All underwater animals. The most unusual marine life

SHARK

Here is a doodle shark
Opened her evil mouth.
You to the doodle shark
Don't you want to get in?
Right into the mouth.
(K. Chukovsky)
Sharks are strong predators, they are often called "sea wolves". The body of sharks is ideally adapted for fast swimming. When creating high-speed torpedoes and submarines, shipbuilders strive to give them the shape of a shark.
Shark got sick
Several teeth.
Help her soon
Call the doctors!
(N. Migunova)
Sharks have many sharp teeth. They grow in several rows, have a triangular shape, are bent back and serrated at the edges. In sharpness, they can be compared with a surgical scalpel. Sharks do not have scales, and their skin is so tough that the inhabitants of tropical countries use the shark skin as a grater or sandpaper.
Many people are sure that sharks are very brave animals, so they fearlessly rush to their prey. In fact, sharks are cowardly and attack only when they are convinced of the defenselessness of the victim. But, smelling the smell of blood, the shark forgets about the danger. Sharks have such a keen sense of smell that they can smell blood from miles away. The shark feeds on fish, but it also attacks dolphins, seals, turtles, other sharks, and even whales. Do not look at what the shark has
Cheekbones invisible from the side
In grazing teeth in three rows -
Eat anyone without difficulty.
(Yu. Parfenov)
A hungry shark can pounce on anything it sees nearby. Various garbage was often found in the stomachs of the caught sharks: tin cans, rags, wrecks of boats, and once even a depth bomb was found.
Many sharks are dangerous to humans. It's white and tiger shark, mocha and hammerhead sharks. They are large and can easily bite a person in half.
But the largest of the sharks - whale, reaching a length of 19 meters, is quite peaceful. Unlike its predatory relatives, it feeds on plankton and small fish.

CRAB

The crab played sea football,
He scored a goal with a claw.
Everyone was so happy
That the team won.
(N. Migunova)
Crabs run along the bottom of warm seas and oceans. They have a wide and short body, covered with a strong shell. Crabs have five pairs of legs. The front legs are transformed into powerful claws. With the help of claws, crabs cut their food into pieces and put it in their mouths.
Crabs, like other inhabitants of the seabed, are good scavengers. They eat the rotting remains of marine organisms, cleansing the ocean of harmful substances. But sometimes crabs attack underwater plantations where oysters and mussels are bred.
Traveling along the bottom, crabs are forced to hide from predators and disguise themselves. They plant pieces of algae on spikes on their legs. And the junk crab, which lives in the Mediterranean Sea, collects everything that gets into its claws - empty shells, shards of glass, fish heads - and puts it on its back. Such "decorations" perfectly mask the crab. When the junk crab is in danger, it exposes its back to the predator with trash.
The wandering crab once misled even Christopher Columbus himself. This type of crab does not live at the bottom, but travels along the surface of the ocean, sitting on a detached algae or a tree branch. When Columbus was approaching the shores of America, sailors noticed a wandering crab in the Sargasso Sea.
They decided that land was somewhere close, but in fact it was still very far to the nearest shore.
The king crab looks like a real crab, but in fact it is a relative of the hermit crab. He has not five, but four pairs of legs. King crab is a real giant! Its shell width reaches 25 centimeters, the distance between the ends of the legs is up to 1.5 meters. Kamchatka crabs live in the Sea of ​​Japan, the Sea of ​​Okhotsk and the Bering Sea. Most of them are off the coast of Kamchatka.
PATTER
The crab made the rake to the crab,
Crab served the rake to the crab.
Hay rake, crab, rob.
MYSTERY
Cleverly collects garbage
The bottom of the sea cleans.
(Crab)

