What types of ocean animals can be found in the sea?
Earth’s oceans contain about 97% of the Earth’s water, most of which is salty. There are five oceans on Earth: the Pacific, Indian, Atlantic, Arctic, and Southern Oceans. Since oceans make up a major part of Earth’s hydrosphere, they are an important part of life and also influence the world’s weather and climate patterns.
The oceans are home to about 230,000 known species. However, since only 5% of the oceans have been explored, the total number of living species in them may be more than 2 million. These species have special adaptations and live at different depths in the ocean, most of which live on the seafloor. Here are some ocean animals that live in the sea.
Oysters
Shellfish refers to aquatic invertebrates such as crustaceans, mollusks, and echinoderms. Crustaceans include ocean animals such as lobsters, crabs, crayfish, shrimps, prawns, barnacles, woodlice, and krill. These species are aquatic and can also be found in freshwater bodies. Marine crustaceans are ubiquitous, meaning they can be found anywhere in the ocean.
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Molluscs are the second largest phylum of invertebrates after arthropods, with more than 85,000 known species. It is the largest group of marine life (accounting for 23% of marine life). Molluscs found in the ocean include gastropods, cephalopods, scaphopods, and aplacophora. Echinodermata has about 7,000 known species, including sea urchins, sea stars, sea cucumbers, sand dollars, and crinoids. These species are found at all depths in the ocean. Unlike mollusks and crustaceans, this phylum has no terrestrial or freshwater representatives.
Fish
Fish are aquatic ocean animals that have gills but lack limbs with fingers. They are closely related to the villi and together form the sense of smell. Fish are generally divided into five existing classes: Cnidaria, Chondrichthyes, Placoderms, Sparidae, and Astrosaurs. It is estimated that there are about 20,000 species of fish living in the world’s oceans. These marine fish come in different sizes, shapes, and colors and live at different depths in the ocean.
Marine fish include: Atlantic cod, Atlantic grouper, Atlantic bluefin tuna, blue marlin, blue tang, California silverside, Chinook salmon, anglerfish, Pacific black dragonfish, marlin, spotted porcupine, yellowfin tuna, and swordfish. These marine fish are divided into five categories: coastal fish, coral reef fish, deep-sea fish, demersal fish, and surface fish.
Mammals
A humpback whale girl dives underwater in tropical waters. While most mammals are terrestrial animals, some species are aquatic and semi-aquatic. Marine mammals rely on the ocean and other marine ecosystems for survival. Famous mammals that live in the ocean include whales, seals, manatees, sun bears, and sea otters. The adaptations of these mammals to an aquatic lifestyle vary from species to species.
While some species, such as sirenians, are fully aquatic, others, such as sea lions and seals, are semi-aquatic, spending most of their time in the water and returning to land only for activities such as mating, moulting, and reproduction. Other species, such as sea otters and polar bears, are less adapted to life in the water and spend most of their time on land.
Marine mammals have suffered from commercial hunting, which has led to a significant decline in their numbers, with species such as the Japanese sea lion and minke whale on the verge of extinction. However, with the end of commercial hunting, species such as the northern elephant seal and the gray seal have increased in number. 4. Sea Turtles
Underwater Sea Turtles.
Sea turtles are cold-blooded ocean animals that live in both fresh and saltwater. Sea turtles live almost entirely in water and use flippers instead of feet to generate propulsion. Unlike male sea turtles, which never leave the sea, female sea turtles must return to land to lay eggs. Their movements on land are very limited and often slow and laborious. Females lay their eggs on dry sandy beaches. There are seven species of sea turtles: flatback, green, hawksbill, Kemp’s ridley, leatherback and loggerhead. All seven species are endangered due to habitat degradation, bycatch and other threats. Sea turtles feed on sponges and jellyfish, while snapping turtles feed on shellfish.
Seabirds
Seabirds are species that rely on the ocean for food and other basic needs. These species include Adélie penguins, Arctic terns, Atlantic puffins, bald eagles, brown pelicans, emperor penguins, European herring gulls, and red-footed grebes. These birds have adapted to live and forage in saltwater. These creatures contain salt glands that process the salt they eat and drink, in addition to helping regulate osmotic pressure. These glands are located in the head, and their secretions consist of almost pure sodium chloride. The physiology and behavior of seabirds are affected by their diet. These birds rely on four main foraging strategies: stalking, surface feeding, predation, and deep-water diving.
Sharks
Although sharks are also a type of fish, they deserve special attention in this article. They have lived in the ocean for millions of years and have played a vital role in maintaining the health of the ocean through predation. More than 500 species of sharks exist in the world’s oceans, and they vary in size and shape. Their sizes range from 17 centimeters to 12 meters in length.
Sharks are found in all oceans around the world and usually live in depths of up to 2,000 meters. Among the most popular species are the basque shark, blue shark, bull shark, tiger shark, hammerhead shark, great white shark, and zebra shark. Their bodies are covered with dermal denticles, which protect the skin and improve fluid dynamics.
Invertebrates
While shellfish are aquatic invertebrates that have an exoskeleton and are edible, the ocean is also home to a variety of other invertebrates. The ocean is home to a variety of invertebrates. The term “marine invertebrates” refers to all invertebrates that live in the marine environment. These species include sea slugs, jellyfish, and starfish. Marine invertebrates are divided into 30 phyla and account for the majority of marine microorganisms. They mainly inhabit coral reefs, sea caves, and the deep seafloor. Most of these invertebrates feed on small zooplankton and phytoplankton, while other species such as jellyfish and squid feed on fish.
