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Adult male Pacific walruses can weigh as much as four thousand five hundred pounds which is a very large lump of tusked blubber to carry around.  Females usually weigh about two thirds of that.

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The indigenous Arctic people relied on the walrus for thousands of years as it could provide everything they needed to survive from meat, fat, skin, tusks and bone. However, during the late nineteen hundred and early twentieth century the walrus was hunted almost to extinction. They were valued for their blubber and ivory but since restrictions were enforced their global numbers have started to grow again but the Atlantic and Laptev populations are still low and very scattered. It is unlikely that these will recover their numbers.

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The Atlantic walrus has a flatter snout and shorter tusks than the other species.  The tusks are actually over grown canine teeth and they can grow to a length of three feet and weigh up to twelve pounds in both male and female walrus.

Dominant males have slightly longer and heavier tusks which are used for fighting over females or territory.  Tusks are used to break holes in thick ice and to haul the walrus out of the water onto the ice.

Marine biologists have discovered that these huge strong tusks are not used for digging under the water, but they seem to be used to dredge through the debris at the bottom while digging with the edge of the snout. This was discovered by examining the markings of walrus tusks.  

The walrus has very few teeth but is well know for the huge number of whiskers it has. There can be as many as 700 bristles, set out in 15 rows and reaching up to 12 inches in length.  That is one truly amazing moustache.

These creatures eat pretty much what comes their way, live mostly on sea cucumber, corals, crabs and shrimps and graze at the bottom of the ocean for their favourite food which appears to be clams.  The walrus only has two natural predators, the orca and the polar bear but the one that has done them most damage is, once again, man.

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The earth’s water portion is far larger than the land in terms of geography.  Just as land is home to many plants and animals, so are the seas and other bodies of water.  Among these fascinating varieties of living creatures live the fascinating gentle giant of the sea. 

Ranging from four to fourteen meters long, whale sharks (Rhincodon typus) are the largest members of the cartilaginous fishes (Class Chondrichthynes), making them the world’s largest sharks and fish.  Yes, the whale shark is a fish, not a whale as what its name implies.  Its closest relatives are the rays and other species of sharks.

Image by jon hanson via Flickr

The whale shark has and enormous mouth that can reach a width of 1.4 meters, but its not designed to bite off people unlike those of the Great White sharks.  Its mouth is at the very front of its head unlike other sharks, which have their have their mouths on the underside of the head.  Its wide flat head has a rounded snout, small eyes, five large gill slits, two dorsal fins, and two pectoral fins.  Its tail has a top fin that is much larger than the lower fin.  Like in most sharks, female whale sharks are larger than the males.

Yellowish markings on very thick dark gray skin best distinguish the whale sharks from other sharks.  According to some biologists this skin feature serves as a camouflage for the whale shark when it preys on shoals of fish.  The camouflage spots on its skin, especially concentrated on its head, resemble a shoal of fish, thus attracting approaching fishes instead of scaring them away.

Whale sharks sieve enormous amounts of plankton, which they eat through their gills as they swim.  Thus, they are called filter feeders.  As they swim with their mouths open, masses of water filled with plankton and small fishes enter their mouths and pass through spongy tissues between their large gill arches.  After closing their mouths, whale sharks use gill rakes that filter the food from the water.  Anything that does not pass through the gills is eaten.  Gill rakes are bristly structures in their mouths that trap small organisms, which they then swallow.  Despite their enormous size, whale sharks’ diet comprise only of plankton, krill, small fish, squid, and other small invertebrates.  This is why they are fondly regarded as the “gentle giants of the sea.”

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Whale sharks are solitary creatures.  They have been known to inhabit warm waters near the equator both along the coast and in the open seas, from Sabah, Malaysia to the Galapagos Islands.  Interestingly, congregations of whale sharks have also been observed to frequent Australia’s Ningaloo Reef, and in Donsol in the Bicol peninsula of the Philippines.  However, these regular visits by whale sharks to Donsol waters are no longer a surprise to local villagers, who have been aware of these massive but harmless fish species which they call “butanding.”