CANCER HERMIT

Cancer climbed the mountain
And learned to whistle.
It turned out only BRYAK!
Cancer fell off the mountain.
(I. Zhukov)
In a hermit crab, only the front part of the body is covered with a hard shell, and the abdomen is soft and defenseless. To protect themselves from marine predators, these animals hide in the empty shells of sea snails, like hermits in caves. The soft abdomen can twist in the whorls of the shell, and the abdominal legs quickly draw the body inward.
When moving, crayfish carry the shell with them all the time. When they are in danger, hermit crabs climb into the shell entirely, closing the entrance with a large claw.
When the hermit crab grows up, the old shell becomes cramped for him. He gets out of it and looks for a more spacious sink. At this time, he needs to be especially careful not to get predatory fish for dinner.
To enhance protection, the hermit crab often plants a sea anemone on its shell. This beautiful inhabitant of the ocean, similar to a bright flower, has very burning tentacles. If you touch them, you can seriously burn yourself. The hermit crab, having met the sea anemone that it likes at the bottom, “tears” it from the stone with a claw and transplants it onto its shell. Anemone is not at all against such a neighborhood - after all, she always gets crumbs from the hermit crab's dining table. When a cancer changes an old shell for another, it transplants new house and my stinging neighbor.
Very often, hermit crabs arrange real battles with relatives for the possession of a shell or a beautiful sea anemone. The defeated cancer lies on its side or back, and the winner does not touch it anymore.
PUZZLES
People live under water
Walks backwards.
(Raki)
Not a blacksmith
And with ticks.
(Cancer hermit)

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)

An unusually beautiful Atoll jellyfish lives at a depth where it does not penetrate sunlight. 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 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 in west coast Atlantic Ocean. Having a brightly colored mantle, the mollusk completely covers its plain shell with it and thus protects it from negative impact 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 pretty 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.

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. Find out who the marine inhabitants are, photos with the names of the most common species and Interesting Facts more about their lives.

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, for a long time spend in the sea and will not drown, even if they fall asleep. Thick skin Brown color walrus brightens with age, and if you manage to see a pink, even almost white, walrus, 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 hallmark- 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 extreme low temperatures(up to - 80˚С). 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:

• The absence 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 passes through it humid air from lungs. Whales move in the water with the help of fins, the size of which differs from different types. The blue whale is the largest animal that has ever lived on Earth.

The most popular types of sea fish

The second largest group marine inhabitants includes the following types:

• 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 outward difference- 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 sea 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. powerful weapon sharks - sharp teeth with which she tears the body of the victim into 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). Particularly dangerous Australian wasp". Small size 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 mollusks. 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 wings. 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 on land sea ​​turtles appear 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. Found off the coast of Africa 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 life, their photos with names, habitats and unusual facts lives 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.

There are many animals on our planet, the appearance of which is very unusual and bizarre. Particularly attracted by its mystery and inaccessibility undersea world where creatures with fantastic appearance live. Here are interesting facts about some underwater animals.

Medusa Atoll
The Atoll jellyfish is common in almost all seas and oceans, but swimmers should not be afraid of meeting her - because she never rises to the surface of the water. This unusual jelly-like beauty lives at a depth of more than seven hundred meters. Like the other inhabitants sea ​​depths, which do not reach Sun rays, Atoll jellyfish can glow. This feature is also found in some other jellyfish swimming closer to the surface of the water - they glow blue, and Atoll - bright red. Glow (or bioluminescence) occurs when the body of a jellyfish breaks down the protein luciferin (a devilish name, isn't it?). But why is the jellyfish of Atoll? Maybe she illuminates her path in this way or scares off enemies? It turns out that the Atoll jellyfish begins to glow only in case of danger. If a predator appeared in her field of vision, wanting to feast on her tender flesh, the cunning jellyfish "turns on" a bright light that is visible at a distance of almost a hundred meters. This "lantern" attracts the attention of others deep sea inhabitants, among which there are more large predators than attacking the Atoll. The aggressor immediately forgets about the jellyfish, because you have to save yourself. And the Atoll jellyfish, taking advantage of the situation, quietly washed away, turning off the lights.

blue angel
A very accurate name was given to a miniature mollusk that lives in warm tropical seas. To "float" on the surface of the water, the Blue Angel swallows air bubbles. It feeds on other small creatures, among which there are very poisonous ones. But this does not frighten the little angel: their poison is absorbed in his body and used if necessary for his own protection.

