Anenomes and clown fish- The Relationship

If you have seen the movie “Finding Nemo,” you saw how the clownfish lived in an anemone. Clown fish and anemones have a well-known relationship. In the ocean, the clown fish are protected from predator fish by the stinging tentacles of the anemone.

It all begins by the fish slowly beginning to adapt to living in a stinging anemone by making quick contacts with its tentacles. Most sea creatures have protective mucus or slime coating. The clownfish begins mixing the slime of the anemone, which has stinging cells, with its own skin slime. Every day the fish stays longer and longer among the anemone’s tentacles until all of its slime is completely mixed with the anemones. This protects the anemone clownfish from getting stung. The fish then snuggles among the deadly stinging tentacles of the anemone.

All anemones have nematocysts or stinging cells in their skin. Most fish avoid anemones, but anemones provide clownfish with a safe home. In return, the clownfish helps clean the anemone by removing parasites and dead skin, helps by chasing away their predators and drops scraps of food for the anemone to eat. The anemone also gets fertilizer from the feces of the Clown Fish.

Together the anemone and clownfish live in shallow calm lagoons or costal reefs to depths of 50 feet. These fish live alone, in pairs, or even in a small group within one anemone and they always stick close to their anemone host. They rarely move far away.

In our tank one of our clown fish has started to rub onto our anemone once in a while, so we are really hoping that he is trying to host with the anemone. If this happens, our two clownfish could end up having babies. We’re keeping our hopes up!

For year sea turtle have charted the seven seas. With their paddle-shaped flippers and hydrodynamic bodies, they are capable of crossing entire oceans, coming ashore only to build nests and lay their eggs. Upon hatching, the baby sea turtles will instinctively head toward the water were they begin their journey.

However, over just a few short decades, these creatures have succumbed to human activities, and their numbers are now plunging. From the destruction of their nesting sites and poaching of turtle eggs to destructive fishing methods that entangle and drown unsuspecting turtles, all of the world’s sea turtle species are facing the threat of extinction.

One of several types of sea turtles found in the Gulf of Mexico, loggerheads rely on Florida's waters and beaches for nesting and foraging habitat. After years of capture by commercial fisheries, Florida has seen its nesting loggerhead population decrease by more than 40 percent in the last decade.

Florida is also home to the most endangered sea turtle in the world, the Kemp’s Ridley, as well as the green sea turtle, which can be found as far away as Africa and Australia.

Each of these species is either threatened or endangered under the Endangered Species Act. One of the primary threats to these vulnerable creatures is a harmful form of commercial fishing, called bottom longlining.

Bottom longline fishing uses hundreds to thousands of baited hooks strung along miles of fishing lines that stretch down to the ocean floor. Even though the hooks are meant to catch commercial fish species they also snag and entangle other species, including sea turtles.

Many turtles drown when they get caught by longlines because they cannot surface for air. Even if the turtle manages to escape or is tossed back into the ocean after being caught, the injury it sustains impairs its ability to feed, swim, or avoid predators. As a result, many turtles end up dying even after being released from the longlines.

I think this is so sad, and if something doesn’t start to change with the way people are treating these turtles, they will soon be extinct.

Jellyfish

There are over 200 different species of jellyfish in the oceans. They cover the entire spectrum of the oceans depths from shallow bays and lagoons to the deepest, largely unexplored regions of the aquatic domain. The most recognized jellyfish is the moon jellyfish.

Jellyfish are best described as a sac within a sack. They are composed of about 95% water, 3% salt and 2% protein. They have no eyes, no brains, and no supporting skeletal system but yet are one of the oldest multi-cellular creatures know today. They do not have specialized digestive, respiratory or circulatory systems. In fact, they don’t even have blood cells. Oxygen is absorbed by simple diffusion through their outer membranes. A second membrane within the jellyfish contains a gastrodermal lining which forms a gastrovascular cavity. This cavity functions in place of a digestive system. Nutrients are absorbed and distributed throughout the body. Jellyfish either have a single mouth or multiple mouth openings positioned on oral arms that function for both intake of nutrients and expulsion of waste.

Most Jellyfish are also very dangerous to humans. They shoot out venom and there is a rare chance of survival. The pain is so excruciating that you would most likely go into shock and drown before reaching the shore. Make sure to watch out for jellyfish when swimming in any ocean.

Jellyfish can look harmless, but in reality they are deadly creatures that people need to be careful to avoid.

Starfish

Star fish are interesting creatures. We currently have two larger starfish in our tank, a grey Serpent Sea Star and a blue Linckia Sea Star. We also have many small white Spiny Beaded starfish that seem to just appear. Sometimes a part of a starfish’s arm will detach itself and will start growing into a new starfish, and that is why we have so many in our tank that we did not purchase.

We would love to get another larger one, however it is suggested that we get a bigger tank before doing so. Three starfish in a 55 gallon tank is said to be too many. The particular starfish I would love to get is the “Red-Knobbed Starfish.” It will add color to the tank and has an interesting shape to it.

