80. What is a chimera?

ACCORDING TO GREEK LEGEND, THE CHIMERA WAS A TERRIBLE monster with a lion’s head, a goat’s body, and a dragon’s tail. Strange deep-sea fish, called chimeras, also look as if their bodies have been assembled from the parts of other creatures. They have large heads with staring eyes like bushbabies, and buck teeth like rabbits. Their bodies end in long, thin tails like rats’ tails.

79. What is the fastest marine mammal?

Killer Whale Orca

The Orca, or killer whale, is the speed champion among sea mammals. It can race along up to 34 mph (56 kph) to catch its prey.

78. What are the tiniest sea-creatures?

Thousands of kinds of tiny creatures live in the world’s oceans. The smallest are made up of just one cell, and must be magnified a thousand times or more before we can see them. Plankton is the name given to the billions of tiny plants and animals that float near the surface of the oceans. They are the main food of many fish, and other sea-creatures.

77. What is the biggest fish?

Fish vary more in size than any other group of animals with backbones (vertebrates). The largest fish is the whale shark, which grows up to 49 feet (15 m) long and weighs 20 tons. Though giant in size, whale sharks are not fierce hunters. They feed mainly on tiny shrimp-like creatures called krill.

76. What record-breaking fish came back to life?

Coelacanths are giant primitive fish that scientists knew from fossils, but believed had died out millions of years ago. Then in 1938, a living specimen of the “extinct” species was caught off South Africa. Now scientists in submersibles have studied coelacanths living on the sea-bed, off the island of Madagascar. Coelacanths are giant, blue-scaled fish with muscled fins which they may use to perch on the ocean bottom.

75. What is the world’s largest mollusk?

MOLLUSCS ARE A FAMILY OF SHELLED CREATURES THAT INCLUDE SLUGS, snails, clams, and also squid, and octopus. The largest mollusk is the giant squid. These creatures commonly grow 12 feet (3.6 m) long, but specimens are as large as 69 feet (21 m) have been found washed up on the beaches. Scientists know little about these mysterious deep-sea creatures, which have never been seen swimming in the ocean depths.

74. What is the world’s biggest crab?

The Japanese spider crab is the giant of the crab world. Its body measures more than 1 ft (30 cm) across and a rowing boat would easily fit between its outstretched claws, which grow up to an astonishing span of 11 feet (3.5 m). At the other end of the scale, the tiniest crab is smaller than a pea.

73. What is the smallest fish?

The dwarf goby holds the record for the world’s smallest fish. Adult dwarf gobies measure only 0.4 in (1 cm) long – about the width of your little finger. These tiny fish are found in the Indian Ocean.

72. Which marine reptile is the biggest?

The saltwater crocodile is the world’s largest sea-going reptile. This fierce giant grows up to 26 feet (8m) long, and its jaws and teeth are jumbo-sized to match!

71. Which sea creature is as big as four dinosaurs?

THE BLUE WHALE IS THE GIANT OF THE OCEANS. INDEED, IT IS the largest animal ever to have lived on earth – four times the size of the biggest dinosaur! An adult blue whale measures up to 100feet (32m) long, and may weigh over 200 tons – as much as 60 elephants. Female blue whales are the biggest – the males are smaller.

70. What is the stingray’s secret weapon?

Stingrays live and hunt on the ocean bottom. Their long, thin tails are armed with barbs that can inject a painful poison.

69. Which deadly fish looks like a toad?

The toadfish is a poisonous fish that dwells on the sea-bed in warm oceans. The spines on its back fins, and gill cover, contain a strong venom that can cause great pain. With its bulging eyes, large mouth, and blotchy skin, the fish is well-named, for its looks like a toad.

68. What sea-creature can sting a person to death in four minutes?

Jellyfish look fragile, but many species are armed with powerful stings. The box jellyfish, of South-east Asia, is so venomous that its sting can kill a person in just four minutes. The small sea-wasp jellyfish of Australia is said to have the world’s most painful sting.

67. Which poisonous fish do people eat?

The entrails of puffer-fish contain a powerful poison. Yet other parts of fish are said to taste delicious! In Japan, the fish is served as a delicacy called fugu. Japanese chefs are trained to remove all traces of the poisonous organs, yet each year people die from eating fugu, that has not been properly prepared.

66. What “stone” can kill you if you step on it?

OVER 50 DIFFERENT KINDS OF POISONOUS FISH LURK IN THE WORLD’S OCEANS. Some are armed with venomous spines, others have poisonous flesh. The stonefish, of Australian waters, is one of the deadliest of all sea creatures. If a person treads on the fish, its spines release a toxin (poison) that causes agonizing pain. Numbness spreads through the victim’s body, and they may die of shock, heart failure, or breathing problems.