Helps to escape from enemies and not to become dinner also the colors of the Angel. From above it blue color(which is clear from the name) - this helps the Blue Angel to be invisible on the surface of the water for flying birds. And the belly of the mollusk is light silvery, and saves it from predatory fish. But there is a danger that this light, ephemeral creature cannot avoid - this is the surf. As a result, a huge number of Blue Angels become washed ashore and attract people's attention. Some pick up these blue beauties for their aquariums, thereby saving their lives.

Pike blenny
These predatory thirty-centimeter fish live in the waters Pacific Ocean at a depth of up to seventy meters. I must say that they are quite aggressive, and can even attack large objects. There have been cases when pike blennies pounced on swimmers. But, of course, this fish attracted our attention with its exorbitantly huge mouth. The blennies need it not only for catching prey, but also for self-affirmation. Firstly, such a wide-open mouth scares off many predators, thereby saving pike blennies from the dubious pleasure of being eaten. And, secondly, which of the males is dominant depends on the size of the mouth. It happens like this. Two fish, with their mouths wide open, come close to each other and touch with their mouths. From the outside it seems that this is a friendly kiss of two brothers, but, in fact, this is a banal competition for superiority in these waters. Which male will have a larger mouth - he won. The loser has no choice but to swim away quickly.

huller
These sea creatures got this name due to the fact that their body is outside, like a veil, covered with a thin shell. These strange animals look like some character from a science fiction movie. Their light body is a tube expanding upwards. The wide opening of the head-hood is the mouth, and the small one on the side is the anus. It is not for nothing that tunicates are also called sea flycatchers - the principle of hunting is the same. The tunicates attach themselves to the bottom or to some underwater surface and wait patiently with their throats open. It is clear that the tunicates do not have to be particularly picky - whoever swims by is swallowed up.

Sponge-harp Chondrocladia lyra
Sponge-harp is a predatory inhabitant of the seabed, first discovered by man recently (in 2012) near California. Little is known about the life of these creatures. What is clear is that they are attached to the bottom and lead an immobile lifestyle. Their body, similar to a harp or a comb lying with teeth up, has special sticky droplets on the tips, to which plankton sticks - this is how the harp sponge gets food.

Giant clam Tridacna
Tridacna is the largest bivalve mollusk on our planet, it is listed in the Guinness Book of Records. This marine life lives for more than a hundred years, attached to corals. This gives him constant access to food, which is probably why the clam is so huge. As a baby, the mollusk soars in the water column, eating plant foods, as it grows older, it settles on corals. An adult mollusk reaches such a size that its valves do not slam shut, and the body of the animal is visible through the gap. Its dimensions can be commensurate with the growth of an adult - the length of the shell is 1.5 meters, and the weight is 200 kilograms. Among people living near the habitats of tridacna, there are rumors that the mollusk swallows people, although there is no exact evidence. But just in case, an instruction has been developed for divers, which describes in detail the sequence of actions if you are suddenly swallowed by a cannibal mollusk (this is the common name for tridacna).

sun fish
This giant fish has other names - "fish-moon", "fish-head" or "mola-mola". It is truly huge - its length is over four meters, and its weight is more than two tons. The sunfish is widespread near Indonesia, which attracts a huge number of scuba diving enthusiasts to this country. Despite its size, the Mola Mola is completely harmless - it doesn't even have teeth. It feeds on plankton floating by. She is even too lazy to swim, mostly the fish lies on the surface of the water and slowly moves its fins. Surprisingly, this hulk has a very small brain - its weight is only 4 grams. It seems that the moon fish does not shine with intelligence and ingenuity (however, as well as beauty).

