DIFERENT ANIMALS INSIDE THE SEA

Alba Gallardo3ºA

Sea Mammals include whales, dolphins, manatees, true seals, eared seals, walruses, and even sea otters. Sea mammals have evolved from land mammals over time by adopting new features that help them survive in the water. Marine mammals breathe air instead of extracting oxygen from water. Marine mammals also give birth to offspring and they have a thick layer of blubber. There are around 120 total species of sea mammals known to be in existence as of June 2011.

THE SEA MAMMALS

Bottlenose Dolphin

The scientific name of the Bottlenose Dolphin is Tursiops truncatus. The Bottlenose Dolphin travels mostly in the coastal waters of temperate, tropical and subtropical areas. They are often found in the English Channel in Britain. The dolphin is a highly intelligent animal. It communicates through a range of sound waves with other dolphins. In addition, the Bottlenose Dolphin lives in groups of 10 to 100 dolphins. Its diet consists of a variety of fish and invertebrates.

Blue Whale

The scientific name of the Blue Whale is Balaenoptera musculus. The Blue Whale is the largest animal that has ever lived, even in comparison to dinosaurs. It is found in the Atlantic, Pacific, Indian and Arctic oceans.

According to the website Arkive, there are approximately 5000 Blue Whales that remain in the oceans. Blue Whales travel in groups of 60. They feed on shrimp-like krill. Blue

Whales spend most their summer feeding in cold waters.

Sperm Whale

The scientific name of a Sperm Whale is Physeter macrocephalus. The Sperm Whale has the largest brain of any living animal. It has a single blowhole and finds as its habitats all of the oceans except the Arctic Ocean. The Sperm Whale dwells in waters at least 200 meters deep. It has been recorded that some Sperm Whales dive as deep as 3000 meters. They mainly feed on squid, octopus and fish.

FISHESThere are over 14,000 species of marine fishes, from the tiny pygmy goby to the giant whale shark. This group of vertebrate animals includes the jawless fishes, cartilaginous fishes (sharks, rays and chimaeras), and the bony fishes. Learn about some of these species here.

Atlantic Cod (Gadus morhua)

Cod are greenish brown to gray on their sides and back, with a lighter underside. They have a light line that runs along their side, called the lateral line. They have an obvious barbel, or whisker-like projection, from their chin, giving them a catfish-like appearance. They have three dorsal fins and two anal fins, all of which are prominent.There have been reports of cod that were as long as 6 1/2 feet and as heavy as 211 pounds, although the cod typically caught by fishermen today are much smaller.

Whale Shark (Rhincodon typus)

While its name may be deceiving, the whale shark is actually a shark, and the largest fish in the world. Whale sharks can grow to 65 feet in length and up to about 75,000 pounds in weight. Females are generally larger than males. They are huge and streamlined, and have a

beautiful coloration pattern on their back and sides that is made up of light spots and stripes over a dark gray, blue or brown background. They have a white underside.

Basking Shark (Cetorhinus maximus) The basking shark is the second-largest shark species, and can reach lengths up to 30-40 feet. Weights for the basking shark have been estimated at 4-7 tons (about 8,000-15,000 pounds). They are filter-feeders who are often seen feeding near the surface with their huge mouths agape.Basking sharks got their name because they are often seen “basking” on the surface of the water. It may appear the shark is sunning itself, but in fact it is often feeding on tiny plankton and crustaceans.

Shortfin Mako Shark (Isurus oxyrinchus) Shortfin makos have a beautiful blue coloration on their back which lightens to a white ventral surface (belly). They grow to a maximum length of about 13

feet and weight of about 1,220 pounds. The largest shortfin mako ever caught was one off the coast of Massachusetts that weighed 1,221

INVERTEBRATESInvertebrates, animals without a notochord

or backbone, comprise the largest group of organisms in the world, forming over a million species. Marine invertebrates alone comprise thousands of species, and are a hugely diverse group of animals, from sessile sponges to spiny sea urchins. Below are profiles and facts on some marine invertebrates.

Chinese Mitten Crab (Eriocheir sinensis) The Chinese mitten crab is most easily distinguished by its claws, which are white-tipped and covered in brown hair. The shell, or carapace, of this crab is up to 4 inches

wide and light brown to olive green in color. They have eight legs.

European Green Crab (Carcinus maenas)The green crab's carapace varies in color from green to brown or reddish orange, and is up to about 4 inches across. The green crab's native range is along the Atlantic coast of Europe and northern Africa. In the 1800's, the species was transported to Cape Cod, Massachusetts and is now found in the eastern U.S. from the Gulf of St. Lawrence to Delaware. In 1989, green crabs were discovered in San Francisco Bay, and now they inhabit the West Coast up to British Columbia. Green crabs have also been recorded in Australia, Sri Lanka, South Africa and Hawaii.

Sponges Sponges come in a wide variety of colors, shapes and sizes. Some, like the liver sponge pictuerd here, look like a low-lying crust on a rock, while others can be taller than humans. Some sponges are in the form of encrustations or masses, some are branched, and some look like tall vases (e.g., see vase sponge image by clicking on the "more images" link above). Sponges are relatively simple multi-celled animals. Sponges do not have tissues or organs like some animals do, but they have specialized cells to perform necessary functions. These cells each have a job - some are in charge of digestion, some reproduction, some bringing in water so the sponge can filter feed, and some for getting rid of wastes. The skeleton, or structure of sponges is formed by spicules, which are made of silica or calcareous materials, and sponging, a protein that supports the spicules. Sponge species may be most readily identified by examining their spicules under a microscope. Sponges do not have a nervous system, so they don't move when touched

Crustacean

All crustaceans have a hard exoskeleton, which protects the animal from predators and prevents water loss. However, exoskeletons can't grow as the animal inside them grows, so crustaceans are forced to molt as they grow larger. During molting, a soft exoskeleton forms underneath the old one and the old exoskeleton is shed. Since the new exoskeleton is soft, this is a vulnerable time for the crustacean until the new exoskeleton hardens.

StarfishAlthough sea stars live underwater and are commonly called "starfish," they are not fish. They do not have gills, scales, or fins like fish do and they move quite differently from fish. While fish propel themselves with their tails, sea stars have tiny tube feet to help them move along (see more on that below).