65. What brings an octopus in spots?

The bite of the blue-ringed octopus is deadly poisonous. Normally, the creature’s skin is sandy-colored, which helps it blend in with the sea-bed. But when the octopus is alarmed, bold blue rings appear all over its body. The spots act as a warning, so enemies know to keep clear.

64. Which is the world’s most poisonous reptile?

The bite of the yellow-bellied sea snake is 50 times more than that of a king-cobra. Its bold yellow-and-black colors warm of danger.

63. How does a jellyfish sting?

The long, trailing tentacles of jellyfish are armed with thousands of tiny stinging cells. Some cells contain tightly-coiled barbs. When a careless fish brushes against a tentacle, the barbs fire, to pierce the victim’s skin and release a paralyzing poison.

62. Why lionfish are brightly striped?

THE LIONFISH IS A BEAUTIFUL BUT deadly fish of tropical waters. Its long, graceful spines contain a lethal poison. The lionfish drifts lazily though the water with its orange striped coloring, yet few enemies dare approach it. The fish's bright colors warn that it is poisonous. They are a signal known, and recognized, throughout the animal world.

61. What hunts with a luminous “worm”?

Like other anglerfish, the deep-sea angler has a long, thin spine that forms a “fishing rod” to catch prey creatures. On the end of the spine, a luminous lure dangles like a glowing worm to attract the fish’s victims.

60. Why don’t gulper eels get hungry?

Food is scarce in ocean depths, for no water plants and few creatures live there. So fishes’ meals are few and far between. Gulper eels and viperfish have large, stretchy stomachs that can expand to fit any victim that passes. Another deep-sea fish, the black swallower, can swallow and digest a fish twice its own size.

59. How do deep-sea creatures light up the dark?

As many as 1,000 different fish make light in the deep oceans. Some have luminous bacteria living under their skin. Others have special light-producing organs, or can cause a chemical reaction that gives off light.

58. Can deep-sea fish see in the dark?

For many deep-sea fish, vision is little use in the inky darkness. They have tiny eyes, or no eyes at all, and cannot see. Other fish have large eyes that pick up any faint glimmers of light, or tube-shaped eyes that work like binoculars. Still other species make their own light to hunt their prey.

57. How do deep-sea fish creatures find their food?

In the black depths, many deep-sea fish sense their prey by smell, taste and touch. A line of nerves running down the fish’s body picks up vibrations in the water caused by other swimming creatures. Some deep-sea hunters have long touch- and taste- sensitive tentacles trailing from their jaws.

56. Why are deep-sea fish mysterious?

SCIENTISTS STILL KNOW VERY LITTLE ABOUT DEEP-SEA FISH, BECAUSE of the difficulties of descending to the ocean bottom to study them. Most deep-sea fish don’t survive if they are brought to the surface. Some even explode, because their bodies are built to withstand the great pressure of the ocean depths.

55. How do fish hide in dark seas?

Deep-sea fish camouflaged to blend in with their surroundings. Many have black or dark bodies to match the inky waters. Others are transparent. Hatchet fish have slivery bodies that reflect any small gleams of light.

54. What creatures can survive at great ocean depths?

A CENTURY AGO, SCIENTISTS BELIEVED THAT NO LIFE COULD EXIST in the very deep oceans. Now we know that creatures do survive there, but conditions are very harsh. 3,330 feet (one thousand meters) below the sunlit surface, the water is pitch-black and very cold. Deep-sea fish must be able to stand the great pressure caused by the weight of water on top of them, which could kill surface creatures. Many deep-sea fish look like monsters from a horror film, with large heads, huge mouths with fierce teeth, and long, thin bodies. Yet most of these deep-sea horrors are very small-less than 1ft (30 cm) long.

53. Which fish can attack with a scalpel?

Surgeonfish, of tropical seas, have sharp little blades like scalpels at the base of their tails. Usually the bony blades lie flat against the fish’s body, but they can be flicked out like knives if an enemy approaches.

52. Which fish has the head of a horse and the tail of a monkey?

The sea-horse is an unusual fish, with a head shaped like the knight in chess set. It holds its body upright and swims along by waving its back fins. It uses its long, curling tail to anchor itself in the seaweed, when it searches for small creatures to eat. Its eyes can swivel independently, so the sea-horse can hunt for food, and watch out for enemies at the same time!

51. What clams up in a hurry?

Giant clams live on the Great Barrier Reef. Their huge, hinged shells measure up to 5 feet (1.5 m) wide, and weigh 550 lb (250 kg). The giant clam generally has its shell open so it can feed, but if danger threatens, it can slum the two halves shut. Inquisitive sea creatures had better watch out!