Image by ~MVI~ (in Bangkok 4 Climate Nego) via Flickr

Whale sharks are known to spend most of their time near the water surface.  This is also one of the reasons why they easily fall prey to unscrupulous fish catchers who hunt and butcher them.  Some might say that whale sharks are butchered anyway to provide humans with tons of meat and other raw materials for various commercial products.  However, people should consider the decreasing population of whale sharks.  In fact, the whale shark is already in the list of endangered species.  In the Philippines, it is now illegal to hunt and harvest these “butandings.”  Some non-government organizations, like the Haribon Foundation are active with their “save our endangered species” programs to protect the whale sharks as well as other endangered creatures.

• Sea cucumbers may or may not have tube feet. Some species have five double rows of tube feet running along their bodies. Each tube has a tiny suction cup on end, allowing the animal to feel and move.

• Sea cucumbers are blind, though many of them are sensitive to light, that those that live in shallow waters tend to hide out during daylight hours, and comes out at night to feed.

• These invertebrates reproduce by releasing their eggs and sperm into the water where they are fertilized and hatched.

• Most sea cucumbers snack on tiny particles like algae, tiny aquatic animals, or decaying organic matter found in the sea bed. They also sift through the bottom sediments using their 8 to 30 tube feet that look like tentacles surrounding their mouth. 

photo by Cooter California

photo by laszlo-photo

• They may be brainless but they sure do know how to defend themselves. Some species contract their bodies to expel sticky cuvierian tubules (enlargements of the respiratory tree) to entangle potential predators. Their bodies have the ability to re-grow the tubules. Sometimes the act may be accompanied by the discharge of a toxic chemical called holothurin, which can kill any animal that can come in contact.

• Many sea cucumber species are threatened to extinction as they are harvested for human consumption, and while toxins within the bodies of some species are supposed to deter predators, it has instead become a great pharmaceutical interest in Chinese markets.

• The blood of the sea cucumber is yellow as ten percent of its blood cell pigment is vanadium.

*Photos without credits are by Nick Hobgood through Wikimedia and Flickr Creative Commons Attribution ShareAlike 3.0

More on nature:

• The Stunning Sea Star
• The Flower Within a Flower
• Worms: The Christmas Trees of the Deep
• Nudibranchs: The Most Colorful Creatures on Earth

It is extremely disturbing for me to even see an image of a shark thrown away into the sea without its fins. Let me tell you why. Sharks never stop swimming, and they need their fins to swim. While they are swimming they are breathing through their gills as well. Without their fins they are suffering a slow and painful death. And humans just cut all their fins and throw them back to sea.

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The fins’ main purpose is to make a Chinese delicacy (obtained from ‘genocide’). Many food critics respond and saying that they taste like a normal soup, and why do people still kill sharks? Maybe it’s the only way for some to earn money. Or is it just for the money the many restaurants get? I don’t know the true answer to this.

The most common dangerous sharks are:

• The Great White Shark: The world’s most powerful predatory fish, weighing up to 2240 kilograms, and reaching length up to 6 meters long. Found most common seas and oceans.

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• Tiger Shark: Reaching up to 4.25 meters long and weighing up to 900 kilograms. It is found in tropical and temperate climates of the earth.  

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• The Bull Shark: Found commonly around the world in warm and shallow waters. Most probably dangerous shark to humans. Bull sharks can travel up rivers and can tolerate fresh water.

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Maybe you have thought wrong of sharks. Sharks are very solitary and territorial predators. They are able to smell blood from about 2 blocks away. Sharks lose hundreds of teeth a week and grow hundreds back!

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Shark bites can be very gory and rips a lot of flesh. Once it has its teeth in its prey’s flesh, it would shake from side to side and the spikes on the sides of the teeth rip even more flesh. The funny thing is that they have the same biting strength as humans!

Most sharks hunt fish, seals and porpoises and sometimes when they are really famished, they would sometimes eat others sharks’ meals, and sometimes they bite other sharks; this is called a feeding frenzy.

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Now let’s look at the special species of sharks.

• The Carpet Shark: The Carpet Shark lies still at the ocean bed. Its features are spots and fringes around its snout. The carpet shark uses their skin as a camouflage, and when a fish swims by, chomp goes the shark.

• Hammerhead Shark: A hammerhead shark as the name explains it is in a shape of a hammer. And amazingly the eyes are at the ends of the hammer. No one is sure why, but it sure is special!

• Dwarf Shark: One of the smallest sharks and only about six inches long. A mystery of the sharks and very rare to be found. Lives in caves and reefs.

