Under the Sea
Under the Sea there are many magnificent sites. From Coral Reefs to the shadows of killer whales...a simple sponge can see a lot of things. Now you can too, Think about how amazing God's creation is and how everything has a purpose of benefit. Have a nice day. :)
Coral Reefs
Coral reefs are home to many colonies of species such as fish, mollusks, echinoderms and sponges. Coral reefs are often called "rainforests of the sea" and they are the most diverse ecosystems on Earth, only occupying 1% of the Earth's ocean surface. (about half the size of France) They are most commonly found at shallow depths in tropical waters, particularly in the Pacific Ocean, but deep water and cold water corals exist on a much smaller scale. Coral reefs are underwater structures made from calcium carbonate secreted by corals. Corals are colonies of tiny living animals found in marine waters containing few nutrients. Most coral reefs are built from stony corals, and are formed by polyps that live together in groups.
Sea Anemone
SEA ANEMONE AND CLOWNFISH:
Many scientists have been studying the relationship between sea anemone and clownfish. Why doesn't the anemone sting the clownfish? Well, studies show that the fish is able to produce a special mucus to protect itself from the anemone's sting. Also, some believe that the fish's movement inform the anemone of its identity. What do you think?
"THE FLOWER OF THE SEA": Anenome look like plants, but are really meat-eating animals and come in various colors and sizes. It can attach itself to rocks or coral and in the center of the anemone is its mouth. In order to eat, they must wait for their food to swim by. Then they sting it with their tentecles, and push it into their mouth.
Many scientists have been studying the relationship between sea anemone and clownfish. Why doesn't the anemone sting the clownfish? Well, studies show that the fish is able to produce a special mucus to protect itself from the anemone's sting. Also, some believe that the fish's movement inform the anemone of its identity. What do you think?
"THE FLOWER OF THE SEA": Anenome look like plants, but are really meat-eating animals and come in various colors and sizes. It can attach itself to rocks or coral and in the center of the anemone is its mouth. In order to eat, they must wait for their food to swim by. Then they sting it with their tentecles, and push it into their mouth.
The Jellies
As in..the jellfish...Jellyfish are free-swimming members of the phylum cnidaria. They are found in every ocean, from the surface to the deep sea. Some live in fresh water, are color-less and do not sting. Jellyfish belong to the same phylum as sea anemone and have a medusa-shape-form whereas anemone has a polyp-shape-form. Many of the best known jellyfish are sycphomedusae. These are usually large and colorful, also most common in costal zones worldwide.
INTRESTING FACT: Lion's Mane Jellyfish are the largest known jellyfish, and agurably the longest animal in the world.
INTRESTING FACT: Lion's Mane Jellyfish are the largest known jellyfish, and agurably the longest animal in the world.
Sea Lions
We were down at the Balboa pier not to long ago and saw cute furry creatures laying on a bell buoy. SEA LIONS! That's what I'll be writing about today...Sea lions are nocturnal mammals, which means they sleep during the day and hunt during the night. Since it was 11 in the morning, when we saw the mammals,they were asleep. Most sea lions seperate from their parents when they are about 2 months old. The sea lions that we saw looked like they were 6 months old approximently, so they weren't with their parents.
HERE ARE A COUPLE PICTURES WE TOOK OF THE SEA LIONS:
HERE ARE A COUPLE PICTURES WE TOOK OF THE SEA LIONS:
Orcas
Orcas are found in every ocean of the world. They can weigh over 13,200 pounds and swim over 30 mile per hour. Orcas live in tight-knit group that include their calves, older infertile female, and an adult male. One or more form the basis of a family unit known as a pod.Pod members use a range of whistles, tones, and screams to keep in touvh with each other. Each pod "speaks" in a unique dialect, which id developed and passed down through generations.
INTRESTING FACT: Each orca has a unique coloration of the grey-white "saddle" on its back.
INTRESTING FACT: Each orca has a unique coloration of the grey-white "saddle" on its back.
Great White Sharks
Great white sharks live in temperate oceans, mainly off the coasts of North America, Southern Africa, Australia, New Zeland, Japan, and parts of the Mediterrean. They are the largest predatory shark, reaching a length of more the 20' and weighing up to 7,040 pounds and are the only sharks that regualarly attacks warmblooded animals, such as seals and dolphins.These sharks have broad, serrated teeth up to 3" long.
