Ocean life - Anna Sepioło

Yeti crab is another deep sea creature that I will write about today.  What catches my eye is the unusual hair covering the animal.  Like every deep-sea animal, their unusual appearance conceals some really useful adaptations.  In this case, crabs grow bacteria on silk hairs, which they can eat.  These crabs are completely blind, so hunting prey would be completely impossible.   Yeti crabs are small (up to 15 cm). They settle near hydrothermal vents (they release warm water). Bacteria grown by crabs neutralize poisonous substances found in water from hydrothermal vents.  Some bacteria feed on such compounds.  Crabs form large clusters, which increases their body temperature. “It was almost like a sight from another planet.  The yeti crabs were literally in heaps around the hydrothermal vents — in densities in up to 600 per square meter — and all jostling and writhing around to get the best position in the hydrothermal fluid flow.” - Alex Rogers prof

 The ocean is a wonderful space. We think we know it well, but the oceans hide a lot from us. Today I will tell you some interesting facts about them. 1. We all know that the oceans are salty, but did you know that if salt were separated from them, there would be enough salt to cover the entire surface of the earth with a 166-meter layer? 2. We think that Oceans make up about 70% of the earth's surface. But if the depth of the oceans was included in these calculations (it was not included before), the ocean surface would increase to 99% of the earth's surface. 3. It's surprising how little we know about the ocean. About 90% of marine species are still undiscovered. There are so many of them that scientists discover a new species on average every week.   4. We have more detailed maps and studies of the surface of Mars than of the deep sea. Researching and observing the depths of the oceans, contrary to appearances, is much more expensive than sending satellites into space. T

  Axalotes are truly charming creatures. I had the opportunity to see them for the first time at the Gdynia Oceanarium, which I visited last week. Everyone was interested in them and I learned some interesting facts about them.  Axalotes occur in the natural environment only in one place - Lake Xochimilco in Mexico City. However, they began to be widely bred for scientific purposes and as pets. Axelots are larval throughout their entire lives. Because they do not grow up, some features do not change, e.g. they get food by sucking because they have no teeth. When they eat, they look as if they were smiling.  Axelots are carnivorous, eating fish, insects, and crustaceans. When the situation is difficult, they may even bite off a piece of their friend's body. Fortunately, axelots have an incredible ability to regenerate and are able to grow the missing body part without any problems.''Fish are capable of regenerating tails and limbs, but axolotls take this ability up a notch b

Sheepshead fish is a really funny looking Fish. From the outside it looks completely normal.  It's a big size. It weighs up to 1 kg and is up to 1 meter long. It is covered with very thick scales and sharp spines on its back. The fish is considered a delicacy, its meat is white and delicate. However, its preparation is very time-consuming (this is due to the thickness of the scales). The fish occurs mainly on the Gulf and Atlantic coasts of the United States. Fish are very sensitive to pollution and often change their habitat when the water purity changes.   And now the funniest feature of this fish: its teeth.    The fish's teeth look like human teeth. It is used to crush the shells of their prey (crustaceans). However, in spring they eat fish and in summer sheepshead prefer sea plants. The fish looks really funny and makes me curious. https://www.scienceabc.com/nature/animals/sheepshead-fish-facts-fish-human-teeth.html

 Blobfish is a very unfavorable looking fish. When I saw her for the first time, I had many questions. Fish lives at great depths, from 600 to 1,200 m. The pressure underwater at such depth is so great that it would instantly crush human organs. The conditions in which it lives make it difficult to study its species. The fish is small but weighs a lot. It measures 30 cm and weighs as much as 9 kg. It feeds on small organisms found in its environment. It has no teeth. The fish's body is a gelatinous mass.   And now the most important thing, why does the Fish look this way? The answer is not complicated. Fish are adapted to life under enormous pressure. It is what gives her body its shape. A fish pulled out of the depths loses its properties. The nets dragged for more than a kilometer to the surface destroy their bodies. We have very few photos that show us what they look like in their natural environment. However, it is enough to say that they look like completely norma

This peculiar-looking fish is a Tripod fish. It occurs on the bottom of the oceans, standing on its modified fins that look like legs. Also known as "Stilt Walkers". It occurs all over the world. We can find it at depths from 900m to even 4700m!! This fish's fins are modified to help it settle on the bottom and wait for prey.  The same fins, when not the legs of the fish, serve as antennae to locate and catch prey because the fish has practically no eyes. The lack of eyes is due to their location - it is completely dark at such depths. The fish are not large, they reach about 30 cm, but their fins measure a meter, which is over 3 times larger than them.  They feed on aquatic organisms found in their surroundings, e.g. crustaceans or organisms that drift with the water. Fish are very clever and position themselves against the water current so that prey swims towards them. https://fb.watch/nPmPhnsYgc/  Tripod Fish | Online Learning Center | Aquarium of the Pacific (aquarium