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• The Whale Shark: The world’s largest living fish and feeds on little schools of fish. Can grow up to 16 meters long.

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The story of the Chinese princess was written in the 3rd century BC. At the time, an estimated 5,000 baiji lived in the Yangtze River. Today, the baiji is functionally extinct. Although there was one sighting in 2007, indicating that a few baiji may still exist, experts believe there is no hope for recovery.

Fossil records show that the baiji first appeared 25 million years ago. Twenty million years ago, the baiji began to evolve into a freshwater species, moving from the Pacific Ocean into the Yangtze River.

The baiji is a small dolphin with a long, slender bill. It feeds on fish, and grows up to 8 ft (2.4m) in size. The dolphin is almost blind. A baiji fetus has eyes on the sides of its head, but as the fetus develops, the eyes travel closer to the top of its head, to make the best use of available light from the river’s surface. The baiji navigates and finds food by echolocation, sending out a series of beeps, clicks and whistles.

Hear a SOUND CLIP of the baiji.

An astonishing twelve percent of the world’s population lives along the Yangtze, and the river churns with diesel-engine boats of all sizes. The noise of motors and machinery thrums and roars beneath the surface. Along the shores and on the river, fishermen drop nets bearing wicked hooks, competing to catch more of the dwindling supply of fish. Factories and industries dump waste and toxins into the water. Amid this murky cacophony lives the Yangtze River dolphin.

The people along the Yangtze have always known of the dolphin’s existence, but it was only in the twentieth century that the baiji came to the attention of the Western world. An American killed a baiji in Dong Ting Lake in 1914, and shipped it to the Smithsonian Institute. It generated interest, but not much.

In the late 1950’s, Professor Zhou Kai Ya of the Nanjing University discovered a mysterious, unlabeled skeleton waiting for him when he returned from a field trip. He was surprised to discover that the skeleton was of a Yangtze River dolphin, found near Nanjing. Dr. Zhou interviewed local fisherman, who confirmed many baiji sightings. The baiji often got tangled in fishing nets, and were usually sold or eaten.

At the time, the baiji numbered about 6,000 in the Yangtze River. Researchers began to study the animals, but the political climate changed with China’s Cultural Revolution, and research came to a halt. In the seventies, research picked up again, but only locally, due to communication problems within China.

In the meantime, the baiji continued to suffer. Many died when they tried to evade the ever-increasing traffic on the Yangtze. In the past, the dolphins dived beneath the boats, coming up on the other side. This worked without a problem when the boats were sail-powered. In the fifties, a massive increase in industrialization brought motors, and the noise disoriented the dolphins. They would swim into the propellers, with lethal consequences.

Since a female baiji matures at six years old, and has only one calf every two years, the dolphins couldn’t evolve fast enough to survive the changes to their environment. By 1981 only 400 baiji remained. In 1983, the government banned the hunting of the Yangtze River dolphins, but it wasn’t until 1984 that the plight of the baiji made national headlines in China.

Some peasants found a baiji stranded in shallow water near Tongling. They reported it to the Agricultural Commission of the Tongling Municipal Government. The government launched an investigation and uncovered countless horror stories of dolphins caught in nets, hacked to bits by propellers, sightings and reports of injured and dying animals. Only then did the Chinese government realize how rare the baiji had become, and how fragile was its existence.

Dr. Zhou traveled to Tongling to help save the baiji. Federal and municipal governments provided funds for research stations and studies. A research station and nature reserve went up near Tongling. The project included holding pools, a hospital for sick or injured dolphins, a fish farm to feed them, and bamboo fences to protect an area along the Yangtze.

The people of Tongling did their best to help. Businesses got into the spirit by donating to the project in return for licensing to use the baiji name and symbol. Within a short time there was Baiji Beer, a Baiji Hotel, and even Baiji toilet paper, all of which helped generate publicity for the imperiled dolphin.

D. W. Hoard/White Fin Media

It was too late.

In 1986 only 300 baiji remained. In the early 1991 the estimate went down to 200.

In Wuhan, the Institute of Hydrobiology built a baiji conservation dolphinarium in 1992. Only one baiji, a male named Qi Qi, survived captivity. He lived for over twenty-two years. In the vast, murky waters of the Yangtze, it was almost impossible to locate and catch other dolphins. Four other baiji briefly shared residence with Qi Qi, but none survived longer than eighteen months, and researchers were not successful in breeding the dolphins.