Axel's Thaumatiht Deep Sea Anglerfish
Interesting fact. This deep-sea fish is named after the Danish prince Axel, certainly not because of their resemblance. Prince Axel was a very good-looking man, and very respected in Denmark. Obviously, when in the middle of the last century such scary fish was first discovered by a Danish researcher, he decided to perpetuate the name of the prince in such an unusual way.
Thaumatiht Axel lives at a depth of 3600 meters in the east Pacific Ocean. These fifty-centimeter fish are deep-sea anglerfish that have a luminous organ, however, quite unusual.
Often, anglers are "equipped" with a fishing rod placed on their forehead that emits a light that attracts a "potential dinner". But Taumatiht Axel is different. His “light” organ is a gland located deep in the mouth of the esca, in which special bacteria glow.
Very comfortably! Axel's Taumatiht opens his unsympathetic and very large mouth, equipped with sharp teeth, behind which light flickers, attracting the attention of gullible and stupid fish. They, like moths, swim on it, and fall directly into the stomach of the anglerfish. Tom doesn't even have to chase his lunch!
But this angler still has difficulties. Sometimes creatures, much larger than himself, come to him “at the light”. And when the "big lunch" seeks to get to the luminous point, then, of course, it gets stuck in Axel's mouth, which often leads to the death of the unfortunate hunter.

Pelican fish (largemouth, pelican eel)
All these names belong to one fish, which also has a mouth of a very extraordinary size. And these names speak for themselves. Bolsherot - a resident of tropical seas. It can also be called a deep sea fish as it is found at depths up to 3,000 meters.
Pelican fish or pelican eel. These names speak of the "figure" of the large mouth. This is a sixty-centimeter fish with a long narrow body, like an eel, and a small head with a stretching throat, like a pelican. Moreover, the mouth is a third of the total length of the large mouth. And if we add to this picture tiny eyes and the absence of scales, then the portrait is still the same!
The pelican fish is a deep-sea angler fish that has a luminous organ at the tip of its tail. Prey comes to light, like Taumatiht Axel's. But if Axel “chokes” on large animals, then bigmouths do not. In addition to a stretchable throat, he has a stomach that is also capable of stretching very strongly. This allows the pelican eel to eat very large prey.

Hairy clownfish
Its other name is "striped anglerfish". This small fish is found at shallow depths (up to 50 meters), spending almost all the time motionless. Her body is covered with soft skin long "hair" that sways in the water. On the forehead of the clown fish there is a special fishing rod - a long growth with a bell at the end. The frozen angler moves it, attracting prey. But sometimes overlays come out: instead of a small fish, the brush attracts a large predatory fish, which bites off the bait. The new one grows within a few weeks, during which time the clownfish sits hungry. However, she easily endures such a forced hunger strike.

sea ​​bat
When looking at this fish, one gets the impression that she carefully monitors herself and never appears in public without makeup: her eyes are expressive, and her lips are made up with bright red lipstick! Although, in my opinion, this did not particularly adorn her. The beauty lives at a depth of 500 to 1000 meters, the pressure there is huge, and therefore the bat has a body flattened like a pancake. He cannot swim, only slowly walks along the bottom, moving his fins. And the bat is too lazy to walk, most of the time he sits and waits for prey. As a bait, there is a fragrant growth on his forehead, which attracts the victim. The bat is not eaten, but it still found a use. It is covered with a hard shell; the fish is dried, pebbles are placed inside - it turns out a souvenir-rattle with an unusual glamorous physiognomy.

Pink shovel fish
Lives off the coast of Tasmania. Its other name is "walker fish". Scientists suggest that earlier the shovel fish was bottom-dwelling and could only walk. And she does it very quickly, almost runs. In the process of evolution, she had fins. And the fish gradually learned to swim, although it does it rather badly and slowly. The name says a lot about her appearance: her compressed body really resembles a shovel, and her long fins are more like hands. And even beautiful pink color doesn't make her attractive. The walker fish is on the verge of extinction.

Psychedelic frogfish
This rather large fish (it can reach half a meter in length and two kilograms of weight) is found in the Atlantic Ocean, not far from Florida. Most of the time it lies at the bottom, buried in the ground - only the eyes are visible on the surface. So the frog fish (or toad fish) hunts. There are poisonous processes on her body, so she is dangerous for bathers and divers. It was called a frog fish not for its external resemblance to amphibians, but for the way it moves along the bottom. She does not swim, but moves by jumping like a toad. It can also "walk" along the bottom, moving its fins like legs. But the most distinguishing feature frog fish that, unlike other fish, it can make sounds. Moreover, being in close proximity to it, listening to them is very painful for the ear (the strength of sounds is over 100 decibels). Yes, and they bear little resemblance to pleasant ones: either a rough whistle is heard, or wheezing, or a nasty rattle. So the toad fish informs other inhabitants that the territory is occupied.

