indian Ocean so. In fact, this is a tubular polychaete marine worm, its Latin names are Spirobranchus giganteus.

No fish, no...

This is a mollusc and it does not fit at all into the idea of ​​​​how gastropods should actually look like. Tethys (Tethys fimbria) are quite large, about 30 cm long, their almost shapeless translucent body is decorated with bright processes of irregular shape. Tethys are widespread in the waters of the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans, where they slowly glide along the seabed.

Pugaporcinus

If there was a competition for the title of "weirdest worm", pugaporcinus would easily bypass all the other participants. These unusual inhabitants of the ocean depths are better known in narrow circles as "flying buttocks". Their existence was only recently known, in 2007. The creature is no larger than a hazelnut.

tripod fish

A striking distinguishing feature of this fish is its long thin pectoral fins, with which it rests on the seabed and stands in anticipation of prey. Not surprisingly, the name of this fish is Brachypterois grallator, or simply tripod fish. Scientists still know little about them, since the creatures live at a depth of 1000 to 4500 meters. The length of the fish is about 30-35 cm.

Thaumaticht axel

These representatives of the anglerfish detachment were discovered not so long ago, but are named after the Danish prince Christian Axel, who died in the middle of the last century. Axel is considered one of the strangest and most unattractive creatures, although there are not so many sympathies that live at a depth of 3500 meters (remember at least the star of the Internet - a drop fish). In length, they reach 50 cm, or rather, scientists managed to meet fish of this size. In the creature's mouth is a special gland with luminous bacteria. To start the hunt, the fish simply open their mouths and potential victims will float to the light source.

moonfish

bat

A fish from the family of ray-finned detachment of the very ugly anglerfish. Widely distributed in warm tropical and subtropical seas, except for the Mediterranean. Lives at depths up to 100 meters.

sea ​​spiders

These harmless creatures live in almost all waters with normal salinity. Like ordinary spiders, their body is relatively small from 1 to 7 cm, but the leg span can be up to 50 cm. There are about 1000 species of sea spiders.

mantis shrimp

This colorful creature has unique vision and moves at incredible speed, but most of the time the true predator hides in coral reefs at a depth of 2 to 70 meters. Sometimes it is called a fighting cancer or even a terrorist cancer. Officially, he is a mantis shrimp. Why, it becomes clear at a glance. The segments of the mandibles of these crayfish are bent at an angle, like in praying mantises. Just like insects, crayfish are able to instantly throw a limb forward, much faster than a person blinks.

giant underwater pipe

Pyrosomes or fireballs are tiny sea creatures somewhat similar to jellyfish, they are only a few millimeters long, but when combined into a giant colony, they create huge translucent pipes up to several meters long. And it is also worth remembering that they are capable of bioluminescence. Imagine a huge underwater pipe glowing in the night - a breathtaking sight.

Everything inaccessible enchants. And what could be farther from a person than the ocean floor? Sea creatures are so unlike earthly creatures. I really want to know more about them. What do they eat? How do they live and protect themselves? So many things that you really want to know.

Looking at the surface of the water, it is difficult to imagine the diversity of life that is hidden below. But it is not only animals, fish and plants. The basis of the marine food chain is plankton.

What is plankton?

The whole world of marine animals would cease to exist without him. Plankton are microscopic creatures that are not visible to the naked eye. Their device does not allow them to move freely in the water. The position of this creature depends on the current, they are not able to resist it.

There are two types of plankton in nature:

• zooplankton, which is formed from living organisms;
• Phytoplankton are special marine plants.

The latter gives the water a slightly green tint. There are so many plankton in the water that millions of these creatures are found in one liter of it. Moreover, they not only serve as food that all marine life eats, but also participate in the restoration of oxygen in the water.

Transparent antiquity, or what is interesting about jellyfish

These inhabitants of the deep sea are 90 percent water. Moreover, jellyfish appeared on Earth so long ago that their distant ancestors witnessed the life of dinosaurs.