Small dams along the river affected the ecology and water quality even further. When construction began on the massive Three Gorges Hydroelectric Dam in 1994, it wreaked havoc on the baiji’s remaining habitat. In 1997, only 13 baiji remained.

Engineers finished the Three Gorges Dam in 2003, and began filling its reservoir. The last official sighting of a Yangtze River dolphin was in 2004.

In 2006, an expedition to the Yangtze searched 2,200 miles (3,500 km) of the Yangtze, and found no trace of the baiji. Scientists declared the Yangtze River dolphin functionally extinct. It was the first human-caused extinction of a dolphin species. August Pfluger, co-organizer of the expedition, said at the time, “It is a tragedy … a loss not only for China, but for the entire world.”

(above: Qi Qi, a male Yangtze River Dolphin, at the dolphinarium in Wuhan)

Then, a glimmer of hope arose. In 2007, Scientists examined digital video footage taken along the eastern part of the Yangtze, and confirmed that the animal swimming in the water was indeed a baiji.

Could the baiji, like the southern right whale and the white rhino, return from the brink of extinction? At the time, Wang Ding, a scientist at China’s Institute of Hydrobiology, said there are no guarantees. “The chances of saving the baiji are really small,” he said. “But we have to try our best to save the last baiji, even if we know it may be a mission impossible.”

After 2007, there were no further sightings. Time seems to have run out for the baiji.

Scientists are now concentrating their efforts on two other endangered species of the Yangtze River – the finless porpoise and the Chinese sturgeon.

Coquina Clams from My Collection

Coquina Clams are small members of the clam species who live in the tidal zone of many of our beaches. Various species live around the world. The southern Atlantic Coquina lives from Virginia south into the Caribbean and the Gulf of Mexico.  In good habitats of clean water and sand, these clams will multiply and become plentiful indicating a healthy beach.

Size

Coquina clams can grow up to 1 inch (2.5 cm) in length. They are more abundant in the smaller sizes, generally around ½ inch long, at least on the beaches I find them on. They are about ½ the length in width, at the widest point, which is at the hinge. Their bivalve shells form into a wedge (triangular) shape.

Color

Their shells come in a variety of colors: yellow, white, purple, brown, pink are just some of the colors I have seen. Many times the shells are banded and striped, adding even more to their beauty.

The stripes radiate from the hinge area out to the edge of the shell. The bands form parallel to the shell’s edge, going from one side to the other. These bands and stripes can be darker or lighter than the underlying shell, creating various shades of color.

Habitat

Like I stated earlier, these small clams like to hang their seashells in the tidal zones of sandy beaches. They move up and down the beach with the movement of the tide. The water gives them a lift, first up the beach and then back down. When they fine the spot they are looking for, they quickly bury themselves in the sand.

Coquinas like to hang out with each other. Where you find one, you can find many others forming colonies of clams. They align themselves vertically in the sand, which means they can pack themselves into the available real estate quite nicely.

They can be adversely affected by human activity. Things like beach re-nourishment, dredging, and erosion control can cause their populations to drop.

Feeding

Organic goodies suspended in the water that washes over the Coquinas make up their meals.  They put out a couple of siphons when feeding. One siphon filters food particles out of the water, while the other siphon moves waste products out of the clam.

Life Span & Breeding

The estimates I saw as I wandered around the internet searching out information on the Coquina Clams life span ranged from 3 to 6 months all the way up to 3 years. It seems that no one is quite sure just how long they live, probably because they have a high mortality rate.

To breed both males and females are required. When ready the females release eggs into the water. The males then release their sperm into the water to fertilize the eggs.

As an edible species, Coquina Clams are prolific breeders. It seems everyone wants a little Coquina. Fish, birds and other animals include them in their diet. Humanity also eats them, usually in clam soups and chowders.

Alias

Coquina Clams are known by quite a few other names, probably depending on the part of the country they are found.  Bean clams, Butterfly Shell Clams, Wedge Shells, and Pompano are some other names they are known by.

Shell Crafts

Coquina seashells can be used in various shell crafts. Although the seashells are small, the variety of colors and patterns they come in can enhance any item on which they are used.  If you’d like some ideas on shell craft projects visit Shellcraft Guides and take a look.

