Huge sea spiders. sea ​​spider

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Yesterday, September 26, was World Maritime Day. In this regard, we bring to your attention a selection of the most unusual sea creatures.

World Maritime Day has been celebrated since 1978 on one of the days of the last week of September. This international holiday was created in order to attract public attention to the problems of sea pollution and the extinction of animal species living in them. Indeed, over the past 100 years, according to the UN, some types of fish, including cod and tuna, have been caught by 90%, and every year about 21 million barrels of oil enter the seas and oceans.

All this causes irreparable damage to the seas and oceans and can lead to the death of their inhabitants. These include those that we will talk about in our selection.

This animal received its name due to the ear-like structures protruding from the top of its head, which resemble the ears of Disney's baby elephant Dumbo. However, the scientific name of this animal is Grimpoteuthis. These cute creatures live at depths of 3,000 to 4,000 meters and are one of the rarest octopuses.

The largest individuals of this genus were 1.8 meters in length and weighed about 6 kg. Most of the time, these octopuses swim above the seabed in search of food - polychaete worms and various crustaceans. By the way, unlike other octopuses, these swallow their prey whole.

This fish attracts attention, first of all, with its unusual appearance, namely with bright red lips on the front of the body. As previously thought, they are necessary to attract sea ​​creatures, which the pipistrelle bat feeds on. However, it was soon discovered that this function was performed little education on the head of a fish, called an eska. It emits a specific odor that attracts worms, crustaceans and small fish.

The unusual “image” of the pipistrelle bat is complemented by an equally amazing way of moving in water. Being a poor swimmer, it walks along the bottom on its pectoral fins.

Short-snouted pipistrelle - deep sea fish, and lives in the waters near.

These deep-sea marine animals have many branched arms. Moreover, each of the rays can be 4-5 times larger than the body of these brittle stars. With their help, the animal catches zooplankton and other food. Like other echinoderms, branched brittle stars lack blood, and gas exchange is carried out using a special water-vascular system.

Typically, branched brittle stars weigh about 5 kg, their rays can reach 70 cm in length (in the branched brittle stars Gorgonocephalus stimpsoni), and their body is 14 cm in diameter.

This is one of the least studied species that can, if necessary, merge with the bottom or imitate a twig of algae.

It is next to the thickets of the underwater forest at a depth of 2 to 12 meters that these creatures try to stay in order to dangerous situation they were able to acquire the color of the soil or the nearest plant. During “quiet” times for harlequins, they slowly swim upside down in search of food.

Looking at the photograph of the harlequin tubesnout, it is easy to guess that they are related to seahorses and needles. However, they differ noticeably in appearance: for example, the harlequin has longer fins. By the way, this shape of fins helps the ghost fish bear offspring. With the help of elongated pelvic fins, covered on the inside with thread-like outgrowths, the female harlequin forms a special pouch in which she bears eggs.

In 2005, an expedition exploring the Pacific Ocean discovered extremely unusual crabs that were covered in “fur” at a depth of 2,400 meters. Because of this feature (as well as their coloring), they were called “Yeti crabs” (Kiwa hirsuta).

However, it was not fur in the literal sense of the word, but long feathery bristles covering the chest and limbs of crustaceans. According to scientists, many filamentous bacteria live in the bristles. These bacteria purify water from toxic substances, emitted by hydrothermal vents, next to which “Yeti crabs” live. There is also an assumption that these same bacteria serve as food for crabs.

This one that lives in coastal waters Australian states of Queensland, New South Wales and Western Australia fish are found on reefs and bays. Due to its small fins and hard scales, it swims extremely slowly.

Being a nocturnal species, the Australian conefish spends the day in caves and under rocky outcroppings. Thus, in one marine reserve in New South Wales, a small group of conefish was recorded hiding under the same ledge for at least 7 years. At night, this species comes out of hiding and goes hunting on sandbanks, illuminating its path with the help of luminescent organs, photophores. This light is produced by a colony of symbiotic bacteria, Vibrio fischeri, which has taken up residence in the photophores. Bacteria can leave photophores and simply live in sea ​​water. However, their luminescence fades a few hours after they leave the photophores.