Some species of these animals have poison that can cause burns on the skin of a person or even kill. For example, the box jellyfish is extremely dangerous. It kills as many people a year as it does not die from all other inhabitants of the seas and oceans. The bite of this jellyfish kills in three minutes, and it moves at a speed of 2 m / s. It is difficult to escape from it, and it is almost impossible to survive after a bite.

The variation in the sizes of these creatures of different species is striking. The smallest of them are the size of a pinhead, while the largest have a dome with a diameter of two and a half meters, and their tentacles grow up to fifty meters.

Since jellyfish mostly die after breeding, their lifespan is very short. Very rare specimens live in nature for more than two years. Most often they are given only a few months. In captivity, these marine life can live quite a long time.

Boneless Giant Octopus

These marine inhabitants for children are very interesting for their unusual structure. After all, octopuses have tentacles instead of legs, and they have no bones at all. Thanks to the latter fact, this creature can easily squeeze into a tiny hole, the diameter of which is only one centimeter.

Here are some interesting facts about marine life - octopuses:

• the blood of these creatures is blue;
• they have three hearts at once;
• octopuses are deaf;
• they can separate any part of the body, which then grows back;
• octopuses easily change their color to adapt to the environment;
• they turn completely white with fear;
• in order to confuse the pursuer, these animals emit a cloud of ink.

Some species of octopus are extremely poisonous. For example, blue-ringed, which has a diameter of about 3-4 cm and weighs only 100 g. Its bite stops swallowing after 5 minutes. And after 30 minutes, the person suffocates. Moreover, there is no effective antidote yet. The only way to save a person is to perform mechanical ventilation until the poison wears off.

miraculous cetaceans

These inhabitants of the deep sea are mammals. Despite the fact that their bodies are very similar to those of fish, they are still very different. The main difference is in the way of breathing. Marine fish breathe air dissolved in water. Cetaceans lack this ability. They need to breathe air from the atmosphere. For this purpose, they are forced to float to the surface. There they inhale and exhale. The latter is seen as a fountain of air with a small amount of water.

These mammals give birth to young in water. Therefore, the mother immediately after birth pushes to the surface for the first breath.

The largest marine mammals are blue whales. By the way, they are the largest animals on Earth. The dolphin is the smallest of the cetaceans.

A little bit about different types of whales

blue whales are born giants. Their length reaches 8 meters, and they weigh about 3 tons. The largest female of this whale that was caught weighed 190 tons.

Most species of cetaceans prefer the open sea. The exception is humpback whale that lives near the coast. There are cases when these animals were seen in bays and rivers. These marine inhabitants love to perform acrobatic stunts. They emerge from the water and dance gracefully.

These types of whales do not have teeth. Instead, the mouth is filled with horny plates called baleen. Through them, mammals filter the plankton they feed on.

Marine predators such as sperm whale feed on cephalopods and fish. They are wonderful divers. For squid, they are able to dive to a depth of two kilometers. In search of prey, sperm whales are able to not breathe for about two hours.

Another predatory mammal - killer whale. She has proven herself to be a brutal killer. But there are no documented facts about attacks on people.

amazing whale narwhal differs from all others by a long straight tooth. Despite their threatening appearance, they are very friendly.

The most famous cetaceans - dolphins. They are incredibly smart and resourceful. They are easy to tame and train. By the way, they have a well-developed vocal apparatus and produce a large number of different sounds.

unusual fish

Surprisingly, such names of marine life as moon fish, needlefish, flounder and swordfish. The first of them floats near the surface of the sea. From this, her fin is visible above the water. From a distance, it looks like a shark's fin. However, she is completely harmless.

needlefish has a unique way of hunting. She hides behind other fish and approaches the victim. At the right moment, she instantly sucks the poor thing into her mouth.

Angler came up with his own style of hunting. This predator shakes its antenna with a growth that looks like a worm. The fish “peck” at him, and he eats them.

BUT flying fish invented a way to escape from enemies. She learned to glide over the sea. This is facilitated by its well-developed lateral fins.

