Who lives in the Black Sea? In terms of the species composition of marine animals, the western coast differs from other areas of the Black Sea. The bays and creeks are small, the bottom is mostly sandy, the water is saltier than near the southern and eastern shores. Common commercial fish include the Black Sea shark (katran), mullet, and horse mackerel. Sea cats and flounders lie on the sandy bottom, and mullet graze.
Jellyfish appear near the shore at the height of the swimming season, and the warmer the water, the more of them there are. There are two common types of swimming jellyfish in the Black Sea: aurelia And cornermouth. Both of them consist of 98% water, are not consumed by anyone and seem useless. But it is not so. Jellyfish can be a harbinger of a storm. They pick up the infrasound of a still distant wind and swim away from the shore in 12-15 hours. By straining out plankton, the jellyfish purifies the water.
Flat, colorless aurelia is safe for us because human skin is not sensitive to the action of stinging cells. And yet, there is no need to pick it up unnecessarily, much less throw jellyfish.
Cornerot is larger, more voluminous than aurelia, and has a bluish stripe around its circumference. There is no need to touch this jellyfish, because it stings almost like nettles. This is not dangerous, however, you must admit, not everyone will like it. There are fewer cornetworms on the South Bank, more on the West Bank. This is a caring nanny for horse mackerel fry: up to a hundred small silver fish swarm around each one, which, at the slightest danger, take refuge among the mouth lobes and under the dome of the jellyfish.
Who will be indifferent to the glow of the sea on quiet and warm August nights? The blades of oars on boats, the arms and legs of swimmers, air bubbles - everything that moves under water - turns silver. And there are nights when the entire motionless surface of the sea flashes with lights, as if reflecting the stars. This glow in the Black Sea is caused by noctiluki- single-celled organisms that have the properties of plants and animals at the same time.
During the day they absorb solar energy, and at night they again convert it into light. This cold glow is accompanied by a chemical reaction between oxygen and a substance - lucefirin, which is produced by noctilucs.
Pinkish-yellow shells are often washed up on sandy beaches by storms. scallops. This mollusk lives on the seabed, about 20 kilometers from the coast. It is able to move by opening and closing its shell doors, like a jet engine. True, it does not develop high speed. At rest, the scallop releases from under the shell a fringe of sensitive tentacles, between which are hidden dozens of small and very complex “eyes”. Seeing danger, the mollusk removes its tentacles and escapes.
Oysters have long been considered a delicacy, but we didn’t have many of them before, because they prefer saltier water. Pacific predators that accidentally moved into the Black Sea rapana settled in a new place, multiplied, eating oysters, and reduced their reserves to almost zero. Now rapana eat mainly mussels, and this is also not very good.
Mussels They live attached to coastal piles, stones, rocks. By filtering the water, they breathe oxygen dissolved in it and feed on organic substances suspended in the water column. Thus, mussels cleanse the sea. It is not difficult to tear them off from underwater rocks and piers, you just have to wear gloves, because mussels have sharp shells.
Fried mussels are tasty and nutritious, however, sand often gets caught between the pulp and the inner pearlescent layer of the shell. Over time, these grains of sand become enveloped in nacre - this is how small Black Sea pearls are formed. Rapana are mobile, they crawl onto mussels, open their valves and eat away the flesh. But their own meat is also edible.
On the Black Sea coast, people began to collect and eat bivalves gastropods a long time ago. Archaeologists determine this from the fossilized remains of mussels and oysters found on the shores.
At night, irreplaceable beach orderlies come ashore crabs. Once upon a time, you could come to the beach early in the morning and see so many crabs that you could not help but think about an environmental disaster. They literally collected crabs by the bucketload! Now this only happens on the deserted coasts of Tarkhankut. But it is prohibited to catch crabs because there are few of them, and without crabs the beaches will be dirty.
On the Evpatoria coast you can often find grass crab. It buries itself in the sand right next to its eyes and sits motionless, waiting for prey - small invertebrates, and sometimes fish.
It is easier to survive among fish on sandy soil for those who know how to burrow into it. Malek flounder not too different from the fry of other fish. But, after spending six weeks at the surface of the water, it descends into the depths to lie on the bottom with its right side. There, amazing transformations occur to him: the right eye moves to the left side, the mouth bends, and the pelvic fin moves to the side.
Slothfish fish are masters of changing the color and even the pattern of their skin, repeating the pattern and color of the soil. Swimming over a well-known bottom, the flounder disguises itself as it in a few seconds. It takes longer to match the color to a new background, but eventually it can even match a checkerboard. To do this, the fish compresses and expands special pigment cells. But the right side, on which this ancient fish lies, remains colorless forever.
