sea animal.doc

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Albacore

Common Name: Albacore

Scientific Name: Thunnus Alalunga

Description

Albacore is very low in sodium and is a very good source of protein, vitamin A, vitamin B12,selenium, and niacin. For more on nutrition, see Nutrition Facts.

Albacore are widely distributed throughout the world's marine ecosystems in tropical, sub-tropical,and temperate zones of the Pacific, Atlantic, and Indian Oceans. In thePacific Ocean, it isgenerally believed that there exists two stocks of albacore, one in the North Pacific hemisphereand one in the South Pacific hemisphere. Available data indicate that the two stocks do not crossthe equator and have separate spawning grounds and times.

Diet

Albacore feed on fish, crustaceans, and squid.

Behaviour

Today's albacore tuna are highly advanced marine teleosts, or bony fish, whose earliestancestors are generally believed to have emerged during the Mesozoic Era, roughly 65 to 210million years ago. Albacore are members of the Scombridae family, which includes 40 to 50species of tuna and mackerel, 23 of which are found, for at least a part of their life, in waters offthe coast of North America.

Life History

Albacore are a highly migratory species. Schools of albacore may include other tuna speciessuch as skipjack, yellowfin, and bluefin tuna.

Males live longer than females in the Atlantic and Mediterranean. The maximum lifespan ofalbacore in the Atlantic is 13 years, while it is only 9 years in the Mediterranean.
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Habitat

Albacore is a temperate tuna. Juveniles are mainly found in warmer surface waters, while adultsare found in cooler and deeper waters.

Special Features or Habits

Albacore have very small scales on their body. Their pectoral fins are remarkably long, about30% of fork length or longer in 1.6 feet or longer fish.

Location or Region Found

In subtropical western areas of both hemispheres and throughout the Mediterranean Sea.


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Common Name: Atlantic sharpnose shark

Scientific Name: Rhizoprionodon terraenovae

Description

The Atlantic sharpnose shark, named for its long, pointed snout, is one of at least five sharkspecies found in South Carolina estuaries (where rivers meet the sea). This predatory fishaverages less than three feet in length and feeds mainly on shrimp, crabs, worms, and small fish.

Coloration

Grey to grey-brown with white ventral surface. Adults have small light (white) dots on body, whitemargins on pectoral fins and and dusky dorsal fin tips

Distribution

Western North Atlantic: New Brunswick to Florida, Bahamas and Gulf of Mexico.

Biology

Abundant. Lives over continental shelf, mainly in shallow water (less than 30 ft) but has beenfound down to 900 ft. Tolerant to different salinities, and can be found in estuaries and rivermouths. During winter months they migrate into deeper waters. Sharpnose sharks can form bigschools of same sex and size.

Feeding

Small fishes, crustaceans and molluscs. Size: Average size between 2.5 to 3 ft, maximum total

length about 4 ft.

Reproduction

Gives birth to live young (viviparous, with yolksac-placenta). Normally 4 to 6 pups per litter,although can vary from 1 to 7. Pups are born in unprotected nursery grounds. Fast growth,reaching maturity after 3 to 4 years with a size of 2 to 2.5 ft. (males) and 2.5 to 3 ft. (females).

Similar Species
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None. This is the species locally called "sand sharks"

Population Status

Common

Danger to Humans

Harmless (although any species of captured shark can - and will try - to bite a careless angler).

Newfoundland, Canada, to Argentina, including Gulf of Mexico and Caribbean Sea. Common inU.S. Northeast and mid-Atlantic.

Common Name: Blue Shark

Scientific Name: Prionace glauca

Description

Blue sharks are a distinctive dark indigo blue on top, which blends to a lighter bright blue downtheir sides and ends with a bright white under belly. Soon after death their blue coloration fades todark gray. Blue sharks have long slender bodies and pointed snouts. Their pectoral fins are longand sickle shaped. The teeth in their upper jaw are triangular, serrated and curved? their lowerteeth are narrower and very sharp. Blue sharks generally attain a length of 6 to 8 feet and weighfrom 50 to 200 pounds. Large blues can grow to 12 feet in length and weigh over 400 pounds.

Diet

The Blue Shark eats mainly fish and cephalopods such as squid. Baby Blue Sharks arenourished via a yolk sac placenta, and are born at a length of 35-50cm. Adults grow to 3.83m

Blue sharks reportedly feed on anchovy, mackerel, hake, dogfish, squid and pelagic crustaceans

including euphausiids. Elsewhere also known to feed also on small sharks and seabirds. Mayfeed more actively at night, with highest activity in the early evening.

Behaviour

Blue sharks are pelagic and migratory in nature. They frequently swim together at the surface andare known to follow boats to get a free meal. Blue sharks are a popular sportfish in the Gulf ofMaine because they are plentiful and are easy to catch. Most blue sharks are released when
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caught because of the poor quality of their meat as food. Chumming with herring, mackerel andmenhaden works well when trying to attract these sharks.