Fish with eyes on one side

Flounders can have eyes only on the right or left side of the body. It all depends on the type. These marine fish are unique in that their eggs do not contain fat. Because of this, in most species of flounder, the eggs float near the surface.

These fish do not like deep water. They live mostly near the coast. Rare individuals swim to a depth of more than one kilometer.

Interestingly, flounder species are distinguished by the size of their mouths. They can be large or small. The first of them are predators, whose mouth is symmetrical and "equipped" with teeth on the sighted and blind side of the body. Examples of such fish are halibut and flounder-ruffs. They feed mainly on worms and small fish, mollusks and crustaceans, as well as brittle stars.

Warrior Swordfish

This name arose because of the unusual xiphoid process, which is located on its upper jaw. This is not the only feature. Swordfish don't have scales. All this, plus a sickle-shaped tail and a special shape of the fins, allows it to be the fastest creature on Earth. Swordfish are capable of swimming for a long time at a speed of about 130 km / h.

For such speeds, space is needed. Therefore, it can only be found in the open ocean.

Swordfish fry feed on plankton. But after they grow up to 2 cm, they begin to hunt. Their prey is small fish. At the same time, they begin to develop a process in the form of a sword. The fry grow very quickly, and after a year their length is about 50 cm.

The predator feeds on everything that comes in its path. And the size of the booty doesn't matter. With her sword, she strikes the inhabitant of the sea. There are known facts that pieces of shark bodies were found in the stomachs of caught fish.

A little about predators living in the seas

The most famous marine predators - sharks. They were able to outlive the dinosaurs. Their size depends on the type. The largest of them reach 10-12 meters. And not all types of sharks are predators. There are some that feed on plankton. Sharks move very fast due to the fact that their body shape is streamlined. Unlike fish, they lay eggs, not eggs. These eggs may be attached to the bottom or algae. And some species of sharks hatch eggs inside themselves. Shark eggs hatch quite viable.

Bright representatives of this family: brindle and gray sharks. The first one is very original. So it looks like a tiger. She does not swim far from the coastline. Its diet consists of fish and crustaceans, birds and small mammals.

gray shark also does not swim far into the sea. She is looking for fish and crustaceans in the shallows. It does not purposefully attack people. But a person running in panic can be mistaken for a victim.

Other unusual predators - stingrays. Their bodies are strongly flattened and resemble a handkerchief. When the stingray lies on the bottom, it is perfectly camouflaged. His swimming style is reminiscent of flying in the water column. Some types of stingrays are poisonous. They have a spike on their back that releases a poisonous substance. And their mouth is on their belly. Moreover, it is equipped with a large number of sharp teeth.

Sea leopard is a formidable and dangerous predator. This seal got its name because of the color, similar to the spots of a leopard. It feeds on penguins and other Antarctic warm-blooded animals. But the sea leopard does not mind picking up carrion or eating squid or fish.

Amazing facts about sharks

Only the facts are listed here. So much is invented about marine life that more reliable information is needed.

• These creatures are excellent at recognizing odors. A special place in this is given to blood. They feel it even at very low concentration.
• If the victim does not smell of blood, then the shark perceives its movement. To do this, she has a lateral line, consisting of cells sensitive to vibrations.
• Sharks are born with a large number of teeth and can immediately begin to get their own food.
• By the way, about the teeth. They are attached to sharks in the gums, not the jaws. Moreover, they form from 4 to 6 rows. Her teeth grow throughout her life, moving forward to replace the lost ones.
• The force of pressure of each tooth of a white shark is the same as if a load of 3 tons pressed on 1 cm 2.
• These gluttons eat everything. Moreover, even inedible things are found in their stomachs. But this is not the most surprising. The shark can hold food in its stomach without digesting it for several weeks.
• The entire skeleton of a shark is made up of cartilage. It doesn't have any bones.
• This marine life does not have a swim bladder. This feature makes the shark constantly move so as not to drown.