The most unpretentious of our commercial fish - mullet. It lives and spawns in the coastal zone to a depth of 75 meters, but can also breed in the open sea. It can withstand temperatures from +0.5 to +38 degrees Celsius, salinity up to 80 ppm (grams per liter), but also lives in semi-fresh water. Tolerant to a lack of oxygen, in the open sea it even penetrates deep layers with “rotten water”, where hydrogen sulfide bacteria live. Mullet are not afraid of polluted water and often winter in ports under the pier.
In recent decades, the Crimean species of mullet (mullet, singil, sharpnose) have been oppressed by the Far Eastern species - pilengas. Hardy and active, it became a staple and filled the markets.
red mullet no larger than a horse mackerel, but a slightly different shape - blunt-headed, with two “antennae” extending from the lower lip. With their help, she digs in the sand, usually at shallow depths; it can also be seen floating on the surface through a mask. Red mullet was the favorite fish of the Turkish sultans, since then it has been called “sultanka”.
The most dangerous fish in the Black Sea is sea dragon. He lives at the bottom, half buried in the sand. The little dragon looks like a horse mackerel and, unfortunately, sometimes falls for the bait.
Alexander Kuprin in the story “Listrigons” talked about cases with Balaklava fishermen, when removing fish from a hook or taking them out of a net, they pricked themselves on poisonous spines on the gill covers and in the black dorsal fin.
It’s just as unpleasant to meet sea cat from the family of stingrays. The cat prefers to lie on the bottom and, by the way, reacts rather sluggishly to the appearance of a person - it swims away a few meters and lies down again. And you don’t need to touch it, much less step on it. When caught, wounded, or even simply disturbed, the sea cat bends and hits the offender with its tail, on which there is a poisonous spike! The consequences are the same as after an injection from a dragon. However, this does not scare the fishermen; they catch stingrays. Therefore, you will most likely see a sea cat not in the sea, but at a fish counter.
Not so poisonous sea ruffe(scorpionfish), and yet, before gutting and cleaning it, you need to cut off the spines.
And here black sea shark, oddly enough, is harmless to humans. Unlike most fish, sharks and rays have a soft, cartilaginous skeleton. Together with ichthyosaurs, they inhabited the sea a hundred million years ago, during the era of the dominance of giant lizards, and can be considered relics of the Mesozoic era.
Black Sea sharks swim in the coastal zone near the bottom (at a depth of up to 90 m) Katranas. They feed on small fish, shellfish, and crustaceans, and grow up to two meters in length.
Katranas do not spawn; the female gives birth alive to a dozen sharks, which are capable of hunting from the first minutes of life. True, they do not become adults soon - after 15-17 years. Like any shark, the katran has an excellent sense of smell and increased sensitivity to water fluctuations, which are used to find prey.
The katran never attacks large animals or people. In general, the danger posed by all sharks is exaggerated due to their terrifying appearance and monstrous gluttony. Even a harpooned shark can grab a piece of meat or fish in the water. She is insensitive to pain, and it is difficult to kill her due to the small size of the brain that needs to be hit.
The underwater world is mysterious and unique. It contains secrets that have not yet been solved by man. We invite 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 such depths where sunlight does not penetrate. In times of danger, it can 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)
This very tiny mollusk rightfully deserves its name; it seems to float on the water surface. To become lighter and stay at the very edge of the water, it 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 for nothing that nature has provided such camouflage - the Blue Angel remains unnoticed by birds and sea predators. A thick layer of mucus around the mouth allows it to feed on small, poisonous sea creatures.
3. Harp sponge (Chondrocladia lyra)
This mysterious marine predator has not yet been sufficiently studied. The structure of its body resembles a harp, hence the name. The sponge is inactive. It clings to the sediment of the seabed and hunts by gluing small underwater inhabitants to its 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 its resemblance to the Disney hero, Dumbo the elephant, although it has a semi-gelatinous body of rather modest size. Its fins resemble elephant ears. He waves them around as he swims, which looks quite funny. 
Not only the “ears” help to move, but also the peculiar funnels located on the octopus’ body, through which it releases water under pressure. Dumbo lives at very great depths, so we don’t know much 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, truly resembles Bigfoot. It lives in cold waters at such depths where there is no access to light, so it is completely blind. 
These amazing animals grow microorganisms on their claws. Some scientists believe that the crab needs these bacteria to purify the water from toxic substances, others suggest that the crabs grow food for themselves on the bristles.
6. Short-snouted pipistrelle (Ogcocephalus)
This fashionable 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 fin-like legs, thanks to which the short-snouted bat slowly walks along the bottom. 