Scorpion Ambona
The Ambon scorpion is quite widespread in the Pacific and Indian Oceans, in the Red and Yellow Seas, as well as off the coast of Fiji and Australia. This bottom fish lives close to the shore, so it is easy to see it. Scorpio attracts attention with its unusual bizarre appearance and bright coloring. Depending on the conditions, the scorpion can change color from light yellow, orange to bright red. Her entire body is covered with poisonous growths, which increase in size when danger approaches. The venom of the Ambon scorpionfish is so strong that it can even kill a person. Therefore, divers who are attracted by the underwater world of warm seas need to be extremely careful. Surprisingly, this fish also has wool, which periodically sheds. The scorpionfish is a proud fish and will not chase a potential meal. Having changed color and merged with the bottom surrounding it, Ambona scorpionfish freezes motionless and patiently waits. As soon as some fish swims up to it, the scorpion makes a lightning throw to the victim - and that's it: the poor fellow has no chance to escape. And the scorpionfish freezes again and begins to wait for the next "portion of food".

pancake fish
The existence of this fish, similar to a ruddy pancake, was learned quite recently, in 2010. And, oddly enough, the accident on an oil rig in the Gulf of Mexico helped in this. The spilled oil changed the living conditions for many living creatures living in the Gulf of Mexico - the oxygen content in the water was significantly reduced (which negatively affected all living things). This also affected the deep-sea inhabitants, who, saving their lives, began to rise to the surface. So people first saw pancake fish. This strange fish moves in the water in an unusual way. She does not know how to swim, but only crawls along the bottom, like bat. Such sluggishness does not allow the fish to catch up with prey, so she has to eat what comes close. Pancake fish produce special strong-smelling substances that attract small invertebrates (they make up its diet). The pancake fish itself is not used for food.

Marine animals are very diverse. These include both huge giant whales and microscopic plankton. Captures the diversity of the inhabitants of the deep sea.

Photos of whales

The largest animals in the sea are whales. However, not only at sea, but also on land, whales have no equal in size.

In total, about 130 species of whales remain on Earth, about 40 extinct species of whales are known. Depending on the species, the length of the whales is from 2 to 25 meters. The largest species in the world is the blue whale.

Whales live in all oceans and almost all seas of our planet. In northern waters, whales feel great thanks to a thick layer of fat.

Most whales feed on small fish species and plankton. But there is also a more predatory species of whales that hunts large animals - killer whale. This is one of the most beautiful whales.

Although killer whales look similar to dolphins, they are very different from them. most notable hallmark killer whales is their contrasting black and white color.

Killer whales prey on everything they can catch and are quite voracious. If killer whales lead sedentary life, they feed on fish and small marine animals. Migrating killer whales can even attack sperm whales. There are known cases of killer whales attacking a herd of moose crossing a reservoir.

Photo of sharks

Another type of large marine predators is sharks. These are mainly large predatory fish, which for billions of years have practically not changed their appearance in the process of evolution.

Like whales, sharks live in almost all oceans and seas. There are sharks that feed on fish, but there is also a species that feeds on plankton - the whale shark.

Moray photo

Another genus of marine predatory fish is moray eels. They live in the Atlantic and Indian Oceans, the Mediterranean and Red Seas.

Moray eels can be confused with snakes, outwardly they are very similar. But the appearance of moray eels is very disgusting, although there are terrible lovers of these fish.

In ancient European mythology, moray eels became the prototype of huge sea ​​monsters. Some ancients believed that moray eels are fry of sea monsters, when they grow up, they swim far into the ocean.

Photo of dolphins

Perhaps the most beloved marine animals are dolphins. They also exist in many different sizes. Dolphins accompany various ships and bring joy to people with their jumps from the water.

Dolphins are mammals, not fish.

