Open the door 

Which of the marine inhabitants is a fish. The most unusual inhabitants of the ocean depths. Fantastic images of sea monsters

Marine fish are a vast and large group vertebrates that live in the salt water of the seas and oceans. There are about thirty thousand species of marine fish in the world. Moreover, even scientists cannot give an exact figure of exactly how many marine fish exist on the planet, since about 300-500 new and unknown fish are annually discovered, described and given names.

According to scientists, the first marine fish appeared in the oceans about half a billion years ago, and since then their evolution has been very rapid. It is worth noting that the ancestors of the freshwater fish and many animals living now were just ancient marine fish.

Marine fish habitats
Marine fish inhabit all corners of the World Ocean, ranging from tropical latitudes to the northern seas and waters of Antarctica, where temperatures all year round close to freezing point. The most densely populated are various seas, especially those located in tropical latitudes, as well as shelf (shallow) areas of the oceans - here the most suitable conditions for their nutrition and reproduction.

Marine fish have adapted to life not only in the upper layers of water, which are well warmed up by the sun, rich in oxygen and various food. Scientists have observed these marine life in the deepest depressions, where sunlight does not penetrate at all. Judging by their unique photographs, deep sea fish look very unusual, and more like sea monsters (this feature is also reflected in the names of such fish, for example, witch fish, devil fish).

Pelagic and bottom marine fish
All marine fish can be conditionally divided into two large groups - pelagic and bottom. As you might guess from the name, the life of bottom fish takes place at the bottom, many of them do not even swim, but rather crawl along the bottom. It is easy to recognize such fish - they have a special body structure that is most adapted to living conditions. Examples are species such as gobies, rays, different kinds flounders and halibuts.

Pelagic marine fish, on the contrary, are adapted to life in the middle and upper layers of the water. In the photo, such fish are easily recognizable by their elongated torpedo-shaped body shape, which allows them to swim quickly, successfully hunting or escaping from enemies. Examples of pelagic fish can be mackerel, wahoo, mullet, barracuda, tuna, etc. However, pelagic is a rather conditional name for such fish. For example, some representatives of cod, depending on the season, can move from the upper layers of the water closer to the bottom.

Heat-loving and cold-loving marine fish
Many species of marine fish can be very demanding on water temperature, so strictly defined geographical latitudes are chosen for their habitat. On this basis, they are divided into heat-loving and cold-loving.

An example of heat-loving fish can be such species known to many fishermen as blue marlin, wahoo, tuna, dorado - they are united by the common name "tropical fish". Cod, halibut, catfish, haddock live in the cold waters of the seas and oceans - respectively, their common name is "arctic fish".

Sea fish sizes
The largest representative of the marine ichthyofauna is the whale shark. It can reach a weight of 10-12 tons and a length of 18-20 meters. Many have seen sharks in the photo, but in wildlife it is better not to meet them. The very name of these fish has long been associated with bloodthirstiness and predatory inclinations. A film called "Jaws" is known, and real cases of shark attacks on swimming people occur annually in different parts of the world. However, unlike other shark species, the whale shark feeds on small vertebrates and is not dangerous to humans.

Other large fish, such as blue marlin, yellowfin tuna, and stingray, can also become an enviable trophy for sea fishing. These fish are often hunted by lovers of large trophies on sea fishing.

At the same time, there are many small fish in the depths of the sea, which are an important link in the food chain. These are sprat, anchovy, anchovy, horse mackerel known to Black Sea fishermen and many others.

sea ​​fishing
Many fans of sea fishing are attracted by the opportunity to catch a real trophy. Glossy fishing magazines around the world, as well as fishing websites, are literally full of photos of happy fishermen with impressive trophies that weigh hundreds of kilograms, or even several tons!

