I’ve always been fascinated with sea creatures. Their body structures and anatomies are unlike anything we see on land and it’s always a treat to watch them move and interact. There are loads of interesting information about these animals of the sea that many people have yet to found out. Most of us know that the male seahorse gives birth instead of the female seahorse. So what are the other intriguing facts about these sea creatures we have yet to discover? Read on and find out.
Did you ever wonder what animal has the largest eye? That would be the giant squid, according to the Guinness Records, which is usually found in the deepest part of the ocean. Its 25 cm eye is as big as a human head and it is very useful in the dark waters where the squid lives.
As mentioned in Scienceray, a very informative scientific site, starfish do not have brains. They rely on their nervous system when they respond to stimuli. Technically, they also don’t have eyes, though they have microscopic “eyes” found at the end of each arms that distinguishes light and dark. I believe starfish are properly referred to as sea stars, as it is the more correct term since they aren’t actually fish but echinoderms.
According to the International Wildlife Encyclopedia, there is a sea squirt found near the Japan seas that digests its own brain. Once it reaches maturity, its body becomes attached to a rock permanently and wouldn’t need a brain anymore. Thus, the brain becomes nothing more than food. Now how about that? This tidbit will bother me for a very long time. Still in the subject of not-so-appealing food, the sea slug has the ability to swallow a jellyfish’s sting cells. These sting cells appear on their skin and the sea slug can use them to sting other creatures. Talk about stealing powers for their own gain.
The following facts are gathered from marinebio.org, a vast library of marine animals information, pictures and articles on marine conservation.
One in 5,000 north Atlantic lobsters are born bright blue. That is truly rare and beautiful, in an extraterrestrial sort of way.
Sharks can detect one part of blood in 100 million parts of water. And that’s not an exaggeration. Another creepy thing about sharks is they can bite even before they are born. An embryo tiger shark actually bit a scientist. The one fact that we can relate to is sharks can blink with both eyes, unlike all other kinds of fish.
From one sea eyes to another, a whale’s eyeballs are fixed. In order to change its line of sight, it has to move its whole body. An inconvenience I must say, considering its size and weight.
A tiger shark will produce and shed around 24,000 teeth in its lifetime. That said, a tiger shark with good hygiene will use up an average of 3 million pounds of toothpaste in its lifetime.
I think the most unique award goes to the jellyfish. It is 95% water and its life span is at most 3 to 6 months. Their anatomy is mostly incomplete that they use the same orifice for food and waste. They don’t have brains and most sensory organs. The male jellyfish releases sperm into the water and finds its way into the mouth of a female jellyfish. If they are exposed to the hot sun, they disappear, leaving only a circle of film as proof of their existence. Right now, I’m praying really hard that I wouldn’t reincarnate as a jellyfish in my next life.
What an abundance of information marine life brings us! It sure is out of the ordinary. I had so much fun discovering and writing about these riveting facts that I’m planning to come up with a part two already. It would be nice to explore other kinds of animals as well.
Amit Goyal, Nov 2008, Starfish Stunning Sentinels of the Seas
Roy D’Silva, Apr 2007, Facts About Jellyfish