Enchanting reefs

Corals are formed from small animals. Although many believe that these are marine plants. Coral reefs are home to many animals and plants. This is due to the calm sea inside them. In addition, they have a lot of light and heat. Inside the reef is teeming with life, while outside it is empty and bottomless.

The largest coral has a length of more than two thousand kilometers. It is located off the coast of Australia.

Underwater volcanoes sometimes rise to the surface of the ocean. Coral reefs of the correct form can form around such craters. They form coral islands which are called atolls.

The underwater world is mysterious and unique. He keeps secrets that have not yet been unraveled by man. We offer you to get acquainted with the most unusual sea creatures, plunge into the unknown thickness of the water world and see its beauty.

1. Atoll Jellyfish (Atolla vanhoeffeni)

The unusually beautiful Atoll jellyfish lives at a depth where sunlight does not penetrate. In times of danger, it is able to glow, attracting large predators. Jellyfish do not seem tasty to them, and predators eat their enemies with pleasure.

This jellyfish is capable of emitting a bright red glow, which is a consequence of the breakdown of proteins in its body. As a rule, large jellyfish are dangerous creatures, but you should not be afraid of the Atoll, because its habitat is where no swimmer can reach.

2. Blue angel (Glaucus atlanticus)

A very tiny mollusk rightfully deserves its name, it seems to be floating on the water surface. To become lighter and stay at the very edge of the water, he swallows air bubbles from time to time.

These unusual creatures have an outlandish body shape. They are blue above and silver below. It is not in vain that nature provided for such a disguise - the Blue Angel goes unnoticed by birds and marine predators. A thick layer of mucus around the mouth allows it to feed on small, poisonous sea creatures.

3. Sponge-harp (Сhondrocladia lyra)

This mysterious marine predator is still not well understood. The structure of his body resembles a harp, hence the name. The sponge is immobile. She clings to the sediment of the seabed and hunts, gluing small underwater inhabitants to her sticky tips.

The harp sponge covers its prey with a bactericidal film and gradually digests it. There are individuals with two or more lobes, which are connected in the center of the body. The more blades, the more food the sponge will catch.

4 Dumbo Octopus (Grimpoteuthis)

The octopus got its name because of the resemblance to the Disney hero Dumbo the elephant, although it has a semi-gelatinous body of a rather modest size. Its fins resemble elephant ears. He swings them when he swims, which looks quite funny.

Not only the "ears" help to move, but also the peculiar funnels located on the body of the octopus, through which it releases water under pressure. Dumbo lives at a very great depth, so we know very little about him. Its diet consists of all kinds of mollusks and worms.

Octopus Dumbo

5. Yeti Crab (Kiwa hirsuta)

The name of this animal speaks for itself. The crab, covered with white shaggy fur, really resembles a bigfoot. He lives in cold waters at such a depth where there is no access to light, so he is completely blind.

These amazing animals grow microorganisms on their claws. Some scientists believe that the crab needs these bacteria to purify water from toxic substances, others suggest that crabs grow food for themselves on bristles.

6. Short-nosed bat (Ogcocephalus)

This fashionista fish with bright red lips can't swim at all. Living at a depth of more than two hundred meters, it has a flat body covered with a shell, and legs-fins, thanks to which the short-nosed Bat slowly walks along the bottom.

It gets food with the help of a special growth - a kind of retractable fishing rod with an odorous bait that attracts prey. Inconspicuous coloration and a shell with spikes help the fish hide from predators. Perhaps this is the funniest animal among the inhabitants of the oceans.

7. Felimare Picta sea slug

Felimare Picta is one of the species of sea slugs that lives in the waters of the Mediterranean. He looks very extravagant. The yellow-blue body seems to be surrounded by a delicate airy frill.

Felimare Picta, although it is a mollusk, does without a shell. And why should he? In case of danger, the sea slug has something much more interesting. For example, acidic sweat that is released on the surface of the body. It’s not good for anyone who wants to treat himself to this mysterious mollusk!

8. Flamingo Tongue Clam (Cyphoma gibbosum)

This creature is found on the western coast of the Atlantic Ocean. Having a brightly colored mantle, the mollusk completely covers its plain shell with it and thus protects it from the negative influence of marine organisms.

