The Pacific Ocean is the largest and deepest on Earth. In the west, it is located between Eurasia and Australia, and in the east - between South and North America. In the south, the Pacific Ocean washes Antarctica. Since most of the waters of the Pacific Ocean are in the tropics, the inhabitants of the Pacific Ocean are extremely diverse.
The diversity of the wildlife of the Pacific
More than 2,000 species of fish live in the Indonesian waters, but there are only 300 of them in the northern seas. Here you can also find a wide variety of mollusks, sea urchins, which have their pedigree since ancient times. Such amazing inhabitants of the Pacific Ocean are widely represented here as primitive genera of horseshoe crabs, the oldest fish, Hilbertidia and Jordan, giant oysters and mussels, a huge tridacna - a three hundred kilogram bivalve mollusk, fur seal, sea otter, dugong, sea lion, holothurians.
Dugong
Amazing creatures are such inhabitants of the Pacific Ocean as dugongs. These mammals also have simply fantastic names: siren, mermaid, sea maiden - this is the meaning of the translation from the Malay language of the word “dugong”. They are also called "sea cows" - probably because they, like ordinary cows, seem to graze on underwater "meadows" consisting of algae and sea grass. Dugongs tear whole plants with roots with their strong lips. By nature, these inhabitants of the Pacific Ocean are extremely calm and harmless. Therefore, they were exterminated by people who were attracted to the meat of these creatures, fat and skin. In addition, it should be noted that dugongs are threatened by oil spills and other pollution of the aquatic environment, nets, fishing with dynamite.
Holothuria
Sea cucumbers or egg capsules are also interesting inhabitants of the Pacific Ocean. The animal kingdom of the sea represents 1150 species of these echinoderms. Many species a person eats - they are called trepangs. Holothurias differ from all other echinoderms in that their body is oblong, vermiform, without thorns. Some types of sea cucumber have a spherical shape. In addition, sea capsules do not lie at the bottom on their sides, as other representatives of this class do. In holothurians, on the abdomen there are three rows of ambulacral legs, with the help of which sea cucumbers can move. These amazing creatures feed on plankton, organic residues, processing bottom silt and sand from the bottom. In times of danger, holothuria can “shoot” from the anus in the back of the intestine and water lungs, thereby distracting or scaring off attackers. Recovery of lost organs occurs rather quickly.
Sea otter
In the northern seas of the Pacific Ocean you can meet a sea beaver or sea otter - this is sometimes called sea otters. These marine inhabitants of the Pacific Ocean are predatory mammals of the marten family. This animal leads a semi-aquatic lifestyle, perfectly adapted for living in a marine environment. But the most unique thing in sea otters is that these sea beavers are practically the only non-primate animals using tools.