The life of dolphins in captivity is halved, and in nature they live up to 50 years. Probably longing and despondency in captivity depresses them.

Dolphins love to communicate with people, they are kind and social animals by nature. but these marine animals are tactful and never impose.

Photo of seals

Seals live in northern seas and oceans. These are carnivorous pinnipeds that arrange colonies on coastal rocks. Such places serve as a refuge for them from predators.

Their main food is fish, but they do not mind eating shrimp or other crustaceans and mollusks.

See.

One of the most voracious seals is the sea leopard.

This type of seal got its name because of the unique shape of the nose of males and because of its huge size. Males of this species can reach six meters in length and weigh more than four tons.

Another one lives in the north of Russia large view seals - sea hare. The largest sea hares weigh 360 kg.

But despite its size, the sea hare seal can become the prey of a polar bear.

walrus photo

Other pinniped inhabitants of the seas are walruses. They have powerful tusks.

Only males have tusks. They use them as weapons during fights for females during the mating season.

Walruses can stand up for themselves, as they are very large animals. But killer whales and polar bears are a threat to them.

On this we will finish with pinnipeds and move on to mollusks.

Photo of an octopus

"Eight legs" - this was the name of this marine inhabitant in ancient greece. And the octopus lives up to its name.

Octopuses inhabit tropical and subtropical seas. There are more than 200 species in total.

Octopuses are able to change their color by disguising themselves from other predators and using camouflage to wait for their prey. They can even take on the appearance of a predator and copy its behavior.

Photo cuttlefish

The cuttlefish, like the octopus, is a cephalopod.

The cuttlefish has a beak-like mouth. Behind the tentacles it is hard to see in the photo, but believe me, it can bite through the crab shell.

Like octopuses, cuttlefish can change color and blend into the area in order to hide from the enemy or hide in ambush.

In total, about 30 species of cuttlefish are known. Most small view has a size of 1.5-1.8 centimeters.

Photo of squid

Squids are another cephalopod. Squids inhabit all seas and oceans, including the northern ones. Northern squid species are somewhat smaller and often colorless. Other species also rarely have bright colors.

How many species of squid live on our planet is unknown. Many species live at great depths, which makes it difficult to study them.

Usually the size of a squid is 25 - 50 cm. But there are unique look- a giant squid, its size can reach 18 meters. Some deep-sea squid species are able to glow, so they attract prey in the pitch darkness of the deep sea.

Many species of squid have finned wings on the sides. These organs act as a balancer when swimming, also using their squid can accelerate and jump out of the water to escape from a predator.

Photo of crabs

Let's move on from cephalopods to crabs. These are representatives of the crustacean class.

These marine animals have five pairs of legs, one of which has evolved into claws. A crab can lose a claw in a fight, but then it grows back like a lizard's tail.

There are many types of crabs and they are very diverse in size and color. Different species feed in completely different ways, the diet may consist of algae, crustaceans, small fish or mollusks.

Photo of lobsters

Large crustaceans live in the oceans and seas: lobsters and spiny lobsters. Lobsters are similar to common crayfish, only they have larger claws.

Basically, the color of lobsters of different species is very simple, camouflage. This is due to the presence a large number enemies of these animals. But sometimes there are mutant individuals with an unusual color.

This is a blue lobster, a very rare specimen. This color has one in two million lobsters. Yellow, red, white or bicolor lobsters are even more rare.

Photo of lobsters

Another large crustacean is the lobster. These crustaceans prefer warm waters, unlike lobsters, which are also found in cold waters.

Spiny lobsters do not live at depths above 200 meters. They try to settle in places where they can find shelter. Many predators do not mind eating the lobster.

Lobsters are solitary. All their lives, except for the breeding season, lobsters spend in solitude, not communicating with representatives of their kind.

Marine animals also include seabirds. For example, penguins are peculiar seabirds living in the Southern Hemisphere.

Penguins live not only in Antarctica. There are large colonies of these birds in the south of Australia and South America.

In total, 18 species of penguins are known. They are different in size, there are some differences in color. but the main color is a contrasting black and white.