Who lives at the bottom of the sea. Sea creatures. Starfish, hedgehogs, lilies

The sea is always a mystery. Infinite and deep, which mankind has been unraveling for centuries and cannot unravel in any way. The ebb and flow of the tides, the Bermuda triangles and the nature of the storms are all, of course, a mystery. But more people were interested and continue to be interested in marine life - from small fish to a huge whale. Each of the species of inhabitants of the underwater world is, in fact, a separate people, practicing their traditions and protecting their tribe in every possible way.

One has only to listen to the stories of divers: even not the most experienced of them keeps in mind some interesting fact about marine life and can spend hours describing the amazing landscapes of the sea depths.

People entering the underwater kingdom or a specially equipped viewing aquarium are touched by everything: living corals, colorful baby fish (if you stay away from them) and even vicious sharks - some of them, as it turned out, are not at all bloodthirsty. But smart dolphins have been a hit of human sympathy for many years now.

Intelligent, sociable, capable of empathy

Oceanologists who know a lot about sea creatures have long come to the conclusion that dolphins are the most perfect and unique of them. Firstly, none of the citizens of the underwater state is closer to a person. Moreover, dolphins are very similar to us: they love to have fun and come up with ways to diversify their underwater and above-water leisure activities (for example, they blow air bubbles and rings underwater using their blowhole as a tool); they feel responsible for weakened or distressed relatives, they will never leave an elderly or injured dolphin to the mercy of fate, they are always next to a female whose birth processes are complicated. In all these cases, they are not just present, but help and support.

Dolphin: doctor or medicine?

Dolphins are the friendliest for children, they can become swimming coaches, and nannies in the pool, and a cure for mental disorders, and a number of unpleasant diseases: cerebral palsy, autism, depression. By the way, now even adults are not shy about undergoing dolphin therapy: both pleasant and effective.

In terms of mental abilities among mammals, dolphins rank third.

In favor of the intellectual abilities of these cute mammals, their habit of using improvised means during hunting, for example, to protect their nose from prickly fish with a washcloth, speaks in favor.

In the mouth of a dolphin - a hundred small teeth, which he never uses for its intended purpose - dolphins only capture prey with their teeth, but never chew.

The height of a dolphin's jump above the water can reach 6 meters, and the depth of maximum immersion - up to 305 m, but only during hunting. Dolphins usually live at a depth of 2-10 m.

Miracle-yudo Fish-whale

No less remarkable are the largest marine inhabitants - whales. At the mere mention of these giants, many interesting facts about maxi-sized marine life emerge.

Just because a whale is huge doesn't mean it's clumsy. In the waves, the whales play and frolic like children, demonstrating graceful (almost graceful) diving.

Whales are capable of diving to great depths - up to 1000 m. And the pressure is strikingly different from the pressure on the surface. That's how whales adapt: ​​during the dive, their pulse slows down to ten beats per minute, ensuring that blood flows only to the heart and brain. The skin, fins and tail remain "disconnected" from the energy supply.

The pattern on a whale's tail is as individual as human fingerprints.

There are only two types of mammals in the world that can sing. This is a man and ... a whale. The shortest whale song is about six minutes long, and the longest is half an hour. Both males and females sing. At the same time, it was noticed that whales-“women” are more likely to sing, the songs are intended for their children. And what is most surprising is that whales have no vocal cords at all.

Another interesting fact about marine inhabitants-whales, which cannot be ignored: these giants are constantly busy analyzing the sounds made by the sea. They have a well-developed hearing, but there is no sense of smell and vision is atrophied.

"We are funny jellyfish"

Many representatives really have a very “cheerful” color, just the same carnival. With such a bright appearance, they cannot help but defend themselves, therefore they are poisonous.

Perhaps the following fact is not entirely interesting about marine life, but it is very instructive: when you get to exotic latitudes, you need to be wary of a jellyfish called Flecker's sea wasp. She is a killer. She has one fatality every year. Its venom acts as a powerful heart-paralytic agent. The only effective way to escape from a deadly substance is nylon tights. This piece of women's wardrobe is very popular among Queensland fishermen.

And in the Caribbean, farmers have learned to use jellyfish venom to great advantage - with its help they poison rats and other harmful rodents that damage the economy.

The main thing is the drawing on the shell

The most incredible facts about marine life do not arise without human help. And it's not that he composes them - he even provokes them. In the good sense of the word.