More Info

If you’d like more detailed information on Coquina Clams do a search on your favorite search engine. Type in Coquina Clams Info.

• Nudibranchs (NEW-dih-bronks) are marine snails with no shells, noted for their fascinating shapes and extraordinary patterns and colors.

• The striking colors that make them attractive to underwater photographers are also what warn predators to back-off. Many of them defend themselves by releasing chemicals that make them toxic.

• The more than 300,000 known species of nudibranchs can be thick or flattened, long or short, sumptuously colored or plain looking.

• Nudis are blind, so they touch, taste and smell through the two highly sensitive horn-like  tentacles, called rhinophores, located on top of their heads.

• They live at virtually all depths of salt water from Antarctica to the tropics, but reach their greatest size and variation in warm, shallow waters.

• These carnivores prey on stinging creatures such as corals, hydroids and barnacles. Some are even cannibals feasting on sea slugs and even their own species.

• Their coloring is obtained from the food they eat.

• Aeolid nudibrachs keep their prey’s sting and re-use it by releasing on their feather plumes. The plumes also act as gills.

• Being hermaphrodites, they can mate with any other mature member of their species and both can become pregnant and lay eggs.

• They lay their eggs in ribbons, coils or tangled clumps, up to two million at a time. Like them, their eggs vary in shapes and hues.

• Nudibrachs grow from 0.25 in (6 mm) to 12 in (31 cm) long, and can weigh up to 3.3 lbs (1.5 kg).

• Their lifespan can be as short as 1 week or as long as 1 year.

• Nudis cannot be fished out of the sea as they lose their shape and beautiful colors. Thus, they cannot be abused by tourists and collectors alike.

• The only way to bring home and show the beauty of these amazingl creatures is by taking photographs.

• They cannot be kept in an aquarium due to the diversity of their diet. Even underwater, they are more or less confined within special micro-environments.

• Their scientific name, Nudibranchia means “naked gills.”

Photos by Nick Hobgood through Flickr creative commons.

More on amazing nature:

• The Vacuum Cleaners of The Deep
• 10 Impressive Inselberg Formations
• Worms: The Christmas Trees of the Deep
• Extraordinary Eating Places: Underwater Restaurants

Great whites swim the oceans of the world. Concentrations, or ‘hot spots’, are found in the temperate waters of south-western Australia, South Africa, California and Mexico. The densest known population is right here, around Dyer Island, South Africa!

They are pelagic fish. That means they prefer the upper layers of the sea, but also venture down to 1 280m. They are mostly seen in coastal waters where the pickings are rich. Seals, whales, dolphins, other sharks and large bony fish make a good shark diet.

We’ve recently realised that great whites spend a lot of time in the open ocean too.  When ‘Nicole’, a female great white, was tracked to Australia and back, we learned so much more about their migration and behaviour. In fact, great whites have the longest recorded migratory range of any marine creature. Nicole covered a staggering 22 000km from Dyer Island (South Africa) to western Australian and back in just under nine months! Her average swimming speed  was 4.7km/hr. She spent 60% of her time in the top 5m of water, 20% in the area below that and 20% down at her maximum depth of 980m.

Favourite Foods

The white shark is an apex predator – right at the top of the feeding pyramid – and is vital to a healthy marine ecology. The only animals who attack them are other great whites, sperm whales and orcas.

These apex predators take their pick of the buffet, choosing fish, smaller sharks, turtles, dolphins, seals and sea lions – or even the blubber of dead whales.

Great whites are partly warm-blooded. Most of their body is kept at 14°C above the temperature of the surrounding water. They are economical with their calories and can go for weeks between meals. With one bite, great whites gobble about 14kg of flesh, and can gorge on several hundred kilograms of food.  Do they like the taste of humans? Well, humans are not exactly healthy for a great white because its digestion is too slow to cope with the human body’s high ratio of bone to muscle and fat…

Vital Statistics

Great whites of up to 7m (21ft) long have been reliably reported, but their average length is around 6m (18ft). They’re over a metre long at birth (3 to 5ft).

No one really knows how long great whites live. It’s hard to find out because they lead lonely lives and are so migratory. Research in recent years should bring us closer to knowing.

Power-Sensing!

Great whites have powerful sensing mechanisms – a mega sense of ’smell’ and an ability to sense the electrical fields radiating from living creatures.