50. What is a leafy seadragon?

THE LEAFY SEADRAGON IS A LARGE SEA-HORSE THAT LIVES IN warm Australian waters. This creature is a master of disguise. Its body is covered with long, training flaps of skin that look like strands of seaweed. It is very difficult to spot as it swims among the weeds.

49. Why does a crown-of-thorns threaten coral reefs?

The crown-of-thorns starfish is a reef-killer. It fastens on to the living coral, sticks its stomach out, and releases juices that digest the coral polyps. When only the coral shells are left, the starfish moves on. It can kill a big patch of coral in a day, and has destroyed large areas of the Great Barrier Reef.

48. What are dead man’s fingers?

Dead man’s fingers is a species of soft coral that grows on rocks. Each coral colony is made up of thousands of polyps that form a fleshy mass, like a rubbery hand. When a piece of this coral washes up on the sea-shore, it may give swimmers a fright!

47. Where is the world’s biggest coral reef?

The Great Barrier Reef off the north-east coast of Australia is the world’s largest coral reef. Stretching for 1,200 miles (2,000 km), it is the largest structure made by living creatures. The reef is home to many spectacular animals, including 1,500 different kinds of fish.

46. What is coral made of?

CORAL REEFS ARE MADE BY TINY CREATURES CALLED POLYPS that live in colonies in tropical seas. Polyps are shaped like little sea anemones, but have a hard, chalky cup-shaped shell to protect their bodies. When they die, the shells remain, and new polyps grow on top of them. Over time, billions of shells build up to form a coral reef.

45. Which fish would disappear on a chess board?

Plaice are flatfish that live on the sea-bed. In a matter of minutes, they can change their body color, from pale and sandy, to dark or blotchy, to match their surroundings as they drift over the sea-bed in search of food.

44. Why do crabs walk sideways?

All crabs have ten legs- eight for walking and two with powerful pincers for picking up food. Crabs scuttle sideways along the shore and sea-bed. The sideways movement helps to prevent them tripping over their own legs! Large species of crab move only slowly, but small ghost crabs can scurry along the shore at a fast clip.

43. Which creature has five sets of jaws?

Underneath its round, spiny body, the sea urchin has a mouth with five sets of jaws. It feeds by crawling along the sea floor, scraping up seaweed and tiny creatures from the rocks.

42. How does a limpet grip its rock?

The limpet clamps its muscular foot on to a seaside rock, and grips by suction. Even the pounding waves cannot dislodge it. Its hold is so tight it can be prised away only if an enemy attacks without warning.

41. What needs a new suit of armor every year?

A crab’s shell gives good protection. The disadvantage is that there is no space inside for the crab to grow! Each year, the crab sheds its old, tight skin and grows a new, slightly larger one. While the new soft skin is still hardening the creature is very easy to attack, so it hides away from enemies under rocks.

40. How did the butterfish get its name?

Butterfish are long, slender fish that live in pools on rocky sea-shores. The slimy, slippery feel of their bodies has earned them their name.

39. What queues up for its winter vacation?

SPINY LOBSTERS LIVE MAINLY SOLITARY LIVES. BUT EACH YEAR IN the fall they gather to move to deeper waters, where they will be safe from violent storms. When they reach their winter destination they separate, and only meet up again to begin the long trip back.

38. Which fish “walks” on three legs?

The tripod fish is a strange fish that lives in deep, dark waters. Its two chest fins and tail fin have long, stiff spines. Together, the three spines from a tripod which the fish uses to rest and move along the sea-bed.

37. What buries itself in the sand?

MANY CREATURES THAT DWELL ON THE OCEAN BOTTOM ESCAPE from their enemies, by burying themselves in the sand or mud. Crabs dig down and lie low with their sensitive antennae showing. Weeverfish, which hide in the same way, have eyes on top of their heads. Their eyes stick out above the sand, so the fish can still see while the rest of its body is buried.

36. Which creature can grow four new arms?

The starfish is a five-limbed sea creature. If a hungry predator bites off one of its arms, the starfish can grow a new one to replace it. In fact, it can replace op to four of its arms, provided the central body of the animal is unharmed.

35. What makes a pistol shrimp go bang?

Pistol shrimps are named after the cracking noise they make by snapping their claws. Enemies are frightened off by these unexpected “pistol shots.”

34. Which creature throws ink at its enemies?

Cuttlefish are relatives of squid and octopus. Like their cousins, they can produce a cloud of ink to confuse their enemies. The cuttlefish jets away under cover of this “smokescreen.”