For example, the heikegani crabs that live off the coast of Japan survived and developed their population only thanks to the pattern on the shell. He is very reminiscent of the stern face of an angry samurai.

When a crab with such a pattern fell into fishing nets, it was reverently set free, sincerely believing that a restless samurai soul settled in this creature.

Thanks to the belief of Japanese fishermen in reincarnation, an artificial selection mechanism was launched that saved the heikegani from extinction.

The shrimp wants to live too!

For some reason, anyone simultaneously received the status of yummy, is tied to culinary features: weight, amount of protein in milligrams, benefits for the body.

Even a child knows that the tiger shrimp is the largest. But how big is it? The length of the female reaches 36 centimeters, and the weight is 650 grams. Among tigers, there are also kilogram specimens.

Some of these marine crustaceans can kill fish with sound. They are called shooting shrimp and have a device on the claw that can make a loud click, deadly for fish swimming near.

The shrimp also hunts, also defends itself, and is very reluctant to end its life as a snack.

I'm a star!

The most beautiful sea creatures are the stars. Anyone who has seen the bottom covered with these bright creatures claims that all the most curious facts about marine life simply pale in front of this amazing sight.

For the sake of it, divers dive under water with cameras to reveal to the world the real stars of the deep sea.

We can safely state the uniqueness of starfish: they are not fish, because they cannot swim, but move along horizontal and vertical planes with the help of tenacious suction cups.

They are varied in color and shape, but all have the same "figure" - in the form of a five-pointed star. But five rays is not the limit. Maximum - 50.

The star is the only sea creature whose limbs are called hands. It reproduces in two ways: by throwing eggs and sperm into the water or by dividing one individual into parts.

Where do coral beads live?

Like all other types of marine life, corals have their own “zest”, which is interesting not only for researchers of the seas and oceans, but also for fashion boutique researchers.

Corals are thermophilic, therefore, an almost continuous line of reefs is located along the equator, almost along the entire circumference of the planet.

The sea kindly provides a person with various types of marine life for observation and study. But there are some among them that are frankly scary and unpleasant to study.

The ugliest inhabitants of the ocean depths are recognized as sea devils, or anglers. They live at the greatest depths, as if hiding from prying eyes and realizing their unattractiveness.

The viper fish is also disgusting, before the meal it looks like a standard snake, and after it - like an inflated ball.

Fearsome creatures include the dragonfish, sabertooth fish, bigmouth fish and the Atlantic giant squid.

Interesting facts about marine life - horror stories came from the time of World War II, when surviving sailors from sunken ships spoke with horror about a huge monster that dragged their comrades to the depths.

They really look like people from and live in the darkest corners of the ocean, so meeting with such "fish" is a rarity, although you need to know about their existence. Just in case.

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);
• fishes;
• 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:

• 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 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 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 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 underwater world of the oceans is hidden from our view. Only an inquisitive and trained person can dive and enjoy the bright colors and grandeur. Diving opens before us the beauty that can amaze any imagination. Under water, a scuba diver gets acquainted with the life of fish, swims among corals, deepens into mystical caves and finds the Underwater kingdom of each of the four oceans has its own flavor, and I really want to introduce you to it better.

Pacific Ocean

Diving into the waters of the Pacific Ocean promises many unforgettable experiences. This is the largest body of water on our planet, and there are more than 100 thousand species of underwater inhabitants in it.

The largest representative of these waters is the gray whale crossbars. The mass of this handsome man is about 35 tons. Habitat - lower layers of water space. From time to time, huge whales surface in shallow bays, usually during breeding season.

The underwater world of the oceans is inhabited not only by civilians, but also by predators. For example, an unusual one lives in the Pacific Ocean. Many divers, having noticed a predator with an original color, try to take a picture with it. But this could end badly. In a calm state, the leopard shark will not attack, but if the diver is injured on sharp coral or stone, then it will react to the smell of blood. The maximum length of such a shark is a little more than two meters, weight - 20 kg. Small representatives of this species often end up in aquariums or private aquariums of wealthy people.

In the Pacific Ocean you can find snakes, stone fish, mollusks, sea urchins. All of these representatives secrete a paralyzing poison, and communication with them can be dangerous for a scuba diver.