It obtains food using a special growth - a kind of retractable fishing rod with an odorous bait that attracts prey. The discreet coloring and spiked shell help the fish hide from predators. Perhaps this is the funniest animal among the inhabitants of the world's oceans.
7. Sea slug Felimare Picta
Felimare Picta is a species of sea slug that lives in Mediterranean waters. He looks very extravagant. The yellow-blue body seems to be surrounded by a delicate airy frill. 
Felimare Picta, although a mollusk, does without a shell. And why does he need her? 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 really bad luck for anyone who wants to treat themselves 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's Tongue hides in its shell in case of impending danger. By the way, the mollusk received this name due to its bright color with characteristic spots. It prefers poisonous gongonaria as food. While 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 all covered with “leaves”, which help it appear invisible against the backdrop of the underwater landscape. It is interesting that such abundant vegetation does not help the dragon move at all. Only two tiny fins located on its chest and back are responsible for its speed. The leaf dragon is a predator. It feeds by sucking prey into itself. 
Dragons feel comfortable in the shallow waters of warm seas. And these sea inhabitants are also known as excellent fathers, because it is the males who bear the offspring and take care of them.
10. Salps (Salpidae)
Salps are invertebrate marine inhabitants that have a barrel-shaped body, through the transparent shell of which the internal organs are visible. 
In the ocean depths, animals form long chains of colonies, which are easily broken even by a minor wave shock. Salps reproduce by budding.
11. Piglet squid (Helicocranchia pfefferi)
This strange and little-studied underwater creature resembles “Piglet” from the famous cartoon. The completely transparent body of the piglet squid is covered with pigment spots, the combination of which sometimes gives it a cheerful appearance. Around the eyes there are so-called photophores - organs of luminescence. 
This mollusk is leisurely. It's funny that the piggy squid moves upside down, which is why its tentacles look like forelocks. He lives at a depth of one hundred meters.
12. Ribbon moray eel (Rhinomuraena guaesita)
This underwater inhabitant is quite unusual. Throughout its life, the ribbon moray eel is capable of changing sex and color three times, depending on the stages of its development. So, when the individual is still immature, it is colored black or dark blue.In this section of the site you will read how and where sea animals live, you will be able to learn interesting facts about them, and see photos of sea animals!
More than two thirds of the earth's surface is covered by seas and oceans. This huge mass of water is necessary for life on our planet: winds carry moisture throughout the world, it evaporates and is restored again in the form of rain and snow, feeding the flora and fauna. The sea is teeming with life, and strangely enough, both the microscopic and the largest sea inhabitants, such as the blue whale, manta ray or whale shark, feed on a large amount of food invisible to the naked eye - plankton.
Jellyfish more than 90% consists of water; Some jellyfish can cause a painful burn.
U octopus eight tentacles; it lives on the seabed and can change color to adapt to its environment.
Hawksbill turtle (caretta)- very dexterous swimmer; feeds mainly on jellyfish and crustaceans. Lays eggs in the sand on the shores of small bays.
Blue whale- this is the largest animal in the world: one female, caught in 1947, weighed 190 tons. A blue whale calf is born eight meters long and weighs up to three tons.
Marine flora consists of algae- plants without a trunk. Their life depends on sunlight, and therefore at great depths, where the rays of the sun do not penetrate, there are no algae.
Moon fish usually swims in the open sea almost at the very surface, which is why its fin emerging from the water is often mistaken for the fin of a shark; In contrast, the moon fish is completely harmless.
Angler. This amazing predatory fish lures its prey by swinging its “antenna”, at the end of which there is a growth similar to a delicious worm.
Zebra lionfish. Its spectacular appearance is fraught with serious danger - on the back of this fish there is a fin that secretes poison as strong as that of a cobra.
Needlefish. It hunts in a completely unique way: it approaches the prey, often hiding behind other fish, and with lightning speed sucks it into its long “beak”. In terms of its characteristics, the needle fish is very similar to the seahorse.
Acne. For centuries, scientists, starting with the Greek philosopher Aristotle, have tried to understand how this fish reproduces. Today it is known that it lays eggs in the Sargasso Sea, between Bermuda and the Caribbean islands. Small larvae travel many thousands of kilometers to return to the rivers where their parents come from. The eel is a very strong fish; It is found in fresh water and can remain out of water for a long time: it often makes part of its journey on land.
Seabirds. The sea provides food for many animals that live on the coast. Among them are numerous seabirds. These birds have a lot in common: they all fly well, can land on water, swim with webbed feet, and their beaks are adapted for fishing. Many of them, such as the cormorant, are capable of chasing fish underwater.
