Salty Pets

Fascinating and Unique Waterworld Creatures

October 28, 2011
by

The ocean is full of wonderful creatures. Here’s a collection of some of the most beautiful and

fascinating animals that dwell in the ocean.

 

Peacock Calanid (Calocalanus pavo)

The fascinating Peacock Calanid can be found in the Mediterranean Sea and in Atlantic, Indian and Pacific

Oceans. Before its discovery in Ireland, it does not appear to have ever been recorded further north than the

Mediterranean. This flamboyant animal prefers warm waters and its presence in Irish waters is a rare occurrence.

It can be found as deep as 2,000 fathoms or 3.7 km. It has beautiful patterned feathers and males are much

more moderately decorated.

 

Sea Tulip (Pyura spinifera)

This is not a plant although it is called Sea Tulip. It is an animal that lives in coastal waters at depths of up to 80 m

(260 feet). It is filter feeder and like the real tulip flower, Sea Tulip comes in a variety of colors like white, pink,

yellow, orange, and purple. Its coloration depends upon its association with a symbiotic sponge that covers its

surface.

 

Passion Flower Feather Star (Ptilometra australis)

This organism looks like a plant but it is not. It’s a marine animal called Crinoid or informally named as Sea Lily

or Feather-stars. It lives both in shallow water and in depths as great as 6000 meters. The anus of this marine

animal is located next to the mouth.

 

Bluebell Tunicates (Clavelina mollucensis)

These are not plastic bottles or cups thrown in the sea. These odd-looking sea creatures are the Bluebell

Tunicates. Tunicates are commonly known as Urochordates, Sea Squirts or Sea Pork. These are underwater

saclike filter feeders with incurrent and recurrent siphons.

 

Australian SeaApple (Pseudocolochirus axiologus)

This creature is a sea apple cucumber that contains holothurin and holotoxin which can be released even after

death. So if you decide to keep this species in a tank with fish, it is like planting a ticking time bomb because even

its eggs are poisonous to all fish. It has been imported for many years in the marine hobby because it is beautiful,

fascinating to watch and make excellent tank janitor. It is the most poisonous sea cucumber.

 

Purple Sea Urchin (Strongylocentrotus purpuratus)

Like all other sea urchins, the pretty Purple Sea Urchin used its spines as a means of defense against would-be

predators. This urchin is deep purple in color and grows to a diameter of about 4 inches. It is found along the

Pacific coast of US and Canada where it clings to depressions in the rocks during low tide.

 

Giant California SeaCucumber (Parastichopus californicus)

The colorful Giant California Sea Cucumber can be found from the Gulf of Alaska to Southern California. It grows

to a length of 50 cm and a width of 5 cm. It is found from the low intertidal zone to a depth of 250 meters.

 

Crown of Thorns Starfish (Acanthaster planci)

Crown-of-thorns Starfish of the Indo-pacific region has orange-red to purplish skin, with yellow or pink spikes on

their skin. These bright colors are warning that it is venomous. The Crown-of-thorns is the largest sea star in the

world. It can grow to a diameter of up to 3 feet.  These marine animals are well known for its destructive habits of eating coral, which may lead to the destruction

of coral reefs. A few Crown-of-Thorns help maintain the coral reef by preventing the faster-growing coral from

taking over the coral reef but when there are too many Crown-of-thorns, they can devastate a coral reef.

 

Basket Star (Eurialida)

Basket Stars have many-branched arms. They weigh around 11lbs or 5kg. These creatures don’t have blood -

their blood is filtered sea water.  Basket stars usually live in the deeper parts of the oceans. They are both scavenger and detrivore.

 

Green Brittle Star (Ophiarachna incrassata)

The gorgeous-looking Green Brittle Star is a marine animal that can be found at every ocean deep. This creature

has no freshwater or terrestrial representatives.  Brittle stars are not used as food even though they are non-

toxic.  This Brittle Star is resting on a Coral Brain. The life span of a Brittle Star in the wild is up to 35 years.

 

Giant Sea Star(Pisaster giganteus)

The fantastic-looking Giant Sea Star lives along the western coast of North America from Southern California to

British Columbia. It makes its home on rocky shores near the low tide mark. It feeds on mollusks and can grow as

large as 24 inches in diameter. Its color varies form brown to red or purple.

 

CaliforniaSheephead (Semicossyphus pulcher)

The California Sheephead is native to the Pacific Ocean. Its appearance is typical of a common fish but taking

a close look at its teeth – it can be considered one of the most unusual-looking fish in the world.

This bizarre fish can reach a size of 91 cm and a weight of 16 kg.  Here’s another peculiar thing about

Sheepheads – they are born as females and eventually change to males. The age of the transition depends

on environmental factors such as food supply.

 

Blackfaced Blenny (Tripterygion tripteronotus)

Blackfaced Blennies are endemic to the Mediterranean Sea and Black Sea. It can be found in shallow rocky

shores to 6 meters. It feeds on benthic invertebrates.

 

Hunchback Grouper (Cromileptes altivelis)

Chinese would probably like this fish with polka dots because for them polka dots represent money. This lovely-

looking fish inhabits lagoon and seaward reefs and can also be found around coral reefs and in tide pools. It

grows very slow making it an ideal tank fish. It feeds on small fishes and crustaceans. Juveniles are commonly

caught for the aquarium trade while adults are utilized as a food fish.

 

Written by BrenNolasco

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