Marine Animals
The exhaustive list of marine animals starts with microscopic zooplanktons and ends with extremely large species of whales; in between these lie millions of animal species each of which are more amazing than the other. Continue reading....
More than a million species of animals and plants which are endemic to marine biome make it the richest biome in the world in terms of biodiversity. While 230,000 is the number of marine lifeforms which have identified by mankind, the actual number is estimated to be at least 10 times greater than that. The list of marine species is quite exhaustive, and includes fish, mammals, reptiles, invertebrates and seabirds as well.
Marine Biome: An Overview
Marine biome is a key component of the Earth's ecosystem, as it comprises five oceans on the planet and millions of living organisms that inhabit these oceans. The five oceans which combine to form this biome include Pacific Ocean, Atlantic Ocean, Indian Ocean, Arctic Ocean and Southern Ocean. The vast expanse of these oceans make marine biome the largest as well as most diverse biome in the world. The study of marine biome and various lifeforms which inhabit it is known as marine biology - a discipline of oceanography, while the scientists who study marine life are known as marine biologists. Studies reveal that the marine biome is home to millions of species of plants and animals, some of which you must have never heard before. Scientific estimates suggest that the total number of marine biome species far exceeds the number of species on all the other land biomes of the world combined.
Facts about the Marine Animals
When we talk about marine life information, the first thing that is likely to come to your mind is various species of fish which inhabit these oceans. Some people may also come up with other sea dwelling species such as sea snakes, turtles and a few mammalian species inhabiting the ocean waters. That, however, would be a mere glimpse of marine biome diversity as the list of animals found in this biome is quite lengthy, and has a wide range of species right from some microscopic organisms to gigantic whales. Given below are the details about marine organisms which will shed some light on the diversity of this biome.
Microscopic Sea Animals
The distinction of being the smallest animals in the ocean biome goes to zooplanktons - which predominantly comprise small crustaceans and fish larvae. Some noteworthy examples of zooplanktons include protozoa, chaetognaths, molluscs, arthropods, annelids etc. The Sargasso Sea in the North Atlantic Ocean alone has more than 500 zooplankton species recorded, while the total number of same in the entire world is estimated to be more than a million. These zooplanktons feed on phytoplankton, and that's point from where the energy transfer in marine biome food web starts.
Marine Invertebrates
As the name suggests, these are the species which are typically characterized by the absence of a vertebral column. These species are generally found in the vicinity of coral reefs and hence are also referred to as coral reef animals. Some of these species sport a hard shell or an exoskeleton as a protective covering. Examples of invertebrates in the marine biome include jelly fish, sea worms, shellfish, squid, octopus, star fish, crabs etc. As in the case of various land biomes, invertebrates make up a significant portion of living organisms in water biomes.
Fish Species
There are more than 31,500 species of fish in various oceans of the world. These species range from minute stout infantfish to large whale sharks. Some of the well-known fish species of the world include sardines, halibut, sharks etc. Blue whale being a mammal doesn't figure in the list of fish inhabiting the ocean floor. Depending on their size, these species of fish feed on various other sea animals. Some of these species are quite notorious for their aggressive traits, and don't hesitate to take on species which are much larger than them, including humans.
Marine Reptiles
The list of marine reptiles includes various species of sea snakes, sea turtles, as well as some species which frequent between sea and land such as the marine iguana and saltwater crocodiles. A closer look reveals that most of the species of reptiles found in oceans are oviparous - i.e. animals which lay eggs, with sea snakes being the only exception. Owing to their tendency to come on land frequently, these reptile species are most often seen in shallow waters close to land. Even though sea snakes seldom come on land, they do prefer shallow waters of estuaries especially wherein they can take shelter from their predators.
Marine Mammals
When we talk about marine mammals the first two names that are likely to come to your mind include dolphins and blue whales. Other than these species, marine mammals include seals, sea otters and other species of whales - such as the gray whale and humpback whale. Statistically speaking there are a total of 120 species of mammals which either inhabit the oceans or depend on ocean floor for food. Even though polar bears technically don't qualify for the marine mammals list, they do figure in some such lists owing to the key role they play in marine ecosystem in polar areas.
Seabirds
Whether seabirds should be taken into consideration when compiling a list of marine animals is again an issue of contention. Marine biologists are of the opinion that they should be taken into consideration as they have adapted to marine environment and play a crucial role when it comes to ocean food chain. Some of the well-known species of seabirds includes penguins, albatross, seagulls, etc. These seabirds are also quite popular for their migratory habits.
Like their counterparts on land, even sea animals have had to bear the brunt of various human activities. Marine biome plants and animals are under severe threat as a result of various human activities, including overfishing and ocean pollution. This has led to extinction of several marine lifeforms, while others have been left endangered or critically endangered. The need of the hour is marine life conservation measures, and if these measures are not implemented soon we are set to lose a huge chunk of planet's biodiversity - something we can't afford to lose.
