Marine Animals

The Ocean Sunfish is considered to be the heaviest of all bony fish in the world. It is also referred to as the Mola. The adult males can weigh about 2,200 pounds with the females typically around 1,800 pounds. They are often mistaken for Pufferfish. The body of the Ocean Sunfish is very flat and then it has a typical type of fish head and tail. When you look at it from the head back it gives an oval shape. They can be up to 10.5 feet long. They can range in color based on the location it's in. Some of them are gray while others are white. They can also be brown or silver. They tend to have darker colors on the top and lighter on the bottom. This offers them camouflage that helps them from both directions in the water. The body is covered with mucus rather than with scales.

Beluga whales were first discovered by the Spanish explorers. Beluga whales are the most misunderstood sea creatures in the animal world. The Beluga is not really a true whale, but more of a breathing fish closely related to the sailfish and marlin. Beluga whales have large foreheads, a sign of their high intelligence. Beluga whales are the smartest animals on earth with the average I.Q (intelligence quotient) of 155, a level that would be considered near genius in humans. In 1979, a Russian chess master named Boris Spasky faced off in a highly publicized match with a thirthy-four year old female beluga named “Minsky”. Beluga whales live very long lives, feeding mainly from seals and larger fish. Belugas are very vicious carnivores, armed with six layers of extremely sharp teeth, and a hungry Beluga is very dangerous animal to any species of animal is fair prey… even humans.

Even though the lionfish is very intriguing to look at the are extremely venemous. The lionfish also known as the Pterois. The lionfish has red-andwhite zebra stripes, long showy pectoral fins, and generally angry attitude that usually says, “ Back off!”. The venom of the lionfish delivers an array of up to 18 needle-like dorsal fins, the lionfish is very defensive. It relies on comouflauge and lighting-fast reflexes to capture its food which consists of mainly fish and shrimp. A sting from a lionfish is extremely painful to humans and cn cause nausea and brething difficulties, but is rarely fatal.

The Blob fish is a type of fish found off the coast of Australia and Tasmania but don’t expect to see one on your holidays as they are extremely rare to come by. The reason the Blob fish is so rare is that they live very deep down in the sea, literally just off of the sea bed. The Blob fish are found at a depth of around 800 meters which would make life impossible for most fish as at that depth the pressure is roughly eighty times more than at sea level. The reason that the Blob fish can survive at such a depth is also what gives it such a unique look (some would say ugly), foregoing a gas bladder (found in most fish to keep them buoyant) the Blob fish is almost entirely comprised of gelatinous substance, this keeps the Blob fish from sinking as the density of the goo is less than that of then sea where they are found. When under water the Blob fish has an comical, almost human looking face however if taken out of water the Blob fish will die after a short while and is gelatinous body will dry out and shrivel no longer resembling the typical way people think of Blob fish. Currently the survivability of Blob fish is being investigated as it is becoming to common an occurrence of fishermen catching Blob fish by mistake and of course severely lessening their chances of survival.

Humpback whales are known for their magical songs, which travel for great distances through the world's oceans. These sequences of moans, howls, cries, and other noises are quite complex and often continue for hours on end. Scientists are studying these sounds to decipher their meaning. It is most likely that humpbacks sing to communicate with others and to attract potential mates. These whales are found near coastlines, feeding on tiny shrimp-like krill, plankton, and small fish. Humpbacks migrate annually from summer feeding grounds near the poles to warmer winter breeding waters closer to the Equator. Mothers and their young swim close together, often touching one another with their flippers with what appear to be gestures of affection. Females nurse their calves for almost a year, though it takes far longer than that for a humpback whale to reach full adulthood. Calves do not stop growing until they are ten years old. Humpbacks are powerful swimmers, and they use their massive tail fin, called a fluke, to propel themselves through the water and sometimes completely out of it. These whales, like others, regularly leap from the water, landing with a tremendous splash. Scientists aren't sure if this breaching behavior serves some purpose, such as cleaning pests from the whale's skin, or whether whales simply do it for fun.

Great White Sharks are the largest predatory fish in the sea. Great White Shark meat is not recommended for human consumption because it has very high mercury levels. Great White Sharks try to avoid fighting for food. When there is only enough food for one, they have a tail-slapping contest. The sharks swim past each other, each slapping the surface of the water with their tails, and often directing the spray toward the other shark. The one who gets the meal is the shark that delivers the most tail slaps. Great White sharks live along the coasts of all continents except Antarctica. The Great White Shark has an enormous liver that can weigh up to 24 percent of its entire weight. A Great White Shark may use and lose more than one thousand teeth in its life time. The Great White Shark is not all white. The shark’s back may be dark blue, gray, brown or black. The Great White Shark lives for about 25 years. A Great White Shark is capable of eating sea lions whole. Great White Sharks rarely attack people and when they do, it is because they mistaken the person for their usual seal prey. Great Whites often have scratches and scars on their snouts which resulted from their prey fighting back. Scientists estimate that after a big meal, a Great White Shark can last up to three months before needing another one. A Great White Shark can roll its eyeballs back, which protects the vital front part of the eye from being scratched. a. The biggest Great White Shark ever caught was off Prince Edward Island in 1993. It was 20 feet long. In one year, a single Great White consumes about 11 tons of food. Some scientists believe there are less than 10,000 Great White Sharks in the entire world. Great White Sharks breed late in life. They do not start breeding until they’re at least twenty years old. More than 70 percent of known victims of Great White Shark Attacks survive because the shark realizes it has made a mistake and doesn’t finish off the prey. Great White Sharks are no match for Orcas in a fight. Orcas, better known as Killer Whales, sometimes hunt in packs plus they are too fast and strong for even the biggest Great Whites. Orcas have been known to kill and eat them as well.

Barreleye fish is one of nature’s finest creations. One look at the fish and one can just wonder at the amazing creature which might look like some weird creation for a Hollywood sci-fi movie. The fish has a dome shaped transparent head. It has an ultra sensitive tubular eyes covered by a green fluid shield which helps them locate prey overhead even at pitch dark depth of the sea. The two oval-shaped olfactory organs (similar to human nostrils) located above their mouth is often mistaken as their eyes given them a sad look. Their cylindrical eyes are imbedded inside the transparent head facing upward. They have a small mouth with a pointed snout. Their elongated flat fins allow them to float motionlessly. The Barreleye fish have luminous organs throughout the length of their body. Barreleye fish are deep water fish mostly found off the coast of California and the North Pacific region. They are found mainly at a depth of 3330 ft. The Barreleye fish are ambush predators. They stay motionless while their eyes face upward. The green shield in their eyes filter the light from the surface of the sea, making it easier to spot the glow of the jellies swimming around. As they detect their prey, they swim upward to grab them. The barreleye fish have strong digestive system and they usually feed on jellies and small drifting animals. The small marine creatures trapped on the tentacles of the jellies are also targeted by the barreleye fish. The Barreleye fish are ambush predators. They stay motionless while their eyes face upward. Scientists are amazed by the distinct eye design of the barreleye fish. They believe that the eyes of the fish might have evolved separately. Their eyes are embedded inside an upward-facing transparent dome, but researchers were amazed to find out that the tubular eyes could actually rotate. The green shield around the eyes is an optical clarifying filter that filters the surface light. Their upward facing eyes can scan the prey overhead. The unique eyes of the barreleye fish were unlike any other vertebrate. Such design feature according to evolutionary scientists might not have evolved with just the natural force unless it was directional.