They ‘breathe’ via gills, so nostrils are solely for sniffing out prey. Each nostril is divided in two, separating the water into two flows, one incoming and one outgoing. The water flows over sensory organs covered with millions of olfactory cells connected to the ’smelling’ centre of the brain. The great white is one big swimming nose!

They hunt down prey with an unusual electrical field detection system. Minute capsules filled with a gel-like substance are sensitive to electrical discharges as small as .005 microvolts! Sensory cells pick up these signals and transmit the information to the brain. All marine creatures generate small electrical fields – where their skin meets the water, from the mucous membranes in the mouth and gills of fish, or from the blood of wounded animals. The great white ‘reads’ the signals and decides who’s swimming normally, who’s panicking, or who is incapacitated.

A Sharky Grin

When a great white attacks, it thrusts its jaw forward. This makes for the widest possible grab and lets teeth grasp the prey.

Sharks’ teeth change over time depending on what they eat. Smaller sharks, less than 3m, generally eat fish. These young sharks have pointed teeth so that their jaws can pin prey. As they get bigger, they start to add larger prey such as seals and dolphins. To dismember such big animals, their top teeth become stronger, serrated and triangulated. The lower teeth stay pointed so that the shark can still pin the  prey.   

What’s With the Eyes?

Much like human eyes, shark eyes have a light-sensitive layer at the back called the retina. A shark’s retina has millions of microscopic rod cells helping the shark see in dim light.

In low light, shark eyes shine like a cat’s. That’s because the tapetum, a layer of shiny cells behind the retina, reflects light back through the eye  helping them see even better in low light. In bright light the tapetum can be covered with dark cells to cut reflection and protect the retina.

Sharks have two eyelids to protect their eyes. Often the eyelids don’t meet. Some sharks have a third eyelid (nictitating membrane) – useful protection when attacking prey. If there’s no nictitating membrane they roll the eyeballs back under the true eyelids – and there’s the white-eyed look.

Mystery and Reproduction

Male great whites are ready to breed when they reach approx 3.8m long. Females are ready at approx 4.8m. Though they both have a hole near the pelvic fins called the cloaca, you can see the difference between male and female sharks.

Male sharks have modified pelvic fins called claspers. They also have two muscular sacs in their abdominal wall which they fill with seawater. Internally males have testes that produce sperm and secrete male hormones.

Female sharks are mostly bigger than male sharks. Other than that, they look the same, except they don’t have claspers. Inside, they have a pair of ovaries where female hormones and eggs are made – interestingly, usually only the right ovary makes eggs.

We know almost nothing about how and where great whites mate. Some believe that making a large kill has a soporific effect on them that may lead to mating.

We have never seen a great white give birth, though we know they are ovoviviparous. That means the eggs grow inside the female, hatch there and carry on growing until they are born between spring and summer. They give birth to between 4 and 14 pups and may have only 4 to 6 litters in a lifetime. At birth, the pups are about 1.5m long and are already able hunters. They grow quickly, reaching 2m after their first year of life. 

White Shark Tidbits

White sharks store extra fat in two large livers and draw on these stores when times are hard. The livers help to keep the shark buoyant.

The dorsal fin is flexible (bendy) and works with the tail to make the shark agile.

The dorsal fin is as individual as a fingerprint – the trailing edge and the arrangement of notches in the fin is unique.

The great white is the only apex predator that hasn’t been kept successfully in captivity. Where it’s been tried, the sharks were released due to stress.

Conservation: It’s Tough at the Top

Being at the top of the food pyramid means white sharks are vital to a balanced marine ecology. They control the populations of prey species and weed out the sick and wounded. A healthy ocean depends on a robust population of apex predators. Sadly, the survival of the great white is threatened by the ignorance and greed of humankind who continue needlessly to slaughter them. Responsible tourism promotes conservation, awareness and respect for the great white shark. We work towards sustainable populations of great whites in the waters of the world. 

for more information visit www.whitesharkprojects.co.za

Image via Wikipedia

Swarms of Humboldt Squid, also known as the Giant Squid or the Jumbo Squid, have been found off the coast of California.  These squid are massive, reaching up to 100lbs.  They are generally deep sea creatures, but have recently moved into the shallow waters off of San Diego’s coast.