Cormorant. The inhabitants of Japan taught this bird to fish: with every fish caught, the bird returns to its owner.
Gull. Many different species of seabirds are called gulls. You can often see flocks of seagulls chasing fishing vessels returning from fishing: they pick up waste that sailors throw overboard. Seagulls have learned to find food even in landfills in the interior of the continent, tens of kilometers from the sea.
Frigate. The male of this large fish, which lives on the shores of warm seas, during courtship inflates a huge bright red crop to attract the attention of the female.
Sea depths.
Far from the coast, at great depths, algae that require sunlight do not grow; there are only phytoplankton, formed by microscopic algae that float freely in the water. For this reason, at great depths there are mainly predators; other fish are content with phyto and zooplankton. Consisting of tiny invertebrates.
In open expanses of water, where there are no shelters, only large sizes can instill fear in a predator and prevent an attack. Therefore, it is only far from the coast that large marine life is found: from cetaceans such as killer whales and whales to large fish such as shark, tuna or swordfish.
Small fish use other methods of defense: flying fish jump high out of the water, and sardines and mackerel find salvation by gathering in large schools.
The Earth is washed by four oceans: Indian, Atlantic, Arctic and Pacific. The largest is the Pacific Ocean, its area is 180 million square kilometers. The average depth of the oceans is about 4,000 meters. The enormous length and depth do not allow exploring the bottom of the oceans; in fact, it is extremely difficult and expensive to create machines that can withstand the highest pressure that exists in the abyss of the sea.
The greatest depth of the ocean is the Mariinsky Trench in the Pacific Ocean: 11,022 meters.
Flying fish. The flying fish has highly developed lateral fins, with the help of which it makes gliding flights over the surface of the sea, escaping from predators.
A complex combination of winds, currents and tidal cycles causes waves to move. The sea rarely has waves higher than 10 meters, but waves even higher than 30 meters have been observed.
Plankton.
A large number of microscopic organisms float in the sea that are not able to withstand currents - animal (zooplankton) and plant (phytoplankton) in origin; together they make up plankton. Carried by currents, it serves as food for both the smallest fish and crustaceans, and huge mammals, such as the blue whale. Animals that can actively swim form nekton.
Zooplankton- part of plankton formed by animal organisms.
Phytoplankton- this is that part of plankton that consists of microscopic algae floating in water. A large amount of phytoplankton gives sea water its characteristic greenish color.
One liter of water contains millions of microscopic organisms that are invisible to the naked eye. They not only constitute food for marine animals, but are also necessary for the restoration of oxygen.
Cetaceans.
These are large mammals, inhabitants of the seas and oceans. Over millions of years of evolution, their body has acquired a shape similar to that of fish, thanks to which they swim quickly. But cetaceans, unlike fish, cannot breathe rarefied oxygen. They need to breathe air, so they are forced to swim to the surface of the sea from time to time. Their young are born in water; immediately after birth, the mother pushes them to the surface to take their first breath. This is a very important moment, and parents must be extremely careful not to encounter a predator.
The smallest cetacean is the dolphin, and the largest is the sea whale, which is also the largest animal in the world.
"Fountain". The whales may appear to be breathing out sprays of water; in fact, what we see is a stream of air mixed with a small amount of water.
The sei whale, humpback whale and blue whale feed on plankton, which they filter through dense horny plates called baleen. These plates prevent large animals from entering the mouth, so these whales do not need teeth.
Humpback whale. Unlike other whales, which prefer the open sea, the humpback whale lives close to the coast, sometimes even swimming into bays and rivers. Despite its weight of 30 tons, this frisky animal loves to “dance” when it sticks out of the water.
Sperm whale. This large animal reaches up to 20 meters in length. It feeds mainly on cephalopods, such as squid, as well as fish. When getting food, it can dive to a depth of up to two thousand meters, where giant squids weighing several centners are found. A sperm whale can hold its breath for almost two hours!
Narwhal. Due to its long, straight, horn-like tooth, the narwhal cannot be confused with anyone else. This friendly animal lives in cold Arctic waters.
Killer whale. Has a reputation as a cruel and very dangerous predator; in fact, the killer whale, like other carnivores, attacks the animals on which it feeds, but there is no evidence that it has attacked people.
Dolphin. Dolphins are very easy to tame due to the fact that they are very intelligent and have exceptional learning abilities. Dolphins, like all cetaceans, make many different sounds; This dolphin “language” is being studied by scientists. Dolphins are incredibly friendly; Once upon a time, it was a dolphin who saved a shipwrecked man from attacking sharks.
