The underwater world of the seas and oceans is diverse. Here, at the depths of many meters, picturesque marine animals live . The names of many of them were given by scientists, taking into account their distinctive features: body shape, fins, color, patterns on the skin, similarities with some earthly individuals, etc. So, some of the invertebrates were called "starfish", "truffles", etc.
Types of Sea Animals
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, sea lilies, starfish, sea urchins, mollusks, sponges, corals, jellyfish, squid, nautilus, octopus, oysters, gloturia, triacna, etc. These animals are devoid of an axial skeleton. They most often live in tropical seas and stand out for their bizarre shapes and bright colors. The one who first sees them in the water does not even suspect that they are living beings. It is rather possible to decide that these are peculiar plants than sea animals. The names of each of them indicate the distinctive features of their "master". So, the sea sponge has a spongy structure, and the sea urchin is covered with thorns, 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. Pinnipeds (seals, seals, sea lions, walruses, etc.) and cetaceans existed about 26 million years ago. Some of these species died, new ones replaced them. Today, science knows about 120 species of mammals - the 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, white cask, 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 animals such as arthropods. It includes crayfish, crab, lobster, shrimp, lobster, etc. These marine animals, whose names can be found in the menu of Japanese, Chinese, Italian and other cuisines, are valuable products rich in iodine, protein, phosphorus and other useful 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 colors and shapes they do not exist. They have a variety of sizes: 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 sea animals, whose names indicate which of the terrestrial animals they are compared. So, for example, there are cat, tiger, bull, leopard, zebra sharks, and not all of them are bloodthirsty creatures. By the way, the leopard is a peaceful creature that almost never attacks humans, unlike the white shark, the greatest hunter. They say that she is very cunning and smart. But the ramp, 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 sea animals have very intricate names: bissa, loghead, ridley and green turtle. Some of them are large. As for sea snakes, they are the closest relatives of aspids. However, in the way of life they are very different from their earthly relatives.