Like an ordinary snail, the "Flamingo Tongue" hides in its shell in case of impending danger. By the way, the mollusk got its name due to its bright color with characteristic spots. In nutrition, it prefers poisonous gogonaria. In the process of eating, the snail absorbs the poison of its prey, after which it becomes poisonous itself.

9. Leafy Sea Dragon (Phycodurus eques)

The sea dragon is a true virtuoso of mimicry. It is covered with "leaves" that help it to appear inconspicuous against the backdrop of the underwater landscape. Interestingly, such abundant vegetation does not help the dragon to move at all. Only two tiny fins located on its chest and back are responsible for speed. The leaf dragon is a predator. It feeds by sucking prey into itself.

Whelps feel comfortable in the shallow waters of warm seas. And these marine inhabitants are also known as excellent fathers, because it is the males who bear offspring and take care of him.

10. Salps (Salpidae)

Salps are invertebrate marine inhabitants that have a barrel-shaped body, through the transparent shell of which internal organs are visible.

In the ocean depths, animals form long chains-colonies that are easily torn apart even by a slight wave impact. Salps reproduce by budding.

11. Piglet squid (Helicocranchia pfefferi)

The outlandish and little-studied underwater creature resembles Piglet from the famous cartoon. The completely transparent body of the piglet squid is covered with age spots, the combination of which sometimes gives it a cheerful look. Around the eyes are the so-called photophores - organs of luminescence.

This clam is slow. It's funny that the squid-pig moves upside down, because of which its tentacles look like a forelock. He lives at a depth of 100 meters.

12. Ribbon Moray (Rhinomuraena guaesita)

This underwater inhabitant is quite unusual. Throughout life, the tape moray eel is able to change sex and color three times, depending on the stages of its development. So, when the individual is still immature, it is painted black or dark blue.

Growing up to a hundred centimeters, the moray eel turns into a male and turns blue, and at the peak of maturation, a unique fish turns out to be a female and acquires a bright yellow color. Her body does not have scales and is covered with bactericidal mucus, her nose resembles two delicate petals, and her mouth is always wide open, which gives the fish a formidable look. In fact, the moray eel is not at all aggressive, and keeps its mouth open due to underdeveloped gills.

13. Drop fish (Psychrolutes marcidus)

Drop fish - pretty

14. Christmas Tree Worm (Spirobranchus giganteus)

Is it possible to think that these unusual Christmas trees are worms, although not simple, but marine polychaetes? Their shape and bright colors make these creatures elegant and unique.

The bristles are very similar to feathers, but these are just the digestive and respiratory organs, and the body is a calcareous tube. Worm "Christmas tree" homebody. He spends his whole life in a coral hole, where he once sucks, considering it the most suitable place for his existence.

The editors of the site invite you to get acquainted with the most unusual natural phenomena.
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The seas and oceans are home to several million species of amazing creatures. Such a rich biological diversity is truly amazing, because under water you can find inhabitants of all colors, shapes and sizes. Some of them seem creepy and dangerous, while others delight in their beauty. In this collection you will find some of the most spectacular sea creatures. No depths of space can yet compare with what beauty is hidden in the depths of the Earth's oceans, and it's time to see it for yourself!

25. Tangerine fish

This colorful fish lives in the tropical waters of the western Pacific Ocean. The mandarin duck is a small elongated coral fish up to 6 cm long. This animal gained fame precisely for its rich color and unusual shape, which is why it is sometimes even called the “psychedelic mandarin”. It is very popular as an aquarium pet, but is extremely picky about keeping in captivity and often starves to death, refusing to eat store-bought food.

24. Ceriantharia

Here is a coral polyp that lives in various parts of the world, mainly in subtropical waters. As a larva, ceriantharia usually lives right inside the plankton, and, having matured, it prefers to dig into the ground and hunt with the help of a mouth end with many sensitive tentacles. This animal comes in a wide range of fluorescent colors and color combinations, making it a popular aquarium pet.

