Common name : Square flipper seal Scientific name : Erignathus barbatus Family : Phocidae Native to : Arctic Ocean Interesting fact : They create breathing holes by pushing with their heads, to breathe while under ice. Conservation status : Least Concern Aptly named, these ice-loving seals have whiskers resembling a beard. This greyish-brown creature has […]
Common name : Eagle ray Scientific name : Myliobatis californicus Family : Myliobatidae Native to : Pacific Ocean Interesting fact : They expose prey buried in the sand by flapping their wings and can dig up to 13 feet using their snouts. Conservation status : Least Concern Bat rays, closely related to sharks, love estuaries
Fishing spiders usually live near water. They seem to defy gravity and will appear to walk on the surface of the water. They have this ability because they are able to utilize the surface tension of the water as other water striders and surface dwelling aquatic insects do. These spiders have short hair that repels
Why do fishing spiders appear to be ‘walking on water’? Read More »
Common name : Brittle star Scientific name : Euryalina Family : Euryalidae Native to : Oceans worldwide Interesting fact : Basket stars can grow back their limbs if damaged or lost during hunting. Conservation status : Not Evaluated Living in the deep waters of the world are these tree-like, marine invertebrates of the order Euryalida
Common name : Spook fish Scientific name : Macropinna microstoma Family : Opisthoproctidae Native to : North Pacific Ocean Interesting fact : The structures mistaken for their eyes actually do the job of a nose. Conservation status : Not Evaluated With an apt common name, the spook fish has barrel-shaped eyes set inside a transparent
This behaviour is due to the structure of its mouth and the entire process of lowering its long, graceful neck into the water. Flamingos are referred to as ‘filter feeders’. A flamingo will scoop in mouthful of water and close its mouth while forcing the water out with its tongue. Hairy projections called ‘mandibles’ in
Common name : California barracuda, Pacific barracuda, Pacific barracuda Scientific name : Sphyraena argentea Family : Sphyraenidae Native to : Oceans worldwide Interesting fact : The ageof a barracuda can be determined by counting the rings on its scales and the inner ear. Conservation status : Least Concern This large, fearsome, solitary fish thrives in
Scientifc name : Cirripedia Family : Thecostraca Native to : Found worldwide Interesting fact : Most barnacles are hermaphroditic producing both male and female reproductive cells and reproduce sexually. Conservation status : Least Concern The barnacle is a marine arthropod living in shallow and tidal waters. There are 1,220 species of the barnacle currently known.
Common name : Kaudern’s cardinal, Longfin cardinalfish Scientific name : Pterapogon kauderni Family : Apogonidae Native to : Banggai Islands of Indonesia Interesting fact : Adult males keep the young in their mouths after hatching for an undetermined period. Conservation status : Endangered Found among coral reefs, sea urchins, sea anemones and mangrove roots are
There are two main reasons why an elephant’s ears are so large. The first reason is for hearing. Elephants can often be a long way from one another in the wild and when they want to tune in to something that is happening a distance away, they turn towards the sound. Then, they open their
Common name : Whalebone whale Scientific name : Mysticeti Native to : Oceans worldwide Interesting fact : They use sound forcommunication and are known to ‘sing’during breeding season. Conservation status : Endangered Baleen whales, a group of 15 species, including one of the largest animals, the blue whale, feed on the smallest fish like krill
Common name : Half-blue demoiselle, Yellow-dipped damsel Scientific name : Chrysiptera hemicyanea Family : Pomacentridae Native to : Indo-Pacific and Eastern Indian Oceans, especially in Indonesia and Western Australia Interesting fact : Due to its vivid colouration and hardy nature it is popular as a pet. Conservation status : Not Evaluated The azure damsel is
A horse’s hooves are made up of a tough protein called ‘keratin’, like human nails and hair, and these nails need to be trimmed to keep them short and healthy. The horse’s hoof growth approximates to the hoof per year. However, the horse’s hooves wear down rather quickly when horses work extensively in farms, or
Common name : Mexican walking fish, Mexican salamander Scientific name : Ambystoma mexicanum Family : Ambystomatidae Native to : Mexico Interesting fact : They can regenerate limbs, kidneys, hearts and lungs, if damaged or lost. Conservation status : Critically Endangered The axolotl is actually an amphibian larva thatskips metamorphosis. Adults are gilled with hugeheads, lidless
The Bermuda Triangle is somewhat of a supernatural, a complete myth or even a conspiracy, and most definitely a mystery. Also known as ‘The Devil’s Triangle’, it is a loosely defined region in the mid-Atlantic near the island of Bermuda. The place is infamous for its innumerable tales of disappearing aircraft and ships in an