It should be noted that the objects of amateur fishing are not only sea giants, but also such species as gobies, crucian carp (Laskir), garfish, red mullet, sea bass. However, when going on sea fishing, it is better to find out everything about poisonous sea fish and carefully study the photos of those fish that are dangerous to humans (for example, scorpionfish, or sea ruff), so that if you accidentally catch this fish in your hand and not get a painful prick with a sharp poisonous thorn.

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, long time spend 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 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. Them 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 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 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 number 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. Unique abilities sharks - 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. Not big sizes 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 black fish small sizes with a long whisker on the lower lip, with which she 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. How colder water, the paler the color of the squid. The change in color saturation also depends on the electrical impulse. Some individuals have three hearts, so they have the ability to regenerate. Squids are predators, they feed on small crustaceans and plankton.

Clams also include oysters, mussels, and scallops. These representatives have a soft body, closed in a shell of two valves. They practically do not move, burrow into the 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 seas and oceans is diverse. Here, at many meters deep, picturesque dwell. The names of many of them were given by scientists, taking into account their distinctive features: body shape, fins, coloration, patterns on the skin, similarities with some terrestrial individuals, etc. So, some of the invertebrates were named "starfish", "truffles", etc.

Underwater inhabitants can be divided into the following groups:

  • invertebrates;
  • mammals;
  • crustaceans;
  • fish;
  • turtles and snakes.

marine invertebrates

Invertebrates include the following living organisms: sea anemones, stars, sea ​​urchins, molluscs, sponges, corals, jellyfish, squids, nautiluses, octopuses, oysters, gloturias, triacnae, etc. These animals lack an axial skeleton. They most often live in tropical seas and stand out for their bizarre shapes and brightest colors. Anyone who first sees them in the water does not even suspect that they are living beings. Rather, you can decide that these are peculiar plants, rather than marine animals. The names of each of them indicate the distinctive features of their "owner". So, it has a spongy structure, and the sea urchin is covered with spines, the starfish is a star in its shape.

marine mammals

According to some theories, marine mammals are our distant ancestors. After all, the world was first born in water. seals, walruses, etc.) and cetaceans existed about 26 million years ago. Some of these species died, and new ones appeared to replace them. Today, about 120 species of mammals are known to science - inhabitants of the seas and oceans. They can be combined into three large groups: whales, dolphins, seals.

Sea animals, photos and names of which are given above, are perhaps the most unique and interesting creatures on the planet. Bottlenose dolphins, common dolphins, striped and spotted dolphins - these animals are the most studied by zoologists and are in constant contact with humans, but much of their behavior remains a mystery to us.

Crustaceans

These animals belong to the class of aquatic arthropods. It includes crayfish, crabs, lobsters, shrimps, lobsters, etc. These marine animals, whose names can be found on the menu of Japanese, Chinese, Italian and other cuisines, are the most valuable products rich in iodine, protein, phosphorus and others. beneficial substances. However, some of them are very rare and are listed in the Red Book.

Fish

This is the largest group of marine life. What kind of colors and shapes they do not exist. They range in size from microscopic to gigantic. Fish can be both peaceful inhabitants of the water depths and bloodthirsty predators, which primarily include the so-called "wolves" of the seas - sharks. These are large predatory marine animals, whose names indicate which of the terrestrial animals they are compared with. So, for example, there are cat, tiger, bull, leopard, zebra sharks, and not all of them are bloodthirsty creatures. By the way, the leopard shark is a peaceful creature that almost never attacks a person, unlike the white shark, the greatest hunter. She is said to be very cunning and smart. But the stingray, for example, is very dangerous for humans, because it carries a significant electric charge and can cause death. However, most fish are peaceful creatures that become easy prey for humans.

Turtles and snakes

Turtles are the only reptiles that have a shell. These marine animals have very intricate names: hawksbill, loggerhead, ridley and green turtle. Some of them are large. As for sea snakes, they are the closest relatives of asps. However, in their way of life they are very different from their earthly relatives.

Incredible Facts

Perhaps we should stop looking for aliens on other planets, since enough lives in the ocean amazing and strange life forms more like aliens.