Starfish are echinoderms belonging to the class Asteroidia. There are about 1800 living species of starfish in the world’s oceans, including the Atlantic, Pacific, and Indian as well as in the Arctic and the Southern ocean regions. They are found in a broad range from the shallow waters to abyssal depths.

Starfish possess a number of known traits, such as regeneration and feeding on mussels. They also have a wide diversity of body forms and feeding methods. Most Starfish typically have five rays or arms; however, there are many species that have more. The Solasteridae starfish in particular has 10-15 feet arms and the Antarctic Labidiaster Annulatus starfish can have up to 50. It seems crazy to me to think there are starfish out there with 50 arms.

Starfish make great additions to saltwater tanks and I can’t wait to get another one.

Serpent Starfish

                                                     

Linckia Starfish

10 Largest Sharks

I find sharks to be such terrifying creatures. I don’t even like swimming in lakes because I am afraid a fish will swim up and nibble on my leg. I love fish, i just hate swimming with them. I thought it would be interesting to search what the top ten largest sharks were and here is what I found.

The Whale Shark

The largest shark in the entire world is the Whake Shark. It can grow as long as 41 ft. long and can weigh up to 15 tons. Even for being so big however, they are not predators and are just another slow moving filter feeder.

Basking Shark

The second largest shark is the Basking Shark. It can grow as long as 40 ft. and has been reported at weighing as much as 19 tons. Luckily these sharks are non-predators also.

Great White Shark

The third largest is the Great White Shark. They are known to have grown as long as 26.2 feet and weigh as much as 5000 lbs., and yes these sharks are predators.

Tiger Shark

The fourth largest shark is the Tiger Shark. They can be up to 24.3 feet and weigh up to 2000 lbs. They are known for being vicious.

Pacific Sleeper Shark

The fifth largest shark is the Pacific Sleeper Shark. They can grow up to 23 feet and weigh as much as 800 lbs.

Greenland Shark

The sixth largest is the Greenland Shark, found in the North Atlantic Ocean. These sharks tend to grow up to 21 feet and live as long as 200 years. They are known as the longest living vertebrate.

Great Hammerhead Shark

The seventh largest is the Hammerhead Shark. They grow up to 20 feet and the heaviest one dated was 1280 lbs.

Thresher Shark

The eighth largest shark is the Thresher Shark. It can grow as long as 18 feet and can weigh over 1100 lbs.

Bluntnose Sixgill Shark

The ninth largest shark is the Bluntnose Sixgill Shark and is often referred to as the cow shark. They can grow as big as 15.8 feet.

Bigeye Thresher Shark

The tenth largest shark is the Bigeye Thresher Shark. They can grow up to 15.1 feet and can weigh up to 795 lbs.

Aquariums I Would Love to Visit!

Even though the Great Barrier Reef is the place I want to visit most, there are also a few aquariums that I eventually would love to visit also.

One is the Georgia Aquarium (pictured below) located in Atlanta which is currently the largest aquarium in the world. There are many exhibits and there are many tours to be taken there.

The second is the Oregon Coast Aquarium. The biggest appeal for this aquarium is that they have what is called “Passages of the Deep Exhibit.” This exhibit entails large glass tunnels that allow you to see marine life as sharks and fish swimming around you.

Now going out of the U.S. is the Aquarium of Western Australia which is located in a coastal suburb of Perth. It contains Australia’s largest aquarium tank which is 130 feet long, 66 feet wide, and holds 793,000 gallons of seawater. It incorporates a 322ft underwater tunnel for people to walk through. Also, for a fee, snorkelers and divers can get even closer to the fish, sharks, and rays by joining the aquariums dive master in exploring the main tank.

The forth is the Aquarium of Genoa, located in Italy. It is made up of 70 tanks and has more than 6000 animals.

I could name so many more, but these are the top aquariums on my list to see one day.

Monterey Bay Aquarium

Monterey Bay is a large aquarium located in Monterey, CA, on the shore line of the Pacific Ocean. It holds thousands of plants and animals representing 623 separate named species. The aquarium benefits by a high circulation of fresh ocean water which is obtained through pipes which pump it in continuously from Monterey Bay. There are many exhibits and tanks to explore and there is also a deck that you can go out onto and watch the otters in the water below. The exhibits have everything from jellyfish to sharks.

My family and I visited Monterey Bay years ago when we were in California visiting family. I was probably around 13 years old and still remember how amazing it was. I personally love aquariums and would love to go back one day. The aquarium is so cool because of its many tanks and exhibits. There are even small open tanks that have things such as starfish in them that you are allowed to touch and hold. I thought it was pretty cool that I got to hold a live starfish. Also, it’s really cool that the aquarium is right on the shore. As you see in the picture bellow, there is a large deck that people can go out on to watch the otters as well.

It’s a really nice aquarium with so many cool things to see. I highly recommend going there one day and I myself hope to get back to the aquarium one day as well.