So far, there are no deaths or serious injuries reported from human encounters with Giant Squid swarms.  Mostly, the squid, who taste and explore through their tentacles, have been grabbing at face-mask and gear.  There have been a few reports of the squid ramming divers, usually from behind, but no permanent damage has been done.

The only human encounters with the Giant Squid have been with divers.  The squid swim too deep to meet with most common surfers and swimmers.  Most divers are currently staying out of the water or are taking protective measures to avoid injury.  Some have taken to wearing the mesh gear most commonly used as protection against shark bites.

Safety is an issue with the Giant Squid because they are aggressive animals and carnivores.  Giant Squid are typically passive when they’re not feeding, but during a feeding frenzy, they have been known to eat other squid, even ones in their school (Giant Squid travel in schools of up to 1200).  Their tentacles have suckers with sharp teeth that are used to grab a hold of their prey.  They are unique in that they have large beaks with sharp ends that can injure the humans they encounter.

Speed is another factor for concern.  Not only can Giant Squid travel at 15mph, they also have a very rapid attack.  They approach prey with all their tentacles out and grab on with their suckers.  They then bite the prey with their beaks.  If several Giant Squid attack at once, they can kill a large prey within minutes.

The Giant Squid usually eat fish and krill.  They are not attacking humans for food, but, much like many shark attacks, they are exploring the options they are presented with.  It’s been suggested that the squid may be a permanent fixture along California’s coast, and it’s best if humans learn to be cautious.

Image via Wikipedia

1. Coleman Shrimp (Periclimenes colemani)

   

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   The gorgeous and very attractive Coleman Shrimp is usually found on the beautiful Purple Fire Sea Urchin accompanied by another resident – the Zebra Crab. They can be found in many diving sites in the Philippines like Anilao in Batangas, Malapascua in Cebu and many others.

2. Emperor Shrimp (Periclimenes imperator)

   

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   The colorful Emperor Shrimp on the above photo is seen on top of a Bohadschia Argus sea cucumber.

   

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   This beautiful species of shrimp belongs to the genus Periclimenes which includes many different types of shrimp like the Anemone Shrimp and many others.

3. Hingebeak Shrimp (Rhynchocinetes durbanensis)

   

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   These beautifully colored and uniquely patterned shrimp belong to the family Rhynchocinetidae, a group of small, reclusive red-and-white shrimps. They typically have an upward-hinged foldable rostrum, hence its taxon name Rhynchocinetidae, which means movable beak.

   They are commonly named Dancing Shrimps due to the fact that these creatures seem to be dancing when they move. Another informal name for this unique aquarium pet is Hingebeak Shrimps.

4. Tiger Pistol Shrimp (Alpheus bellulus)

   

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   The fascinating Tiger Pistol Shrimp is a snapping shrimp also called Symbiosis Shrimp. It has two claws: a pincher and snapper. The snapper can deliver a strong blast of water jet that can stun its prey. It is native to tropical waters. The name “symbiosis shrimp” comes from the mutually beneficial relationship the shrimp has with gobies The goby, with better eyesight, warns the shrimp of predators, and the shrimp shares its food with the goby.

5. Horned Bumblebee Shrimp (Phyllognathia ceratophthalmus)

   

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   The stunning and captivating Phyllognathia ceratophthalmus is commonly known as Tiger Shrimp and Dragon Shrimp.

   

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   They can be found in the waters of Philippine archipelago like Anilao and other diving sites.

6. Striped Bumblebee Shrimp (Gnathophyllum americanum)

   

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   The handsome-looking Striped Bumblebee Shrimp is common throughout tropical reefs, bays and lagoons. It is similar in coloration to the brightly-colored bumblebee with blue highlights. The Striped Bumblebee Shrimp can grow up to 1 inch or 25 mm in length.

7. Spotted Bumblebee Shrimp (Gnathophyllum panamense)

   

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   Are you going to eat a beautiful creature such as the Spotted Bumblebee Shrimp? Well, it’s a case-to-case basis. I don’t think you’ll see the beauty and unique coloration of this species of shrimp if you are already dying of hunger.

8. Stars and Stripes Shrimp

   

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   I hope you will agree with me if I will say that this species of shrimp is the most fascinating, colorful and unique of them all. I simply love looking at this awesome animal.