Sharks. These are very ancient fish; Due to the streamlined shape of the body, when moving forward, sharks experience the negligible resistance of the water, so they swim very quickly. Unlike fish, sharks reproduce by laying eggs; Some place them at the bottom, attaching them to algae or rocks; in others, the eggs develop completely in the mother's body, and the young are born already formed. Sharks range from fearsome predators, such as the blue shark, to peaceful plankton eaters, such as the huge whale shark, which, despite its terrifying appearance, is completely harmless. The whale shark is the largest fish in the world, its body length reaches 12 meters! The blue shark is considered a man-eating shark, and there is considerable evidence that it attacks people injured in shipwrecks and swimmers.
Gray shark. Lives in tropical seas, exploring the shallows in search of fish and crustaceans. It does not attack people, but if a person gets scared and tries to escape, this shark can become very dangerous.
Sawfish. Found in the warm waters of the Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea. A distinctive feature is the long and flat snout with small teeth arranged like the teeth of a saw. It serves the fish to comb the sandy bottom in search of small prey. Occasionally, the sawfish uses its “nose” to protect itself from enemies. Often the shark is accompanied by pilot fish; they feed on the remains of shark food, and, oddly enough, sharks do not attack them. There is an opinion that the pilot fish shows the shark the way to large schools of fish. In fact, this is just a legend without any basis.
Scat. It has a highly flattened body, which gives the impression that it is “flying” on water. Basically, the stingray lives on the bottom, at moderate depths, where it is remarkably camouflaged. Some species of stingray have a long spine on their back that secretes a strong poison. The mouth, located on the belly, has a lot of sharp teeth.
Tiger shark. This fish is called so because of the color of its skin. It swims close to the shore and feeds on everything: fish and crustaceans, birds and mammals.
Dark.
Sunlight does not penetrate water deeper than several tens of meters. Below there is constant darkness, and it is impossible to distinguish day from night. Plants cannot live without light, so there are no algae here at all. This is the reason that only predatory fish live at the depths, luring prey in various ingenious ways.
Many deep-sea fish have special luminous organs, so-called phosphors; they serve as bait that other fish cannot resist and, attracted by such “bait,” are often eaten.
Deep-sea fish are able to withstand the highest pressure; moreover, they cannot tolerate low pressure, and if they floated to the surface, they would die.
Organic substances slowly descend to the bottom of the ocean - the remains of animals and plants that died in the surface layers. All this constitutes the food of small benthic animals - this is the name given to the collection of organisms living on the bottom. Benthos, in turn, serves as food for fish and larger shellfish, which are watched by other predators that penetrate the abyss of the sea from shallower layers, for example, the sperm whale, which can dive to depths, despite the fact that it breathes atmospheric air.
Giant squid. One representative of this species of animal, “stranded” on the island of Newfoundland in Canada, weighed two tons. Giant squids have a body length together with tentacles that reaches 13-18 meters; it is even suggested that they get involved in fierce battles with sperm whales in the depths of the oceans: traces left by tentacles are often seen on the bodies of which, and the remains of giant squids are found in the stomachs.
Pelican-like largemouth.
Always swims in the dark, keeping his huge mouth wide open; in this way he collects all the food that comes his way.
Arboreal linophryne. Very little is known about this deep-sea fish due to the difficulty of studying it in its natural habitat. Probably most of the time she lies calmly on the bottom, swaying a long antenna with a phosphor - a luminous organ located on her head. Other fish, having been caught on such bait, inevitably end their lives in the throat of linophryne.
Coral reefs.
Corals- these are small animals, in whose colonies there are millions of individuals, they live in tropical seas, attached to their bottom. Over time, one calcareous skeleton generated by them grows and forms real coral reefs in coastal areas, on which waves break; because of this, between the shore and the coral fence the sea is calmer, like in a port harbor.
coral reef- an ideal habitat for both animals and plants: the sea here is calm and warm, there is a lot of sunshine. If you look underwater through a scuba mask, you can see countless different picturesque fish “walking” among starfish and sea anemones.
If you dive on the other side of the reef, towards the open sea, you may experience a feeling of extreme dizziness: there is no more bottom - only bright blue water.
The largest coral reef, more than 2,000 kilometers long, is located along the coast of Australia. These coral fortresses are called large quarry reefs and pose a serious danger to mariners.
Atolls. The peaks of underwater volcanoes can rise above the water, forming small islands, or be located near the surface of the ocean. If coral colonies form around them, they take on an almost circular shape, forming atolls - coral islands.
Madrepores. Relatives of corals are also formed by colonies of polyps of calcareous nature. At night, they extend their tentacles, grabbing food consisting of plankton.
By the shore.