33. Which fish blows itself up into a prickly ball?

THE PORCUPINE FISH IS NAMED FOR THE SHARP SPINES, LIKE A PORCUPINE’S that cover its body. Usually the spines lie flat against the fish’s body, but if danger threatens, it can raise them. If an enemy comes too close, the fish takes in water, so that its body swells to twice as it’s normal size. It becomes a prickly ball too large and uncomfortable for predators to swallow. When the danger passes, the porcupine slowly returns to its normal shape and size.

32. Why does the hermit crab need a home?

Unlike other crabs, the hermit crab has no hard case to protect it. Instead, it shelters its soft rear end inside an empty sea-shell. As the crab grows bigger, its shell becomes too tight, so it moves into a larger new home.

31. Which fish makes eyes at its enemies?

The twinspot wrasse has two dark patches on its back. Hunting fish may mistake the spot for the eyes of a large and possibly dangerous creature, and swim away. If this trick fails, the wrasse has another. It dives down to the sea-bed and quickly buries itself in the sand.

30. What is slimy and hides in anemones?

In tropical seas, clownfish hide from their enemies among the stinging tentacles of sea anemones. The tentacles do not harm the clownfish, because its body is covered with a thick layer of slimy mucus, but no predator dares to come close!

29. How do herring avoid being eaten?

Fish, such as herring and mackerel, swim in groups called shoals. Living in a large group provides safety in numbers, because it is difficult for predators to single out a likely target among a shifting, shimmering mass of fish.

28. What creature gives a nasty nip?

CRABS AND THEIR RELATIVES THEIR, LOBSTERS, BELONG TO A GROUP OF shelled creatures called crustaceans. The crab’s soft body parts are protected by a hard outer case that forms a snug suit of armor. The creature is also armed with powerful claws, which can give a nasty nip if an enemy comes too close.

27. What fish is a thirsty bloodsucker?

Lampreys are strange fish with eel-shaped bodies. Instead of jaws, they have round mouths, filled with rows of horny teeth. The lamprey uses its mouth as a sucker, to fasten on to another fish’s body. Its teeth scrape away the fish’s skin, and then the lamprey drinks its blood!

26. How do parrotfish eat their meal?

Parrotfish have hard mouths shaped like parrots’ beaks. With their tough mouths, they scrape algae and coral from rocks. This food is then ground to a powder by horny plates inside the fish’s mouth.

25. Which fish shoots to kill?

On tropical sea coasts, skilled archerfish can catch prey, such as spiders, that are perched on plants overhanging the water. With their powerful lips, they squirt a jet of water at their target and knock their prey into the water.

24. Which fish runs a cleaning service?

SMALL FISH, CALLED CLEANER WRASSE, feed on parasites that infest larger fish. The big fish welcome this cleaning service, so do not harm the wrasse, even when it swims right inside a big fish’s mouth to clean it. Sometimes queues of fish form at the wrasse’s cleaning station, patiently waiting their turn for a “wash and brush-up.”

23. How does the anemone catch its dinner?

Sea anemones are armed with a crown of stinging tentacles. When small fish brush against them, the stings fire and release a paralyzing poison. Then the tentacles push the weakened prey into the anemone’s mouth.

22. Which fish has a secret weapon?

The torpedo ray. It can generate electricity using special muscles in its head. The ray lurks on the sea-bed, waiting for small fish to pounce on. It wraps its fins around its victims and blasts them with a charge of 200 volts.

21. How do barracuda surprise their pray?

The barracuda is a fierce hunting fish of tropical seas. It has keen eyesight and is armed with razor-sharp teeth. Its blue-grey coloring blends in well with the ocean, allowing it to sneak up on a shoal of small fish. The hunter speeds into the middle of the shoal with its jaws snapping, and seizes its prey in its deadly teeth.

20. Which fish has a fishing rod?

THE ANGLERFISH HAS A BUILT-IN FISHING ROD ON IT’S HEAD-A LONG, THIN spine with a fleshy lobe on the end that looks like a wiggling worm. The angler lurks on the sea-bed, squat bodied and well-camouflaged. When a small crab comes up to eat the “worm”, the anglerfish lunges forward and grabs its prey in its enormous mouth.

19. Which fish can walk on land?

Mudskippers are fish that live in swamps and muddy estuaries on tropical coasts. They come right out of the water and scurry about on land, using their muscular chest fins as crutches.

18. How do jellyfish get about?

Jellyfish are soft creatures with bodies shaped like bells or saucers. To get about, they contract their bag-like bodies so water shoots out behind, pushing the creature along.