In these waters there are many small fish swimming in silvery or variegated flocks. Watching their movements is especially interesting. Here you can also find valuable salmon fish, fur seals and many other representatives.

Atlantic Ocean

The underwater world of the oceans is interesting to observe in the Atlantic. The second largest body of water on Earth is divided into two parts by the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. Many fish and mammals live here. An unusual sight is represented by flocks of flying crayfish of huge sizes, a sea wolf and many other inhabitants.

The underwater kingdom of the Atlantic has surprised scientists many times with previously unknown species of fish, worms and jellyfish. Extreme divers can dive to wrecks, visit the Bermuda Triangle and tickle your nerves, hiding from predatory sharks.

Indian Ocean

Diving into the waters of the Indian Ocean is like a fairy tale. The riot of colors and diversity of living creatures is breathtaking. The brightest inhabitants of the oceans live in the warm waters of the reservoir. Here you can meet giant coral octopuses, sea beauties and colorful sea worms.

The unique conditions of the Indian Ocean make its fauna very interesting to observe. Many species of fish and molluscs, representing the underwater world of the oceans, live only here and are not able to survive in other latitudes. However, we must not forget about the dangers that lie in wait in the underwater kingdom.

Arctic Ocean

This body of water is considered the smallest of all oceans. Its waters are harsh and restless, but even here there is an underwater world. Don't expect a lot of variety, the main local inhabitants are phytoplankton, kelp, various jellyfish and some species of large and small fish. In addition, there are whales here.

The giant mussel and the world's largest jellyfish, the cyanide, look very unusual.

Dangerous inhabitants of the deep

Speaking of danger, almost everyone imagines huge predatory sharks. The deep sea shark is very dangerous to humans. And you must follow certain rules so as not to become its prey. Scientists know more than 350 species of sharks, but this figure is not final, as unknown representatives continue to fall into their field of view. Various types of dangerous predators live in the waters of all oceans. The following species can attack a person:

• White shark;
• fox;
• hammerhead fish;
• sandy;
• brindle;
• gray nanny and others.

It should be borne in mind that any shark whose size exceeds 1 meter can be potentially dangerous.

Predatory moray eels, large sea bass and so on are considered very dangerous. It is better for a person not to get in their way.

The barracuda is called the ocean pike. This predator is found in subtropical and tropical waters. A flock of fish hunts, very rapidly, attacks unexpectedly and quickly disappears. The speed of barracuda during hunting can reach 60 km/h.

One of the predators that can attack a person is a moray eel. This fish waits in ambush and attacks the victim, who is on its territory. And given the size of the predator (some individuals have a body length of more than three meters), the damage can be very serious.

Small fish can also be dangerous. Nature has provided them with poisonous spikes, fins and growths for protection.

The unusual, bewitching beauty of the underwater kingdom cannot but attract attention. But no matter how hard a person tries, he will never be able to unravel all the secrets and explore this world completely.

A report about marine animals will briefly tell a lot of learning information. Also, information about marine life will deepen your knowledge of biology and help you prepare for the lesson.

Message about marine life

More than 2/3 of the planet's surface is covered by oceans and seas. Life is in full swing in sea waters: both microscopic organisms and large inhabitants live here, like the whale shark, the blue whale. It is noteworthy that all marine animals directly or indirectly depend on the plankton they feed on. It is at the base of the marine food chain. The underwater marine world is quite diverse. Picturesque animals with a variety of body shapes, fins, patterns on the body, and coloring live at depths of many meters. The inhabitants of the seas are divided into such groups - mammals; invertebrates; turtles and snakes; crustaceans and fish.

• invertebrate marine animals

Invertebrates lack an axial skeleton. These include crustaceans, sea anemones and corals, sea anemones, sponges, sea worms. In size, they are very different - tiny as zooplankton and gigantic as cephalopods. Some swim freely in the water, others are attached to the bottom or stone all their lives, others are equipped with bristles or tentacles.

• shellfish

This is the largest group of marine animals. It includes snails, bivalves, sea slugs and octopuses.

• marine mammals

Their life is either wholly or partly connected with the marine environment. Representatives of marine mammals are (real seals, eared seals, walruses), sirens, representatives of the bear families (polar bear) and mustelids (sea otter and sea otter).

• Crustaceans

The class of arthropods of aquatic animals includes crabs, spiny lobsters, crayfish, lobsters and shrimps. Shellfish are the most valuable products, as they are rich in iodine, protein, phosphorus and other substances. Some are listed in the Red Book.