Interestingly, fish also use the light emitted by their luminescent organs to communicate with their relatives.

The scientific name of this animal is Chondrocladia lyra. It is a type of carnivorous deep-sea sponge, and was first discovered off the California coast at a depth of 3300-3500 meters in 2012.

The lyre sponge gets its name from its appearance, which resembles a harp or lyre. So, this animal is held on the seabed with the help of rhizoids, root-like formations. From their upper part stretches from 1 to 6 horizontal stolons, and on them equal distance vertical “branches” with spade-shaped structures at the end are located apart from each other.

Since the lyre sponge is carnivorous, it uses these “branches” to capture prey, such as crustaceans. And as soon as she manages to do this, she will begin to secrete a digestive membrane that will envelop the prey. Only after this the lyre sponge will be able to suck in the split prey through its pores.

The largest recorded lyre sponge reaches almost 60 centimeters in length.

Living in almost all tropical and subtropical seas and oceans, fish from the clown family are among the most fast predators on the planet. After all, they are able to catch prey in less than a second!

So, having seen a potential victim, the “clown” will track it down, remaining motionless. Of course, the prey will not notice it, because fish of this family usually resemble a plant or a harmless animal in their appearance. In some cases, when the prey comes closer, the predator begins to move the esco, a process of the anterior dorsal fin, which resembles a “fishing rod”, which forces the victim to come even closer. And as soon as a fish or other sea animal is close enough to the “clown”, it will suddenly open its mouth and swallow its prey, spending only 6 milliseconds! This attack is so lightning fast that it cannot be seen without slow motion. By the way, the volume of the fish’s oral cavity often increases 12 times while catching prey.

In addition to the speed of clownfish, an equally important role in their hunting is played by unusual shape, color and texture of their cover, allowing these fish to mimic. Some clownfish resemble rocks or corals, while others resemble sponges or sea squirts. And in 2005, Sargassum clown sea, which imitates algae, was discovered. The “camouflage” of clownfish can be so good that sea slugs often crawl over these fish, mistaking them for coral. However, they need “camouflage” not only for hunting, but also for protection.

Interestingly, during a hunt, the “clown” sometimes sneaks up on its prey. He literally approaches her using his pectoral and ventral fins. These fish can walk in two ways. They can alternately move their pectoral fins without using their pelvic fins, and they can transfer their body weight with pectoral fins to the abdominals. The latter method of gait can be called a slow gallop.

Living in the depths of the northern part Pacific Ocean smallmouth macropinna has a very unusual appearance. She has a transparent forehead through which she can look out for prey with her tubular eyes.

The unique fish was discovered in 1939. However, at that time it was not possible to study it well enough, in particular the structure of the cylindrical eyes of the fish, which can move from a vertical position to a horizontal position and vice versa. This was only possible in 2009.

Then it became clear that the bright green eyes of this small fish(it does not exceed 15 cm in length) are located in a chamber of the head filled with transparent liquid. This chamber is covered by a dense, but at the same time elastic transparent shell, which is attached to the scales on the body of the smallmouth macropinna. Bright green The fish's eyes are explained by the presence of a specific yellow pigment in them.

Since the smallmouth macropinna is characterized by special structure eye muscles, then its cylindrical eyes can be in either a vertical or horizontal position, when the fish can look straight through its transparent head. Thus, macropinna can notice prey both when it is in front of it and when it swims above it. And as soon as the prey - usually zooplankton - is at the level of the fish’s mouth, it quickly grabs it.

These arthropods, which are not actually spiders or even arachnids, are common in the Mediterranean and Caribbean seas, as well as in the Arctic and Southern Oceans. Today, more than 1,300 species of this class are known, some representatives of which reach 90 cm in length. However, most sea spiders are still small in size.