Blue Tang Surgeon Fish (Also known as Dory)
The Blue Tang Surgeon (best known as optimistic Dory from the Disney movie "Finding Nemo") are only blue when they reach adulthood and live in coral reefs in the Indo-Pacific area. Blue tangs are capable of changing the intensity of their hue - from light blue to deep purple and their flesh is also poisonous so watch out....
"Just keep swimming, just keep swimming...What do we do? We swim."
"Just keep swimming, just keep swimming...What do we do? We swim."
Starfish (Sea Star)
Starfish or "sea stars" are echinoderms belonging to the class Asteroidea. There are 2,000 living species of starfish that occur in all the world's oceans, including the Atlantic, Pacific, Indian as well as in the Arctic and the Southern Ocean regions. Starfish are some of the most familiar marine animals. Broadly speaking, starfish are opportunistic feeders and possess a wide variety of feeding methods.
Starfish move by using a water vascular system. Water comes through the system through the madreporite, then is circulated from the stone canal to the ring canal and into the radial canals. The radial canals carry water to the ampullae and provide suction to the tube feet. The tube feet latch on to surfaces and move in a wave, with one body section attaching to the surfaces as another releases. Most sea stars cannot move quickly.
Starfish move by using a water vascular system. Water comes through the system through the madreporite, then is circulated from the stone canal to the ring canal and into the radial canals. The radial canals carry water to the ampullae and provide suction to the tube feet. The tube feet latch on to surfaces and move in a wave, with one body section attaching to the surfaces as another releases. Most sea stars cannot move quickly.
Seahorse
What a majestic creature we have here! The stars of fairytales, legends, and greek mythology! The Seahorse. Seahorses are mainly found in shallow and temperate waters. They love to live in areas such as seagrass beds, coral reefs and mangroves. Seahorses are named for their equine profile. Although they are bony fish, they do not have scales, but rather a thin skin stretched over a series of bony plates arranged in rings throughout their body. Since they are poor swimmers, they are most likely to be found resting.
INTRESTING FACT: Their size is relative to a tea cup and they are among the only animal species on Earth in which the male bears the unborn young.
INTRESTING FACT: Their size is relative to a tea cup and they are among the only animal species on Earth in which the male bears the unborn young.
Dolphins
These marine mammals, lovely to look at, are quite popular in the human culture, because of their friendly and playful attitude. Play is an important part of dolphin culture. They leap above water, ride waves and play-fight with other dolphins. Dolphins have been famous in artwork (such as the Triton Fountain, a seventeenth century fountain in Rome) and mythology (many Ancient Greece coins with a man or boy riding the back of a dolphin were found.) Of course, they're also being found in literature books such as The Music of Dolphins by Karen Hesse or the fantasy novel Into the Deep by Ken Grimwood.
INTERESTING FACT: Some dolphins can jump up to 20-feet above water! :)
INTERESTING FACT: Some dolphins can jump up to 20-feet above water! :)
Sea Sponges
I CANNOT believe I haven't written about sponges yet! Well I guess now is the perfect time :) First of all, yes, sponges are animals, though, they don't have a digestive system...nor a respitory or circulatory system. Sponges mostly rely on water flowing through their bodies to obtain food and oxygen. Their bodies are shaped so that the maximun amount of water is flown though them.
INTERESTING FACT: Though sea sponges are very different from the ones in your bath tub, they can be just as colorful. Their colors vary from pink, blue, yellow, white, orange and purple.
INTERESTING FACT: Though sea sponges are very different from the ones in your bath tub, they can be just as colorful. Their colors vary from pink, blue, yellow, white, orange and purple.
Tetraodontidae
Tetraodontidae is a family of familiar species you might know such as pufferfish, balloonfish, blowfish, bubblefish, globefish, swellfish, toadfish, toadies, honey toads, sugar toads, and sea squab. You may know them from humorous cartoon. They "blow up" when they are touched, right? Well, that's correct, but that's not their only defense. Most are also very poisonous. This surely helps for their slow locomotion. :)