17. Why do dolphins leap out of the water?

DOLPHINS AND WHALES HAVE TAILS THAT ARE FLATTNED HORIZONTALLY, not vertically like fish-tails. They swim by sweeping their tails up and down. When swimming at speed, dolphins leap out of the water to save energy, because it is quicker and easier to move through air than water. Like all water-dwelling mammals, dolphins must also surface to breathe.

16. Which fish “flies” underwater?

Rays are flattened fish that live near the sea-bed. They swim along by flapping their wide, flat chest fins like wings, so they look as if they are flying underwater.

15. Which sea creature uses jet-propulsion?

The octopus has a funnel-shaped siphon out from its body. It shoots a jet of water from the funnel, to propel itself along, and can point its siphon in different directions to steer.

14. How do fish swim?

Most fish swim by arching their bodies, and swishing their tails from side to side. The fish’s body and tail push against the water to propel it forward. The chest, back, and belly fins help with steering and braking. A gas-filled organ, called the swim bladder, keeps the fish buoyant in the water.

13. Which sea creature is the deepest diver?

Sperm whales are expert divers. Like all whales, they breathe at the surface, but swim down to depths of 1,600 feet (500 m) to hunt deep-sea creatures, such as giant squid. The snouts of sperm whales often bear the scars of battles with the squid.

12. Which fish is the fastest swimmer?

Sailfish are large hunting fish that live in the open ocean. With their long, streamlined snouts, torpedo-shaped bodies and powerful tails, they can speed along at up to 67mph (109 kph).

11. What sea creature looks like a pair of false teeth?

Scallops have a hard, hinged shell to protect their soft bodies. Some kinds of scallop swim along by clapping the two halves of their shell together, so water shoots out of the back. The swimming scallop looks like a pair of false teeth chattering as it zips along!

10. Which fish flies through the air?

FLYING FISH TAKE TO THE AIR TO ESCAPE FROM HUNGRY PREDATORS SUCH as sailfish and marlin. The flying fish gets up speed, and then leaps right out of the water. In the air, it spreads its chest fins so they act like wings, keeping the fish airborne for up to 325feet (100m).

9. What fish looks like seaweed?

Pipefish are long, slim, dark green fish that look just like strands of seaweed. In shallow, weedy waters, they swim upright among the seaweed fronds, and resemble their surroundings so closely, that they are almost impossible to see.

8. Why do some fish have bright colors?

Many fish that live in tropical seas are brightly colored, or marked with bold spots and patterns. This coloring helps them to hide among the brightly colored coral and dark shadows, but also helps them to stand out clearly in open water. In the breeding season, when these fish are seeking mates and want to be noticed, they swim out into the open and become very obvious.

7. What creatures plant a garden on their backs?

Spider crabs make their own disguises, from materials they find in the sea around them. They clip living sponges or fronds of seaweed with their strong pincers and plant them on their backs. When the seaweed dies, they replace it with a fresh piece!

6. How do fish hide in the open sea?

Herring, mackerel and many other fish, which swims near the surface of the great oceans, have dark backs and pale bellies. This coloring, called counter-shading, works to cancel out the effect of sunlight shining on their bodies from above, and so helps these fish to hide even in open water.

5. How does the carpet shark stay hidden?

MANY SEA CREATURES HAVE BODIES WITH COLORS, shapes and patterns that blend in with their surroundings. This natural disguise, or camouflage, helps them to hide from enemies or sneak up on their prey. Carpet sharks live and hunt on the sea-bed. Their pale, blotchy colors help hide from their prey-small fish and crabs-as they lie motionless on the bottom.

4. What is the world’s longest fish?

1

Oarfish are giant, eel-shaped fish that regularly grow to over 20 feet (6m) long. Individuals as large as 46 feet (14m) long have been recorded. Legends of sea serpents may have been inspired by glimpses of these amazing creatures.

3. Why are the flatfish flat?

Flatfish such as plaice, halibut and dab live on the sea bed. Their flattened shape allows them to glide along the bottom, and to lurk on the sea floor, lying in wait for animals to eat.

2. Which is the tallest fish?

Ocean sunfish are tall fish that can measure over 14ft (4m) high, including their long back and belly fins. These large fish can weigh over 2 tons.

Sea Creatures

MOST CREATURES THAT SPEND THEIR WHOLE LIVES IN WATER HAVE a sleek, streamlined shape that helps them to swim. Fish come in many different shapes and sizes. Eels are long and slender, plaice and rays are flat. Angelfish are tall and thin, so they are hard to see from the front, as they approach their pray. Other fish are rounded, but almost all have a tapering shape, that allows them to slip easily through the water.