Marine Biome: An Overview
Marine biome is a key component of the Earth's ecosystem, as it comprises five oceans on the planet and millions of living organisms that inhabit these oceans. The five oceans which combine to form this biome include Pacific Ocean, Atlantic Ocean, Indian Ocean, Arctic Ocean and Southern Ocean. The vast expanse of these oceans make marine biome the largest as well as most diverse biome in the world. The study of marine biome and various lifeforms which inhabit it is known as marine biology - a discipline of oceanography, while the scientists who study marine life are known as marine biologists. Studies reveal that the marine biome is home to millions of species of plants and animals, some of which you must have never heard before. Scientific estimates suggest that the total number of marine biome species far exceeds the number of species on all the other land biomes of the world combined.
Facts about the Marine Animals
When we talk about marine life information, the first thing that is likely to come to your mind is various species of fish which inhabit these oceans. Some people may also come up with other sea dwelling species such as sea snakes, turtles and a few mammalian species inhabiting the ocean waters. That, however, would be a mere glimpse of marine biome diversity as the list of animals found in this biome is quite lengthy, and has a wide range of species right from some microscopic organisms to gigantic whales. Given below are the details about marine organisms which will shed some light on the diversity of this biome.
Microscopic Sea Animals
The distinction of being the smallest animals in the ocean biome goes to zooplanktons - which predominantly comprise small crustaceans and fish larvae. Some noteworthy examples of zooplanktons include protozoa, chaetognaths, molluscs, arthropods, annelids etc. The Sargasso Sea in the North Atlantic Ocean alone has more than 500 zooplankton species recorded, while the total number of same in the entire world is estimated to be more than a million. These zooplanktons feed on phytoplankton, and that's point from where the energy transfer in marine biome food web starts.
Marine Invertebrates
 |
 |
 |
| * Click on image to enlarge | ||
As the name suggests, these are the species which are typically characterized by the absence of a vertebral column. These species are generally found in the vicinity of coral reefs and hence are also referred to as coral reef animals. Some of these species sport a hard shell or an exoskeleton as a protective covering. Examples of invertebrates in the marine biome include jelly fish, sea worms, shellfish, squid, octopus, star fish, crabs etc. As in the case of various land biomes, invertebrates make up a significant portion of living organisms in water biomes.
Fish Species
 |
 |
 |
| * Click on image to enlarge | ||
There are more than 31,500 species of fish in various oceans of the world. These species range from minute stout infantfish to large whale sharks. Some of the well-known fish species of the world include sardines, halibut, sharks etc. Blue whale being a mammal doesn't figure in the list of fish inhabiting the ocean floor. Depending on their size, these species of fish feed on various other sea animals. Some of these species are quite notorious for their aggressive traits, and don't hesitate to take on species which are much larger than them, including humans.
Marine Reptiles
 |
 |
 |
| * Click on image to enlarge | ||
The list of marine reptiles includes various species of sea snakes, sea turtles, as well as some species which frequent between sea and land such as the marine iguana and saltwater crocodiles. A closer look reveals that most of the species of reptiles found in oceans are oviparous - i.e. animals which lay eggs, with sea snakes being the only exception. Owing to their tendency to come on land frequently, these reptile species are most often seen in shallow waters close to land. Even though sea snakes seldom come on land, they do prefer shallow waters of estuaries especially wherein they can take shelter from their predators.
Marine Mammals
 |
 |
 |
| * Click on image to enlarge | ||
When we talk about marine mammals the first two names that are likely to come to your mind include dolphins and blue whales. Other than these species, marine mammals include seals, sea otters and other species of whales - such as the gray whale and humpback whale. Statistically speaking there are a total of 120 species of mammals which either inhabit the oceans or depend on ocean floor for food. Even though polar bears technically don't qualify for the marine mammals list, they do figure in some such lists owing to the key role they play in marine ecosystem in polar areas.
Seabirds
 |
 |
 |
| * Click on image to enlarge | ||
Whether seabirds should be taken into consideration when compiling a list of marine animals is again an issue of contention. Marine biologists are of the opinion that they should be taken into consideration as they have adapted to marine environment and play a crucial role when it comes to ocean food chain. Some of the well-known species of seabirds includes penguins, albatross, seagulls, etc. These seabirds are also quite popular for their migratory habits.
Like their counterparts on land, even sea animals have had to bear the brunt of various human activities. Marine biome plants and animals are under severe threat as a result of various human activities, including overfishing and ocean pollution. This has led to extinction of several marine lifeforms, while others have been left endangered or critically endangered. The need of the hour is marine life conservation measures, and if these measures are not implemented soon we are set to lose a huge chunk of planet's biodiversity - something we can't afford to lose.
Like This Article?
Follow:
Post Comment | View Comments