9. Common marbled Shrimp (Saron marmoratus)

   

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   The Common Marble Shrimp or also known as the Saron Shrimp is a unique aquarium pet -during the day it is brown with green spots. At night, the color of its body turns primarily red, which helps it blend into the shadows of the twilight.

   

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   In the aquarium, the diet of a Common Marble Shrimp can include brine shrimp, plankton, flaked food, frozen food, and small pieces of fish.

10. Fire Shrimp (Lysmata debelius)

    

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    It’s very obvious why they called this Fire Shrimp- it’s because of its burning red color. It is also informally called Blood Red Shrimp and Scarlet Cleaner Shrimp. It is an arthropod that grows to a maximum size of 5 cm or 2 inches and is indigenous to the Indo-Pacific area. Its most notable characteristic is its effectiveness in cleaning the water of aquariums. It is also known to eat dead tissues or parasites.

11. Squat Anemone Shrimp (Thor amboinensis)

    

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    The fascinating Squat Anemone Shrimp are also known as ‘Sexy Shrimp’ and ‘Sexy Anemone Shrimp’. It is endemic to the Indo-Pacific and grows to a maximum size of 1.5 inches. This species exhibits an unusual trait of swaying its abdomen back and forth, hence the name Sexy Shrimp. It is usually found among the tentacles of an anemone and grows rapidly, molting about every 3-4 weeks. This shrimp has recently been included in the aquarium hobby. It is considered reef safe but it can not be kept with larger fish that can eat it.

12. Peppermint Shrimp (Lysmata wurdemanni)

    

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    This attractive critter is known colloquially as the Peppermint Shrimp. It is a reef safe cleaning animal which consumes parasites and dead or diseased tissue from other animals like the Fire Shrimp and is therefore used in salt water fish tanks. It reaches 7 cm or 2.8 inches in length and is named for the bright red stripes on its translucent body, which are reminiscent of peppermint candies such as a candy cane. Its eggs, by contrast, are bright green.

13. Yamato Shrimp (Caridina multidentata)

    

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    This pretty and captivating shrimp can be found in Yamato River in Japan as well as part of Korea and Taiwan. It is usually used in an aquarium because they feed primarily on algae, thus cleaning the aquarium if in large numbers. Other common names include Amano Shrimp, Algae-eating Shrimp, Japonica, Alga Shrimp, Japanese Swamp/Marsh Shrimp, Yamamoto Shrimp and Yamato Numaebi.

14. Bubble Coral Shrimp (Vir philippenensis)

    

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    Vir philippinensis is a unique-looking species of shrimp usually found on the waters surrounding the archipelago of the Philippines. Its common name is Bubble Coral Shrimp. It belongs to a family of crustaceans called Palaemonidae of the infraorder Caridea which contains true shrimps.

15. White Patched Anemone Shrimp (Periclimenes brevicarpalis)

    

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    Periclimenes brevicarpalis is a handsome species of shrimp informally named White Patched Anemone Shrimp. Its other common name is Pacific Clown Anemone Shrimp.

16. Magnificent Shrimp (Periclimenes magnificus)

    

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    Periclimenes magnificus or informally called Magnificent Shrimp is a cleaner shrimp commonly found in the Western Pacific Ocean usually at depths from 3 meters to 29 meters.

    

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    It has a transparent body except on the carapace and segments of the abdomen which have bands of white specks outlined in red. The tail and the hump on the abdomen are also white.

17. Snakelocks Anemone Shrimp (Periclimenes sagittifer)

    

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    This species is colloquially named Snakelocks Anemone Shrimp. Periclimenes sagittifer can be found in the Mediterranean Sea and usually seen between 1.5 and 10 meters. See another beautiful image HERE.

18. Crystal Red Shrimp (Caridina)

    

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    The pretty Crystal Red Shrimp which is also commonly known as Red Bee Shrimp in Japan grows up 2.5 cm in size. This shrimp is quite sensitive to fast changes of the water parameters, especially when it comes to nitrogenous waste.

    

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    Crystal Red Shrimp maybe crossbreed with other bee shrimp as well as Bumblebee Shrimp and it can cross breed with Tiger Shrimp.

Hope you enjoyed this. Thank you!

See also

The Most Captivating and Stunning Sea Anemones

Pretty Aquatic Pets: 10 Most Beautiful Shrimps

Unique and Bizarre Shrimps for Your Tank