4 Goblin Shark

The goblin shark is rarely seen on the surface, as it mostly inhabits at a depth of 270 to 1300 meters.

It is easily recognizable by its elongated and flattened muzzle with retractable jaws with teeth as sharp as nails. These sharks reach 3-4 meters in length, but can grow more than 6 meters.

5 Sea Spider

If you thought that there were no spiders in the ocean, you were greatly mistaken. However, sea spiders have nothing to do with terrestrial spiders, despite their superficial resemblance. These are not spiders and not even arachnids, but chelicerae - a subtype arthropods.

They live in the seas, especially in the Mediterranean and Caribbean, as well as in the Arctic and South Arctic oceans. There is more 1300 species of sea spiders, ranging in size from 1-10 mm to 90 cm.

6. Pompeii worm

Pompeii worms ( Alvinella pompejana) live in very hot water near the hydrothermal vents of the Pacific Ocean and can withstand extreme temperature and pressure.

7. Drop fish

Drop fish ( Psychrolutes marcidus) although it is considered the ugliest creature in the world, looks like a perfectly normal fish, being in its usual environment at a depth of 600-1200 meters.

At this depth, the pressure is 120 times higher than at the surface. Unlike other fish, it does not have a swim bladder, skeleton or muscles, which allows it to swim at depth. If you raise it to the surface, it acquires drooping and dull look.

Sea creatures

8 Bobbit Polychaete Worm

The purple Australian polychaete worm, also known as the Bobbit worm, can grow up to 3 meters long.

He hunts his prey in the most diabolical way, burrowing into the seabed, leaving a small part of his body on the surface and waiting for the victim. Using its antennae, the worm senses passing prey, quickly captures it with its strong muscular throat, and splits the fish in two.

9. Jellyfish "flower hat"

These jellyfish, with beautiful multi-colored tentacles emanating from a translucent umbrella, feed on small fish and sometimes on each other.

They can increase or decrease in size dependent on food supplies.

10. Seahorse-rag-picker

These slow moving fish are related to seahorses. They rely mainly on their seaweed-like appendages, thanks to which the rag-pickers camouflage and protect themselves from predators.

11. Siphonophores

Siphonophores are animal colonies, consisting of individual representatives called zooids, connected by a common trunk. Such a colony can reach several meters in length.

12. Crown jellyfish

This atoll jellyfish or crown jellyfish is very similar to a UFO, because, like most jellyfish, it does not have a digestive, respiratory, circulatory and central nervous system.

She lives deep 1000 - 4000 meters where no sunlight can reach. Being frightened, this jellyfish "connects" bioluminescent blue lights that spin like flashing lights on a police car.

13. Pike blenny

These fish usually hide inside shells on the seabed. These are small (up to 30 cm), but ferocious fish with a large mouth and aggressive behavior.

When two pike blennies fight for territory, they press their wide mouths against each other as if in a kiss. This helps them determine who is bigger.

14. Glass squid

There is about 60 types of glass squid or crachniids. Most of them, as the name implies, are transparent, which helps them to disguise themselves.

15. Pteropods

Winged mollusks are small sea ​​snails, which swim in the water on two legs in the form of wings. They are born males but become females when they reach a large size.

16. Sea cucumber

These floating deep sea cucumbers are transparent so you can see their digestive system.

deep sea dwellers

17. Squid-worm

Scientists first discovered this deep-sea creature in 2007. It was nicknamed the worm squid because of 10 tentacles on the head, each of which is longer than the entire body. He uses them to collect food.

18. Lobster formidable claws

This species lobster Dinochelus ausubeli, which means "terrible pincers", was discovered at a depth 300 meters in the Philippines in 2007. It reaches a length of only 3 cm, and its toothy claws are the only frightening feature.

19. Venus flytrap anemone

This sea anemone Actinoscyphia aurelia, was named after venus flytrap plants because of the similar shape and way of eating. She folds her disc in half, trapping food and digesting it with her mouth located in the center of the disc.