23. Flamingo tongue or thick cyphoma


Photo: Laszlo Ilyes / flickr

Widespread on the reefs of the Caribbean and in the Atlantic Ocean, the flamingo tongue is a brightly colored mollusk that feeds on poisonous polyps. When the cyphoma absorbs the poison of its prey, it itself becomes toxic, but this does not threaten its death.

22. Blue tan


Photo: Tewy / wikimedia

One of the 70 species of surgeonfish, the blue tang lives in coastal waters, on coral reefs and among rocks or algae along coastlines from New York to Brazil, and is even found as far east as Ascension Island. The fish is famous for its spikes, which resemble a surgical scalpel, for which this species got its unusual name.

21. Mantis Shrimp


Photo: prilfish / flickr

This crustacean lives in the warm waters of the Pacific and Indian oceans, and is rightfully considered one of the most attractive and colorful species of underwater animals. This shrimp has very unusual and extremely complex eyes. The mantis shrimp sees in the optical, ultraviolet and infrared spectrum, and is also able to convert polarized light, in which millions of light-sensitive cells help it.

20. French angelfish or angelfish


Photo: Brain Gratwicke / flickr

The angelfish is found in the west of the Atlantic Ocean, in the Strait of Mexico and in the Caribbean Sea. This amazing tropical fish is easy to distinguish from other inhabitants of the underwater kingdom by its dark color with bright yellow stripes.

19. Leaf sea dragon or rag-picker seahorse


Photo credit: lecates/flickr

This delightful creature is found in the tropical waters of the Indian Ocean off the Australian coastline. The favorite habitat of the leaf (sometimes leafy) sea dragon is coral reefs and shallow water, where it is warm enough, but not too hot, and there are all conditions for camouflage during hunting and to hide from predators. The ragpiper grows up to 20 cm in length, and is threatened with extinction due to industrial waste and poaching - it has become too popular among aquarium lovers.

18. Sea spider

Sea spiders are in no way related to land spiders, and are a much simpler form of life. These small marine arthropods are found in almost all parts of the world and in most seas. In the world, they are almost as common as their terrestrial namesakes.

17. Medusa formosa or jellyfish "flower hat"


Photo: Chris Favero / flickr

This animal is very similar to the common jellyfish, but in fact it belongs to the class of hydroid invertebrates, while the jellyfish belongs to the scyphoid cnidarians. Jellyfish "flower hat" is found in the western Pacific Ocean in the coastal waters of Japan. The beauty of Formosa is both captivating and dangerous, because it is better not to get to know it better, because this animal can sting very painfully.

16. Harlequin crab


Photo: Bernard Dupont / flickr

The harlequin crab (Lissocarcinus laevis) caught our attention with its amazing coloration, and is most often found near the coral polyps of coastal zones or among the rocky reefs of the Indo-Pacific region. It is noteworthy that the last pair of legs has grown together into a single fin.

15. Banggai cardinal fish


Photo: Bernard Dupont / flickr

This charming fish lives in warm tropical waters and is easily recognizable by its silver coloration with vertical black stripes. Unfortunately, the cardinal is an endangered species, and today its habitat has narrowed to the coastal waters of the Indonesian island of Banggai.

14. Spotted bracken


Photo: Brian Gratwicke / flickr

The flat disc-shaped body of this impressive stingray reaches up to 3 meters in width, making it the largest among the eagles, with the exception of only the giant sea devil (4 - 4.5 m). The spotted bracken is very mobile, swims long distances in its life, hunting marine invertebrates and small fish.

13. Clownfish


Photo: Ritiks / wikimedia

She is an orange amphiprion, she is anemonfish. The clown anemone is famous for its white and orange striped coloration, and is rightfully considered one of the most recognizable corals. Amphiprion grows up to 11 cm in length, and its favorite haven is sea anemones, a detachment of coral polyps. In order to successfully hide from predators among the stinging tentacles of anemones, the clownfish reproduces the composition of the polyp's mucus and enters into a symbiotic relationship with this species of marine cnidarians.

