Creatures of the Ocean & Amazing Facts

Did you know that nearly 71% of the Earth’s surface is covered by oceans and 80% of all life on earth is found under the ocean surface! In fact, the oceans contain 99% of the living space on the planet. The the largest animal on our planet ever(larger than the greatest dinosaurs), the blue whale still lives in the ocean and it’s heart is the size of a Volkswagen. Here are some more fascinating facts about interesting creatures of the ocean-

The Octopus

• Octopus has three hearts and its blood is light blue.
• An adult octopus can squeeze through a hole the size of a 10-cent coin.
• Octopuses are completely deaf.
• An octopus can detach itself from its arm and to escape from predators and can later regrow the limb, with no lasting ill effects.
• The blue-ringed octopus, merely the size of a golf ball, is one of the most poisonous animals on earth!

Seahorses

• Seahorses are the only animals in the entire animal kingdom in which the male, not the female gives birth and cares for their young! The female seahorse deposits the eggs into the male’s small pouch like a kangaroo where the eggs are fertilized and where the baby seahorses grow until it is time for them to be born.
• Seahorses are monogamous and mate for life! Every morning, they come together with their partner, dance, change their color, twirl around with linked tails and then separate for the rest of the day.
• While mating, seahorses utter musical sounds.
• Sea horses have a voracious appetite and can they graze continually and consume 3,000 or more brine shrimp per day.

Sea Turtles

• Sea turtles excrete salt absorbed in sea water from their eyes, which is why they seem to cry.
• Turtles live on every continent except Antarctica.
• Turtles range in size from the 4-inch Bog Turtle to the 1500 pound Leathery Turtle.
• The leatherback turtle is the largest sea turtle at 6 and a half feet long and weighing up to 1,500 lb.

Jellyfish

• Jellyfish have been around for more than 650 million years which means that they outdate both dinosaurs and sharks
• A jellyfish’s body consists of over 95% water
• The Box jellyfish has 64 anuses
• The Box jellyfish (sea wasp) kills more people than any other marine creature each year. Its sting can kill in 3 minutes… and it can move at almost 2 meters per second. If stung, the odds of getting back to the shore, or even Surviving are almost Zero. The amount of venom in a Box Jellyfish could kill 60 people
• The worlds largest known jellyfish can reach a diameter of 2.5 m / 8ft and its tentacles can grow to be half the length of a football field.

Crabs

• Crabs teeth are in their stomachs
• The Japanese Spider Crab is the oldest crab of the world and is also believed to be the most deep-living crab as well as the one with the longest lifespan. It has a walking leg span of 3 to 4 m, which can go to 8 m when outstretched.
• 8. 1 million tons of crabs are eaten annually in restaurants and homes all over the world

*Photo Credits: photos by Morten Brekkevold, San Diego Shooter, Bemep, lassi.kurkijarv, LightIsBeauty on flickr

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