This species is pectoral fins very long, narrow, pointed, Caudal fin nonlunate, Body slender,Snout rounded, long, Color dark blue above, bright blue with metallic hues on sides, whiteunderside, First dorsal fin closer to pelvic fins than to pectoral fins.

Habitat

Offshore; relatively cool waters 45-70F (7-21C); surface to about 1,970 ft (600 m).

Life History

Maximum reported size is 396 cm TL (~13 ft) but blue sharks taken off the U.S. West Coastaverage much smaller are seldom over 260 cm TL or 8 ? ft. For Pacific blue shark, size and ageat 50% maturity in males is 203 cm TL or 6 ? ft. and 4-5 years old, and in females at 186 cm TLor 6 ft and 5-6 years old. Maximum age is estimated to be at least 20 years.


It is the most wide-ranging shark species, being recorded in all tropical and temperate seas, from50oN to 40oS. The Blue Shark is usually found in water of 12oC to 20oC, and is recorded fromthe surface to a depth of 350m. In Australia it is recorded from all marine waters except the

Arafura Sea, Gulf of Carpentaria and Torres Strait.


Newfoundland, Canada, to Argentina, including Gulf of Mexico and Caribbean Sea. Common inU.S. Northeast and mid-Atlantic.


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Common Name: Beluga Whale

Scientific Name: Delphinapterus Leucas

Description

Beluga whales are dark blue-gray in color, measure 3-5 feetlong, and weigh 90-130 lbs. The color gradually lightens,usually turning white by age 5 or 6. Beluga whales grow to anaverage length of 15 ft. and can weigh more than 3,000 lbs.Generally, males are larger in size than females. Belugas arerobust-bodied and have a blubber layer which can be as muchas 5 inches thick. They are muscular creatures with a smallrounded head, a short beak, and are quite mobile incomparison to other whales.

Diet

Angel sharksto eat small fishes, crustaceans, mackerel, croaker and molluscs.

Behaviour

The belugas have a narrow ridge that runs down the rear of their backs, which allows them toswim freely under floating ice. Also, the beluga is the only whale that can bend its neck. Thishelps them to maneuver easily and catch prey, using their 34 to 40 teeth, not for chewing, but forgrabbing and tearing their prey, which is then swallowed whole. Belugas use sound to find theirprey. They also use sound to communicate and navigate by producing a variety of clicks, chirpsand whistles.

Belugas grow as long as 4.5 m and weigh up to 1500kg. Calves are born in the summer andremain with their mothers for about 24 months. They are slate gray to pinkish brown at birth but

become completely white by the time they are adults

Habitat

The tendency of belugas to consistently use shallow, estuarine locations during summer monthshas contributed to their overexploitation by hunting.


Beluga whales are found in seasonally ice-covered waters throughout arctic and sub arcticregions. With the exception of those in Cook Inlet and adjacent waters of the northern Gulf of

Alaska, most beluga whales in U.S. waters are thought to winter in the Bering Sea and AtlanticOcean in open leads and polynyas in the pack ice. In spring and summer, they are found in

coastal areas or the offshore pack ice.
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Gray Seal

Scientific ClassificationKingdom:Animalia

Phylum: ChordataClass: MammaliaOrder: Carnivora

Family:PhocidaeGenus:Halichoerus

Species:grypus

Description

Gray seals are part of the "true seal" family, Phocidae. True seals lack external ear flapsand have short forelimbs that result in limited locomotion on land. Gray seals are

sexually "dimorphic" with males reaching up to 10 ft (3 m) in length and 880 lbs (400

kg) and females reaching up to 7.5 ft (2.3 m) in length and 550 lbs (250 kg). Gray sealcoloration varies by geographic region and sex of the animal. Females live up to 35 years,

while males live up to 25 years in the wild.

Gray seals gather in large groups to mate, with males competing with each other for

access to females. Land breeding gray seals are often "polygynous"; one male potentiallymates with up to 10 females in a given breeding season. However, gray seals that breed

on ice are thought to be primarily monogamous. The gestation period for gray seals is

11.5 months, which includes a 3 month delay in implantation of the fertilized egg. Pupsin the eastern Atlantic Ocean are born September-November while pups in the western

Atlantic Ocean are born January-February. At birth, pups weigh approximately 35 lbs (16


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kg) and fatten quickly (by 2.5-3 pounds per day in the first 3 weeks) on rich milk from

their mothers. Pups are born with creamy white fur that is shed after the first 3 weeks of

life. After this period, coat patterns differ between the sexes with females having a silver-grey coat with scattered dark spots and males having a dark gray coat with silver gray

spots. Males can also be distinguished from females by their long-arched "roman" nose.