In the ocean near the coast, the most favorable conditions for the prosperity of the inhabitants of the underwater world: sunlight penetrates the water, promoting the rapid growth of algae and providing food for the animals that feed on them; these animals, in turn, themselves serve as food for predatory fish. And finally, the movement of the waves, which never reaches a depth of more than a few tens of meters, here causes mixing at the bottom, which contributes to its fertility.
The bottom can be rocky, muddy or sandy, and sometimes covered with algae. Depending on the type of seabed, it is inhabited by different animals. For example, on a sandy bottom you can find a flounder that hides in the sand, burying itself halfway into it, and an octopus finds shelter on a rocky bottom, where it is almost invisible among the rocks.
Among the rocks washed by the sea, which provide a hospitable welcome to countless animals, there is a rich life. Some of the local inhabitants, such as mussels, patellas, urchins, starfish and sea anemones, do not swim. Crustaceans, octopuses and fish such as sargus, grouper, rockfish and moray eels lurk in the shadows of crevasses and cliffs. The flounder and the baby dragon hide in the sand, and the sultan explores it with her long antennae in search of food. All this potential prey attracts hunter fish that live in the open sea to the coast - bayfish, large serioles and zubans.
Sea urchins. When swimming in the sea, you need to be very careful not to step on these animals: the consequences can be very sad! The sea urchin's mouth is called an Aristotelian lantern and contains five constantly growing teeth. Some hedgehogs have short and dense spines, others have long and sparse spines. They differ in color.
Crustaceans. All these animals, most of them marine, have two pairs of antennae, and some also have two solid claws that can close forcefully. During the day they usually hide in rock crevices, but at night they become more active and go in search of food, which usually consists of mollusks and dead animals.
lobster found in seas almost all over the world; its weight can reach eight kilograms.
Lobster is like lobster, this is a very popular seafood product; Lobsters are caught using special traps - tops. Unlike the lobster, it has claws.
A distinctive feature of the crab is its specific way of moving sideways.
Crustaceans have a permanent burrow, where they certainly return after night forays for food: this indicates that crustaceans have a good sense of orientation. Some of them, for example, lobsters, make mass migrations over long distances.
Yesterday, September 26, was World Maritime Day. In this regard, we bring to your attention a selection of the most unusual sea creatures.
World Maritime Day has been celebrated since 1978 on one of the days of the last week of September. This international holiday was created in order to draw public attention to the problems of sea pollution and the extinction of animal species living in them. Indeed, over the past 100 years, according to the UN, some types of fish, including cod and tuna, have been caught by 90%, and every year about 21 million barrels of oil enter the seas and oceans.
All this causes irreparable damage to the seas and oceans and can lead to the death of their inhabitants. These include those that we will talk about in our selection.
1. Dumbo the Octopus
This animal received its name due to the ear-like structures protruding from the top of its head, which resemble the ears of Disney's baby elephant Dumbo. However, the scientific name of this animal is Grimpoteuthis. These cute creatures live at depths of 3,000 to 4,000 meters and are one of the rarest octopuses.
The largest individuals of this genus were 1.8 meters in length and weighed about 6 kg. Most of the time, these octopuses swim above the seabed in search of food - polychaete worms and various crustaceans. By the way, unlike other octopuses, these swallow their prey whole.
2. Short-snouted pipistrelle
This fish attracts attention, first of all, with its unusual appearance, namely with bright red lips on the front of the body. As previously thought, they are necessary to attract marine life, which the pipistrelle bat feeds on. However, it was soon discovered that this function is performed by a small formation on the fish’s head, called the esca. It emits a specific odor that attracts worms, crustaceans and small fish.
The unusual “image” of the pipistrelle bat is complemented by an equally amazing way of moving in water. Being a poor swimmer, it walks along the bottom on its pectoral fins.
The short-snouted pipistrelle is a deep-sea fish and lives in the waters near the Galapagos Islands.
3. Branched brittle stars
These deep-sea marine animals have many branched arms. Moreover, each of the rays can be 4-5 times larger than the body of these brittle stars. With their help, the animal catches zooplankton and other food. Like other echinoderms, branched brittle stars lack blood, and gas exchange is carried out using a special water-vascular system.
Typically, branched brittle stars weigh about 5 kg, their rays can reach 70 cm in length (in the branched brittle stars Gorgonocephalus stimpsoni), and their body is 14 cm in diameter.
4. Harlequin pipe snout
This is one of the least studied species that can, if necessary, merge with the bottom or imitate a branch of algae.
It is near the thickets of the underwater forest at a depth of 2 to 12 meters that these creatures try to stay so that in a dangerous situation they can acquire the color of the soil or the nearest plant. During “quiet” times for harlequins, they slowly swim upside down in search of food.