A completely different world reigns in the depths of the seas and oceans: special flora and fauna, represented by many varieties, have not yet revealed half of their secrets to humanity. Every year, thanks to developing technologies, scientists are able to explore new areas and discover unique species of deep-sea animals.

Creatures living in unexplored waters very often amaze with their appearance- not always pretty, but certainly entertaining and mysterious. We offer you to dive into a strange and wonderful underwater kingdom with its extravagant inhabitants.

1. Moon-fish (Mola-mola)

The sunfish (sunfish, headfish) is the world's largest bony fish. Laterally flattened and somewhat elongated shape body combined with impressive size makes a strong impression, in addition, many individuals of this species reach three meters, if you calculate the distance between the fins. This huge fish is found in all oceans located in tropical and temperate climates. The giant feeds on zooplankton, and also, most likely, small fish and algae.

2 Giant Isopod

The giant isopod is without a doubt one of the strangest creatures encountered by man in the underwater world. Known to science as Bathynomus giganteus, it belongs to the group of crustaceans, being the largest member of the Bathynomus family, related to shrimps and crabs.

3 Pelagic Bigmouth Shark

It is difficult to describe a megamouth shark better than its name makes - a shark with a huge mouth. Its streamlined head is somewhat lost behind the scale of the protruding jaws. The body of the shark is decorated with white spots covering the tips of the fins, as well as a dark triangle at the throat. The average length of this outlandish marine life is 4.5 m, although scientists have found individuals larger than five meters. The bigmouth shark weighs about 750 kg.

4. Longhorn sabertooth

Known to the scientific world as Anoplogaster Cornuta, this formidable creature lives in the deep waters of many of the world's oceans. The sabertooth got its eloquent name because of the very impressive appearance of the fanged mouth. The teeth of this fish are considered the longest in proportion to body size among all the inhabitants of the seas. For its grotesque appearance, the sabertooth has earned the nickname "ogre fish".

5. Howliod (viper fish)

One of the most furious underwater predators is howliod. Its teeth are so large that they do not fit in the mouth, curving up to the eyes. It is believed that such a formidable weapon helps the fish inflict critical wounds on its victims while chasing them at high speeds. This creepy-looking creature has a long dorsal fin topped with a photophore, a light-producing organ.

6 Grenadier Fish

This species lives just above the sea floor. Leisurely swimming along its surface, the fish looks out for live prey, although it turns out not to be averse to tasting underwater carrion. In addition to a rather spectacular appearance, the grenadier has the ability to release a specific chemical compound with an extremely pungent odor. So it's really hard to get close to this small underwater monster.

7 Deep Sea Glass Squid

Extremely curious species can be found in the middle ocean depths, where rays of light that have reached through the water column, combined with the translucent bodies of underwater inhabitants, create a spectacular camouflage for the latter. For even better camouflage, some creatures, such as the glass squid, have acquired bioluminescent organs under their eyes.

8. Monkfish (football fish)

In addition to the amusing appearance, the monkfish has other interesting features. For example, males of this fish cling to the body of a much larger female and spend most of their lives in this position. While the lady takes care of her harem, gets food and builds a nest, the task of her many husbands is only to fertilize.

9 Pacific Black Dragon

The female Pacific black dragon grows up to 61 cm in length and has rather menacing-looking fangs, as well as a small beard. Compared to their imposing mates, males can boast neither their size (about 8 cm), nor teeth, nor mustaches or beards. They don’t even have a stomach, so they are not destined to eat in their short life. The only mission of the brownish male Pacific black dragon is to have time to mate with the female, who then also uses the body of a former friend as bait for prey.

10. Big Mouth (Pelican Fish)

The long body of the pelican fish passes into an equally long tail with a light-producing organ at the end. On average, this ancient inhabitant of the seas can grow up to 80 cm. Its habitat is tropical and temperate waters.