The male nose is the basis for its Latin name, Halichoerus grypus, which means "hooked-nose sea pig."

Gray seals are opportunistic feeders that consume between 4% and 6% of their

bodyweight per day. Food sources include fish, crustaceans, squid, octopus, and even

seabirds on occasion. Smaller fish are generally consumed underwater while bigger fishare brought up to the surface to be broken into smaller pieces using the seals' "prehensile"

front flippers and mouth. Gray seals can dive to great depths to capture food, with

recorded dives as deep as 1,560 feet (475 m). "Social feeding" is often practiced by grayseals, which helps to prevent prey escaping capture. With excellent vision and hearing,

this species is a formidable hunter. In open waters, gray seals rest in a vertical position

similar to a floating bottle, where the animal keeps only its head and neck above water.Some sharks and killer whales have been known to prey on gray seals.

Habitat

Gray seals are generally found in coastal waters. In their cold water habitat, these animals useblubber to maintain necessary body temperatures. On land, they inhabit rocky coasts and islands,sandbars, and ice shelves and icebergs. During mating, pupping, and molting, they gather intolarge groups. At sea they are usually found alone or in small dispersed groups. When hunting,gray seals use the entire water column--from the water's surface to the sea floor. Gray sealsshare their habitat with many organisms and are often found in the same areas as harbor seals.

Distribution

Gray seals are divided into three somewhat isolated stocks

1. Western north Atlantic stock located in eastern Canada and the northeastern UnitedStates;

2. Eastern north Atlantic stock that includes Great Britain, Iceland, Norway, Denmark the

Faroe Islands, and Russia; and3. Baltic Sea stock.

Breeding seals are found across the North Atlantic in coastal areas from Massachusetts

to the Baltic Sea. Young seals often disperse widely, sometimes going over 1,000 miles

(1,610 km) from their natal grounds. For example, young seals born in the eastern UnitedStates and Canada are sometimes seen in New Jersey waters.

Population Trends

Over the last few centuries, gray seals were hunted in great numbers. Many populations

declined. While gray seals were historically harvested mostly for subsistence and furs,

bounty hunting became more prevalent as gray seals were thought to feed on and spread


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disease to commercially important fish species (e.g., cod). Though still culled by humans

in Canada and other areas, many of these populations have bounced back and are

continuing to grow.

Current population numbers for the western North Atlantic stock are unknown but are

estimated at over 250,000 animals. Most recent population estimates show increases inabundance in Canada and the United States, although the population in the Gulf of the St.

Lawrence appears to be declining. Within U.S. waters, gray seals have been seen puppingin increasing numbers on isolated islands off the Maine coast, Nantucket-Vineyard

Sound, outer Cape Cod, and on Muskeget Island. In 2002, more than 1,000 pups were

born on Muskeget Island.

A reliable estimate for the eastern Atlantic stock is not available, though the population

may be nearly equivalent to the western Atlantic stock. The majority of gray seals in this

stock are located in the waters of Great Britain where the population is estimated to be

between 117,000 and 171,000 at the start of the breeding season (excluding pups). The

next largest eastern Atlantic population is in Iceland, estimated at 11,600 animals. Whilelocalized populations might differ, this stock is thought to be increasing overall.

Scientists estimate the Baltic Sea stock at over 22,000 gray seals, up from only 1,500-

2,000 a few decades before. Although this population is growing, it is still a fraction ofthe historic population estimated at 88,000-100,000 animals.


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Common Name: Octopus

Scientific Name: Octopus vulgaris (Common octopus)

Description

Octopuses are characterized by their eight arms (asdistinct from the tentacles found in squid and cuttlefish),usually bearing suction cups. These arms are a type ofmuscular hydrostat. Unlike most other cephalopods, themajority of octopuses - those in the suborder mostcommonly known, Incirrina - have almost entirely softbodies with no internal skeleton.

Range & Habitat

This octopus is found from the southern North Sea down to South Africa. It also occurs in theMediterranean. It reaches the north-eastern extreme of its range in Britain where it is found onlyaround the coasts of the south and south west.

It occurs along rocky coasts in the shallow sublittoral zone.

Octopus in nature

Octopuses have a relatively short life expectancy, and some species live for as little as sixmonths. Larger species, such as the North Pacific Giant Octopus, may live for up to five yearsunder suitable circumstances.

Octopuses have three hearts. Two pump blood through each of the two gills, while the thirdpumps blood through the body. Octopus blood contains the copper-rich protein hemocyanin fortransporting oxygen. Although less efficient under normal conditions than the iron-richhemoglobin of vertebrates, in cold conditions with low oxygen pressure, hemocyanin oxygentransportation is more efficient than hemoglobin oxygen transportation.