Looking at a photograph of a harlequin tubesnout, it is easy to guess that they are related to seahorses and pipefish. However, they differ noticeably in appearance: for example, the harlequin has longer fins. By the way, this shape of fins helps the ghost fish bear offspring. With the help of elongated pelvic fins, covered on the inside with thread-like outgrowths, the female harlequin forms a special pouch in which she bears eggs.
5. Yeti Crab
In 2005, an expedition exploring the Pacific Ocean discovered extremely unusual crabs that were covered in “fur” at a depth of 2,400 meters. Because of this feature (as well as their coloring), they were called “Yeti crabs” (Kiwa hirsuta).
However, it was not fur in the literal sense of the word, but long feathery bristles covering the chest and limbs of crustaceans. According to scientists, many filamentous bacteria live in the bristles. These bacteria purify water from toxic substances emitted by hydrothermal vents, near which “Yeti crabs” live. There is also an assumption that these same bacteria serve as food for crabs.
6. Australian coneberry
This species lives in the coastal waters of the Australian states of Queensland, New South Wales and Western Australia and is found on reefs and bays. Due to its small fins and hard scales, it swims extremely slowly.
Being a nocturnal species, the Australian conefish spends the day in caves and under rocky outcroppings. Thus, in one marine reserve in New South Wales, a small group of conefish was recorded hiding under the same ledge for at least 7 years. At night, this species comes out of hiding and goes hunting on sandbanks, illuminating its path with the help of luminescent organs, photophores. This light is produced by a colony of symbiotic bacteria, Vibrio fischeri, which has taken up residence in the photophores. Bacteria can leave the photophores and simply live in seawater. However, their luminescence fades a few hours after they leave the photophores.
Interestingly, fish also use the light emitted by their luminescent organs to communicate with their relatives.
7. Lyre sponge
The scientific name of this animal is Chondrocladia lyra. It is a type of carnivorous deep-sea sponge, and was first discovered in the California sponge at a depth of 3300-3500 meters in 2012.
The lyre sponge gets its name from its appearance, which resembles a harp or lyre. So, this animal is held on the seabed with the help of rhizoids, root-like formations. From 1 to 6 horizontal stolons extend from their upper part, and on them, at equal distances from each other, are vertical “branches” with spade-shaped structures at the end.
Since the lyre sponge is carnivorous, it uses these “branches” to capture prey, such as crustaceans. And as soon as she manages to do this, she will begin to secrete a digestive membrane that will envelop the prey. Only after this the lyre sponge will be able to suck in the split prey through its pores.
The largest recorded lyre sponge reaches almost 60 centimeters in length.
8. Clowns
Living in almost all tropical and subtropical seas and oceans, fish from the clown family are among the fastest predators on the planet. After all, they are able to catch prey in less than a second!
So, having seen a potential victim, the “clown” will track it down, remaining motionless. Of course, the prey will not notice it, because fish of this family usually resemble a plant or a harmless animal in their appearance. In some cases, when the prey comes closer, the predator begins to move the tail, an extension of the front dorsal fin that resembles a “fishing rod,” which forces the prey even closer. And as soon as a fish or other sea animal is close enough to the “clown”, it will suddenly open its mouth and swallow its prey, spending only 6 milliseconds! This attack is so lightning fast that it cannot be seen without slow motion. By the way, the volume of the fish’s oral cavity often increases 12 times while catching prey.
In addition to the speed of clownfish, an equally important role in their hunting is played by the unusual shape, color and texture of their cover, which allows these fish to mimic. Some clownfish resemble rocks or corals, while others resemble sponges or sea squirts. And in 2005, Sargassum clown sea, which imitates algae, was discovered. The “camouflage” of clownfish can be so good that sea slugs often crawl over these fish, mistaking them for coral. However, they need “camouflage” not only for hunting, but also for protection.
Interestingly, during a hunt, the “clown” sometimes sneaks up on its prey. He literally approaches her using his pectoral and ventral fins. These fish can walk in two ways. They can alternately move their pectoral fins without using the pelvic fins, and they can transfer their body weight from the pectoral fins to the pelvic fins. The latter method of gait can be called a slow gallop.
9. Smallmouth macropinna
Living in the depths of the North Pacific Ocean, the smallmouth macropinna has a very unusual appearance. She has a transparent forehead through which she can look out for prey with her tubular eyes.
The unique fish was discovered in 1939. However, at that time it was not possible to study it well enough, in particular the structure of the cylindrical eyes of the fish, which can move from a vertical position to a horizontal one and vice versa. This was only possible in 2009.