These animals have long paws, of which there are usually about eight. Sea spiders also have a special appendage (proboscis) that they use to absorb food into the intestines. Most of these animals are carnivorous and feed on cnidarians, sponges, polychaete worms and bryozoans. For example, sea spiders often feed on sea anemones: they insert their proboscis into the body of the sea anemone and begin to suck its contents into themselves. And since sea anemones are usually larger than sea spiders, they almost always survive such “torture.”

Sea spiders live in different parts world: in the waters of Australia, New Zealand, off the Pacific coast of the United States, in the Mediterranean and Caribbean seas, as well as in the Arctic and Southern oceans. Moreover, they are most common in shallow water, but can also be found at depths of up to 7000 meters. They often hide under rocks or camouflage themselves among algae.

The shell color of this orange-yellow snail seems very bright. However, only the soft tissues of a living mollusk have this color, and not the shell. Typically, Cyphoma gibbosum snails reach 25-35 mm in length, and their shell is 44 mm.

These animals live in warm waters western part Atlantic Ocean, including in the Caribbean Sea, the Gulf of Mexico and in the waters of the Lesser Antilles at depths of up to 29 meters.

Living at shallow depths in tropical and subtropical seas, mantis crayfish have the most complex eyes in the world. If a person can distinguish 3 primary colors, then the mantis crab can distinguish 12. Also, these animals perceive ultraviolet and infrared light and see different types polarization of light.

Many animals are able to see linear polarization. For example, fish and crustaceans use it to navigate and detect prey. However, only mantis crabs are able to see both linear polarization and the rarer, circular one.

Such eyes enable mantis crayfish to recognize various types corals, their prey and predators. In addition, when hunting, it is important for the crayfish to deliver precise strikes with its pointed, grasping legs, in which its eyes also help.

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4. Giant sea spider (Pantopoda)

Giant sea Spiders are a relatively little studied group of organisms. And they are only indirectly related to spiders. Pantopods are called sea spiders only because external resemblance, in fact, they are not spiders.

Pantopods widespread in the world's oceans. They live in northern seas, and in the south. Some species can be found in the surface layer of water, and some sea spiders have been found even at a depth of 7300 meters.

The structural features of these animals include big difference in the length of the torso and limbs. So, for example sea ​​spider with a body size of 15-18mm. has limb lengths up to 240mm. Cephalothorax pantopods consists of 7-9 segments, followed by a rudimentary abdomen.

Due to their disproportionately small body, some internal organs pantopod are on their limbs.

Sea spiders are predators. They feed on the soft tissues of sea anemones, sponges, and hydroids.

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3. Vespa mandarinia (Asian giant hornet)

This Asian giant is one of the most dangerous animals on this list to humans. - the largest hornet in the world. The body length of the average male is 51mm, and the wingspan is 75mm. These giants live in Southeast Asia - in Primorye, Japan, China, Korea, Nepal, India and in the mountainous regions of Sri Lanka.

The sting of this hornet can be fatal to humans. has a sting about 6mm long, which stings with discharge large quantity poison. The venom of these hornets is very toxic. But hornets rarely use their sting. Hornets hunt with the help of powerful jaws, which tear apart their prey.

They feed in the same way as their smaller counterparts from the Vespa genus - their diet consists of various insects, fruits, and berries. Hornets do not disdain the meat of fish washed ashore.

Cause great harm to beekeepers. Just a few hornets can easily and quickly destroy an entire bee family. Beekeepers quite often suffer from an invasion of giant hornets, suffering huge losses. Therefore, whenever possible, beekeepers try to destroy hornet nests. When destroying a nest, hornets fiercely defend themselves, biting and stinging people. It is among beekeepers that the mortality rate from giant hornet bites is very high - dozens of people die every year around the world.