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Intelligence

Octopuses are highly intelligent, probably more intelligent than any other order ofinvertebrates.An octopus has a highly complex nervous system, only part of which is localized inits brain. Two-thirds of an octopus's neurons are found in the nerve cords of its arms, which havea remarkable amount of autonomy. Octopus arms show a wide variety of complex reflex actions

arising on at least three different levels of the nervous system. Some octopuses, such as theMimic Octopus, will move their arms in ways that emulate the movements of other sea creatures.

Reproduction

When octopuses reproduce, males use a specialized arm called a hectocotylus to insertspermatophores (packets of sperm) into the female's mantle cavity. The hectocotylus in benthicoctopuses is usually the third right arm. Males die within a few months after mating. In somespecies, the female octopus can keep the sperm alive inside her for weeks until her eggs aremature. After they have been fertilized, the female lays about 200,000 eggs.The female does noteat during the roughly one-month period spent taking care of the unhatched eggs.

Common Name: Jelly Fish

Scientific Name: Aurelia aurita (Common jellyfish)

Description

Jellyfish are members of the phylum Cnidaria, a structurallysimple marine group of both fixed and mobile animals: seaanemones, sea whips, corals and hydroids are polyps thatgrow attached to rocks or other hard surfaces; jellyfish andcolonial siphonophores like the Portuguese man-of-wararemobile (either actively swimming or subject to winds andcurrents).

Nature of Jellyfish

Instead of a brain, jellyfish possess an elementary nervous system, or nerve net, which consistsof receptors capable of detecting light, odor and other stimuli and coordinating appropriateresponses.

Jellyfish are composed of an outer layer (epidermis), which covers the external body surface, andan inner layer (gastrodermis), which lines the gut. Between the epidermis and gastrodermis is alayer of thick elastic jellylike substance called mesoglea ("middle jelly"). Jellyfish have a simpledigestive cavity, (coelenteron), which acts as a gullet, stomach and intestine, with one opening for

both the mouth and anus. Four to eight oral arms are located near the mouth and are used totransport food that has been captured by the tentacles to the mouth.

Habitat

Jellyfish inhabit every major oceanic area of the world and are capable of withstanding a widerange of temperatures and salinities. Most live in shallow coastal waters, but a few inhabit depthsof 12,000 feet!


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Food

Jellyfish are carnivorous, feeding mostly on a variety of zooplankton, comb jellies andoccasionally other jellyfish. Larger species, however, are capable of capturing and devouringlarge crustaceans and other marine organisms.Some species, including the mushroom andcannonball jellyfish, are even considered a delicacy by humans. Pickled or semi-dried mushroom

jellyfish are consumed in large quantities in Asia, where they constitute a multimillion-dollar partof the seafood business.

Types of Jellyfish

Cannonball Jelly(Stomolophus meleagris)

Mushroom Jelly(Rhopilema verrilli)

Southern Moon Jelly(Aurelia marginalis)

Lion's Mane(Cyanea capillata)

Sea Nettle(Chrysaora quinquecirrha)

Locomotion

The adult jellyfish drifts in the water with limited control over its horizontal movement. It is,however, endowed with muscles that allow it to contract its bell, reducing the space under it andforcing water out through the opening. This pulsating rhythm allows for regulation of verticalmovement. Because jellyfish are sensitive to light, this vertical movement can be important. Some

jellyfish, like the sea wasp, descend to deeper waters during the bright sun of the midday andsurface during early morning, late afternoon and evening.


Jellyfish are equipped with a specialized venom apparatus (cnidoblast) for defense and feeding.A capsule (nematocyst) inside the cnidoblast contains a trigger and a stinging structure. Thestinging structure varies according to species but generally consists of a hollow coiled thread withbarbs lining its length. Nematocysts are concentrated on the tentacles or oral arms.Nematocystsare activated when tentacles make contact with an object.

Stings usually paralyze or kill only small creatures (fish, small crustaceans), but some jellyfish areharmful to humans. Although jellyfish do not "attack" humans, swimmers and beachcombers canbe stung when they come into contact with the jellyfish tentacles with functional nematocysts.

Treatment of Sting

Primary first aid for any jellyfish sting should be to minimize the number of nematocystsdischarging into the skin and to reduce the harmful effects of the venom.A variety of substanceshave been used to reduce the effects of jellyfish stings. Meat tenderizer, sugar, vinegar, plant

juices and sodium bicarbonate have all been used with varying degrees of success.

Prevention


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Care should be taken when swimming in areas where dangerous jellies are known to exist orwhen an abundance of jellies of any type is present. Keep in mind that tentacles of some speciesmay trail a great distance from the body of the organism and should be given lots of room.Rubberskin-diving suits offer protection against most contact.

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