Then it became clear that the bright green eyes of this small fish (it does not exceed 15 cm in length) are located in a head chamber filled with a transparent liquid. This chamber is covered by a dense, but at the same time elastic transparent shell, which is attached to the scales on the body of the smallmouth macropinna. The bright green color of the fish's eyes is explained by the presence of a specific yellow pigment in them.
Since the smallmouth macropinna is characterized by a special structure of the eye muscles, its cylindrical eyes can be in both a vertical position and in a horizontal position, when the fish can look directly through its transparent head. Thus, macropinna can notice prey both when it is in front of it and when it swims above it. And as soon as the prey - usually zooplankton - is at the level of the fish’s mouth, it quickly grabs it.
10. Sea Spider
These arthropods, which are not actually spiders or even arachnids, are common in the Mediterranean and Caribbean Seas, as well as the Arctic and Southern Oceans. Today, more than 1,300 species of this class are known, some representatives of which reach 90 cm in length. However, most sea spiders are still small in size.
These animals have long legs, of which there are usually about eight. Moss spiders also have a special appendage (proboscis) that they use to absorb food into the intestines. Most of these animals are carnivorous and feed on cnidarians, sponges, polychaete worms and bryozoans. For example, sea spiders often feed on sea anemones: they insert their proboscis into the body of the sea anemone and begin to suck its contents into themselves. And since sea anemones are usually larger than sea spiders, they almost always survive such “torture.”
Sea spiders live in different parts of the world: in the waters of Australia, New Zealand, off the Pacific coast of the United States, in the Mediterranean and Caribbean seas, as well as in the Arctic and Southern oceans. Moreover, they are most common in shallow water, but can also be found at depths of up to 7000 meters. They often hide under rocks or camouflage themselves among algae.
11. Cyphoma gibbosum
The shell color of this orange-yellow snail seems very bright. However, only the soft tissues of a living mollusk have this color, and not the shell. Typically, Cyphoma gibbosum snails reach 25-35 mm in length, and their shell is 44 mm.
These animals live in the warm waters of the western Atlantic Ocean, including the Caribbean Sea, Gulf of Mexico and the waters of the Lesser Antilles at depths of up to 29 meters.
12. Mantis crab
Living at shallow depths in tropical and subtropical seas, mantis crayfish have the most complex eyes in the world. If a person can distinguish 3 primary colors, then the mantis crab can distinguish 12. Also, these animals perceive ultraviolet and infrared light and see different types of polarization of light.
Many animals are able to see linear polarization. For example, fish and crustaceans use it to navigate and detect prey. However, only mantis crabs are able to see both linear polarization and a rarer, circular one.
Such eyes enable mantis crayfish to recognize different types of corals, their prey and predators. In addition, when hunting, it is important for the crayfish to deliver precise strikes with its pointed, grasping legs, in which its eyes also help.
By the way, sharp, jagged segments on the grasping legs also help mantis crayfish cope with prey or predators, which can be much larger in size. So, during an attack, the mantis crab makes several quick strikes with its legs, which causes serious damage to the victim or kills it.
I don’t walk or fly, but try to catch up! I can be golden Come on, look into a fairy tale FISH
Don't you know me? OCTOPUS I live at the bottom of the sea. A head and eight legs, that's all I am...
What peoples lived on the shores of the Black Sea in ancient times? Taurians, Khazars, Scythians, Turks, Circassians, Cimmerians, Sarmatians, Tatars, Italians. What countries are located on the shores of the Black Sea? Russia, Türkiye, Bulgaria, Rumy Georgia, Ukraine
What cities are located on the shores of the Black Sea? Sochi, Crimea, Tuapse, Batumi, Sukhumi, Gelendzhik, Yalta, Gagra, Novorossiysk, Anapa. What fish living in the Black Sea are of commercial importance? Beluga, sturgeon, stellate sturgeon, herring, anchovy, red mullet, horse mackerel, mackerel, sprat, sprat, tuna.
What determines the color of aquatic organisms? The color of organisms depends on their environment. What swimming devices do fish have? Fish have air sacs inside; fins, tail; body streamlining
What swimming devices do jellyfish have? 90% of a jellyfish's body consists of water, they push water out with their dome. What is the industrial significance of algae? In terms of vitamin content, algae are not inferior to apple pineapples. Soups, salads and side dishes are prepared from algae. Raw algae is added to chocolates, pastilles, sauces, syrups, etc. They are used in the manufacture of cosmetic products and a number of medicines.
What is the area of the Black Sea? 422 thousand sq. km What is the greatest depth of the Black Sea? 2245 m What is the greatest and shortest extent of the Black Sea? 580 km, 265 km At what depth of the sea is there no life? Why? From 150 m, hydrogen sulfide