• Fishes

They make up the majority of marine life. Pelagic fish live near the surface of the sea and its upper layers; bottom and bottom fish live at the bottom and in the bottom horizons. Commercial marine fish are bred in artificial reservoirs.

• Turtles and sea snakes

Turtles are the only marine reptiles with shells. Like snakes, they lead a semi-aquatic lifestyle.

The nature of our world is amazing in its essence, but we strive to remake it, cutting down forests to build houses or ennobling wildlife, introducing all kinds of elements of civilization into it. However, few people know about the beauty of the underwater world of the seas and oceans, where the most beautiful marine life lives.

Nowadays, more and more people are starting to dive and get to know this unique nature of ocean waters, which holds numerous secrets and mysteries. It is notable not only for a large number of various species of fish and corals, but also unusual caves, mystical territories, sunken cities and treasures.

There are 4 oceans on the globe, each of which carries its own impressions and has a special "local" flora and fauna.

Pacific Ocean.

The Pacific Ocean is the largest body of water on the planet and hosts more than one hundred thousand of the most diverse species of fish. The largest inhabitant of this ocean and the entire underwater world is the gray whale of the crossbars, swimming in the lower layers of the water. The mass of such whales reaches 35 tons, and you can see them during their breeding season, when the whales swim in the shallow waters of the bays.

Of course, there are also predators in the Pacific Ocean, among which the most dangerous are the leopard shark, deadly poisonous stone fish, sea urchins, snakes and dragons, which paralyze a person with their poison. Of course, there are quite a lot of such fish, so before you go scuba diving, you should definitely ask which fish are dangerous for humans and try not to approach them.

There is also enough small fish here, flocks of which avid divers from all over the world want to admire. In the ocean you can meet fur seals, salmon fish, telescope fish, small-mouthed macropinna, as well as a very unusual fish - the herring king.

Almost the entire ocean is surrounded by mountainous terrain, which is why the bottom of the Pacific Ocean forms a volcanic "ring of fire". Not far from Australia lies a large Barrier Reef, surrounding the largest coral lagoon. Everywhere in the ocean there is a movement of the earth's crust, which produces world catastrophes in the form of a tsunami.

Atlantic Ocean.

The Atlantic Ocean is the second largest after the Pacific. The ocean floor is divided into two almost equal parts by the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. Its space is also inhabited by a huge number of fish and mammals. Among the most unusual and rare species are flying fish, moonfish, blue sharks, giant crayfish, seabass and many others.

In recent years, studying the depths of the Atlantic Ocean, scientists have found several species of fish that were not known to modern science until today. Thus, new varieties of sea worms and cucumbers, ctenophores and jellyfish were found on the seabed, which are distinguished by their bright color and unusual structure.

It should also be noted that it is the waters of the Atlantic Ocean that are full of numerous mysteries of sunken ships. Here is the famous Bermuda Triangle, the sunken Titanic, numerous ship cemeteries, underwater icebergs and endless mystical legends.

Indian Ocean.

Most of the Indian Ocean washes the southern continents, where the water temperature reaches 23-25 ​​degrees. In this part of the ocean there is a rich underwater world of marine life from small fish to tiger sharks. In shallow water, there are numerous coral reefs, colorful algae and polyps, where mudskippers live.

Among the large fish in the Indian Ocean, you can see the families of whale fish, sperm whales, dolphins, fur seals, killer whales and several types of sharks, including the great white, tiger and their other representatives. Among the local fauna there are many luminous fish, for example, the platytroct fish.

On the territory of the Indian Ocean, the island of Amsterdam is located, which was chosen by seals and penguins. Popular places for diving in Indian waters are the coasts of Australia and the resort of Sri Lanka, where pearl mining is famous for its local craft.

Arctic Ocean.

The Arctic Ocean occupies the smallest part of the world's water space. Of course, the location in the northern hemisphere affects the inner world of the underwater territory. It is inhabited mainly by phytoplankton, kelp, jellyfish and other fish species.

Despite the poverty of the Arctic waters, large fish can also be found in the ocean. Bowhead whales, minke whales, seals, walruses and other mammals live in its waters.

Among the unusual inhabitants of the ocean area, giant mussels, the world's largest cyanide jellyfish and sea spiders can be distinguished.