12. Harlequin Shrimp


Photo: Chad Ordelheide / wikimedia

The harlequin shrimp is a popular aquarium pet. This arthropod is native to the tropical waters of the Indian and Pacific Oceans and is easily recognizable by its white body with large light blue spots. Male harlequin shrimp are smaller than females of their species.

11. Blue dragon


Photo: Sylke Rohrlach / flickr

The blue dragon is a species of gastropod molluscs and a member of the order of nudibranch gastropods (snails). It is small in size and grows only up to 3 cm in length. The blue dragon is found in many seas of temperate and tropical zones.

10. Discus fish


Photo: Biotopica, criadero de peces disco / Wikimedia

One of the most beautiful tropical fish in the world lives in the Amazon in South America. The expressive shape and bright coloration of the discus have become the reason for its great popularity among aquarium lovers. Among the people, the discus even received the nickname "king of aquariums."

9. Venus flytrap anemone


Photo: NOAA Photo Library / flickr

Nicknamed after its namesake plant, this sea anemone deserves such a comparison because it has a similar digestive mechanism. The marine venus flytrap is a large deep-sea polyp that hunts by capturing prey with its "mouth" as it swims into a live "trap". Bright sea anemones scare away predators, but perfectly attract the smallest underwater inhabitants.

8. Royal starfish


Photo: Julie Worthy Photography

Before you is one of the most outstanding starfish, living at a depth of 20-30 m in the region of the mid-continental shelf in the west of the Atlantic Ocean. The starfish is a carnivore and feeds on mollusks, which it catches with its ray arms, throwing prey directly into its mouth with them.

7. Berghia Coerulescens slug


Photo: Wikimedia

The shellless sea snail Berghia Coerulescens is a species of sea slug that lives in the central and western Mediterranean, as well as in the north Atlantic Ocean. This underwater animal of bewitching color grows up to 7 cm in length, and so far little has been studied by biologists.

6. Zebra Lionfish


Photo: Alexander Vasenin / wikimedia

It is also called zebra fish or striped lionfish. The zebra lionfish lives on the reefs and in the middle of the rocky crevices of the Indo-Pacific region, although for some time it has also been found in tropical waters of other oceans around the world. In some countries they are eaten, but striped lionfish are much more famous among aquarium lovers than gourmets.

5. Short-faced seahorse


Photo: Hans Hillewaert / wikimedia

The short-faced seahorse is an inhabitant of the Mediterranean and the northern waters of the Atlantic Ocean. This animal is of medium size and grows up to 13 cm in length. The Mediterranean seahorse loves muddy shallow waters, estuaries and thickets of seaweed.

4. Lagoon triggerfish or triggerfish


Photo: Wikimedia

This remarkable tropical fish is native to the Indo-Pacific region and prefers to hide on reefs. The lagoon triggerfish is sometimes called the Picasso triggerfish, and in Hawaii the locals call it "humuhumunukunukuapuaa". Did everyone read it without hesitation?

3. Green sea turtle


Photo: Brocken Inaglory / wikimedia

The green or soup turtle lives in tropical and subtropical coastal waters around the world. This is a large and heavy animal with a wide and smooth shell. The green turtle deservedly received the title of the largest turtle in the world, since some representatives of this species weigh up to 320 kg.

2. Nudibranch mollusc Phyllidia Babai


Photo: Nick Hobgood / wikimedia

This nudibranch species of sea slug is brightly colored and is found in Pacific waters around Papua New Guinea, South Korea and Australia.

1. Starfish "crown of thorns"


Photo: Jon Hanson / flickr

This cute inhabitant of the bottom of the Indo-Pacific region feeds on coral reefs. Despite its attractive appearance, this starfish is considered a serious pest for its voraciousness, and is a great danger especially to the Great Barrier Reef. For humans, this animal is also not the best friend, since its injections are painful and rather toxic. The crown of thorns comes in a wide range of colors from deep red to orange, green, or shades of blue.