Marine Creature of the Month: Best of 2019
December is a time to look back and reflect on the year. So, I am taking the opportunity to look back on all the critters featured on #MCotM this year!
- They live in the Indo-Pacific Ocean, found in tropical waters and reefs like the Great Barrier Reef.
- They like warm waters, no deeper than 20m (66ft), so it is nice and light for them.
- This is because they have a symbiotic relationship with algae, who rely on photosynthesis for food.
- Giant clams are the biggest species of clam, growing up to 120cm (47") and weighing up to 200kg (440lbs).
- It is believed they can live up to 100 years.
- They are, unfortunately, being hunted to extinction by humans - for profit and food.
- It is the only species of clam which cannot completely close its shell.
- The nautilus is a type of cephalopod, which is the same family as squid and octopus.
- They have been around since there were dinosaurs on the planet, making them something of a living fossil.
- They tend to live in deep waters, around 700m (2296ft). They, however, cannot go too deep because the pressure would crush their shells!
- The largest nautilus ever found was 25.4cm (10"). This a little bit bigger than the average, which is roughly the size of a kettle.
- Nautilus only have nine teeth but will use them to eat anything.
- Females have to regenerate their gonads every time they reproduce.
- People are over fishing them to sell their shells as tourist trinkets.
- They have up to 90 arms which are covered in a sticky mucus to help them grab things.
- These penguins live on the south western coast of South Africa and on the surrounding islands. Thanks to tourism, they are friendly little things!
- What makes them recognisable as African Penguins is the thick, black band and spots upon its belly.
- They lay their eggs in clutches of two and in a burrow of guano.
- When diving, they go to depths of 25m (82ft) for roughly a minute at a time.
- People take the guano they use for their nests, leaving the eggs vulnerable to the extreme temperatures and penguins will abandon these unprotected nests.
- African penguins are monogamous.
- Narwhals live in north polar regions and seasonally migrate between open waters and bays.
- The iconic protruding "horn" on a narwhal is actually a tooth and are generally found on the males rather than females. Only 15% of females have the "horn".
- It's purpose is not entirely known, but is theorised that it is used for communication.
- Because they seasonally migrate, narwhal diets change throughout the year. Summer hunting in the bay will be on arctic cod. Winter hunting is deep below the thick ice on seabed dwelling creatures.
- If they mistime their migration, narwhals can become trapped under the ice. This is bad because they are mammals and need to breathe air to live.
- Climate change is affecting their habitat. Their numbers are stable at the moment, but for how long?
- Males have been known to develop two tusks. This has only ever happened once in females.
- These dolphins live exclusively in the southern hemisphere. There is another species which live in the northern hemisphere. Ten points if you can guess their name!
- Unlike most dolphins, these do not have a dorsal fin (the big one on the back) and have a more pronounced beak.
- The females of the species tend to be larger than the males.
- Not much is actually known about southern right whale dolphins - their life cycles are something of a mystery to us!
- However, they do display some typical dolphin behaviours such as breaching the water, echo location, and vocal communication.
- These dolphins get caught in abandoned fishing nets and drown, making them victims of ghost fishing.
- Southern right whale dolphins are social with all sorts of species.
- Mantris shrimp are colourful, little things. Their shells come in blues, greens, reds, and oranges.
- Their eyesight is fantastic and they can see spectrums of colour which humans cannot - like infrared and ultraviolet.
- Also, their eyes can move independently of each other.
- They attack their prey with extreme speed and the power of a .22 caliber bullet.
- They are solitary creatures and very territorial.
- Clownfish were popularised by the Disney Pixar film Finding Nemo.
- They live in the Indo-Pacific Ocean in anenomes. Roughly in the vicinity of 42 Wallaby Way, Sydney.
- Living in anemones is a mutually beneficial relationship. The clownfish gets protection and the anemone gets a live-in lure for its prey and someone to clean up the parasites.
- Clownfish live in quite aggressive heirarchies which favour the top mating pair and pick on fish lower down the importance scale.
- The males look after the eggs, cleaning them of fungi and eating the unfertilised eggs.
- All clownfish are born male and only become female if the opportunity presents itself.
- An increase in demand for clownfish since Finding Nemo has left them at risk of overexploitation.
- Clownfish make up over 40% of the global marine ornamental trade.
- Orcas were represented by Willy in the 90s film Free Willy.
- While commonly called Killer Whales, orcas are actually dolphins. This might be because they are whale killers and the term got inverted over the course of history.
- They are the largest species of dolphin.
- Orcas live across the world, in tropical to cold waters, but are most commonly associated with arctic waters.
- "Opportunistic hunters" is an understatement when it comes to orcas. They will eat anything that swims close enough.
- This is probably down to the fact that they are excellent hunters with sophisticated hunting methods, allowing them to successfully take down most preys.
- They live in matriarchal societies and communicate like other dolphins, in clicks and whistles.
- Orcas are apex predators so the biggest threat to them comes from us - pollution, ghost fishing, over fishing of their food sources.
- They have only ever fatally attacked humans when held in captivity, probably because they are not designed for limited and solitary living.
- Each orca is unique and identifiable by photograph alone.
- We got our second dose of regal blue tangs with Dory in Disney Pixar's Finding Dory.
- Like clownfish, regal blue tangs are found in the Indo-Pacfic Ocean, among the reefs which line the coastal areas.
- They are a common and abundant fish in these areas.
- This is a good thing for the coral reefs, as adult blue tangs eat the algae which could suffocate the reef if not kept under control.
- They grow from microscopic larvae into the Dory we know and love in the space of a year.
- Thanks to a distinct smell and being inedible, blue tangs are not fished to critically dangerous levels. They are used for bait, but that's about it.
- But like its Disney co-star, the popularity of Dory does make it a prime candidate for aquariums.
- Climate change and the agriculture industry are its biggest threats. Both are contributing to coral reefs dying and diminishing, which is where they live.
- They will play dead when faced with a predator!
- Flotsam and Jetsam were sea witch Ursula's henchmen in The Little Mermaid.
- There are over 200 species of moray eel, some of them being as long as 4m (13ft).
- They come in a variety of colours and patterns - striped, spotted, blue, green, yellow, and so on!
- They are found mostly across the world, they dislike the cold polar regions. They are most commonly found in warm, shallow, tropical reefs.
- These eels are carnivorous - that's what all those teeth are for! Flotsam and Jetsam would have eaten Sebastian and Flounder if given the chance.
- They have a pharyngeal jaw, which is a second set of teeth set further back in their mouth. These help them clamp down on their prey.
- It has been noted that they co-operate with fish that would otherwise try to eat them, groupers for instance. But moray eels will flush out smaller fish from the hidey-holes were they wind their bodies for the other fish to eat!
- Moray eels mate when the water is at its warmest, at the end of summer.
- They are toxic to consume, reducing the desire to over fish them. They are, however, targets for the aquarium trade.
- There are two sub families of moray eel, defined by their fins.
Which was your favourite #MCotM this year? Do you have a favourite you'd like me to cover? Do you have a favourite Famous Fish? Lemme know below!
All photo credits are on the original posts.
Listening to: The Christmas Present - Robbie Williams
Great job on this post! It’s so informative and well-organized. I’ve recently published an article on Tadoba National Park's which is a must-read for nature lovers. Please give it a read!
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