Name: Basking Shark       

Written and Illustrated by: Liz W.

Size:  About 33 feet long (10 m) long.  It’s the second largest shark. (The Whale Shark is the largest shark)

Where it lives:  The Basking Shark lives in Coastal Temperate waters. They are found off of the coast of Western North America, Southern Alaska, Baja, East Coast U.S., Southern Canada, and along the Gulf Stream, to the entire coastline of Europe, Southern Coast of Australia, South of Africa, New Zeeland, most of Southern South America, Red Sea, and also the Coastlines of China and Japan.

General important information: Did you know that Basking Sharks filter feed? They suck up their prey like a vacuum. They sieve tasty little morsels like plankton, baby fish, little fish, and fish eggs. Basking Sharks have hundreds of tiny, teeth that are little for use. The Basking Shark is nicknamed the “Sun Fish” because they spend so much time at the surface of the water. The Basking Shark has many classifications, such as Phylum Chordate, order Lamniforms, Family Cetorhinidae, Genus Cetorhinus, Kingdom Animalia, and Species Maximus.

Name:  Blacktip Reef Shark

Written and illustrated by:  Sean E.

Size: 6 feet

Where it lives: South Africa

General important information: The Blacktip Reef Shark has teeth lined in rows the first two rows are for catching prey.  As the shark loses teeth the other rows move up.  These sharks lay live sharks instead of eggs.  They have 2-4 pups. They hold the babies for sixteen months.  Blacktip Reef Sharks are very territorial.

Name: Blue Marlin

Written and Illustrated by: Dallas S.

Size: 10-15 ft

Where it lives: It lives in offshore waters.

General info: The Blue Marlin weighs at least 400 lbs. Its rounded snout helps stun its pray such as squid and fish. It’s a member of the Istiophoridae family. Blue Marlins are among the fastest of all fishes and have perfectly streamlined bodies. They make seasonal migrations moving to the equator in winter and away in the summer.

Name:  Blue Whale

Written and illustrated by:  Anthony J.

Size:  Length 80-100 ft. long Weight about 120 tons

Where it lives:  Can be found in every ocean of the world

General important information:  The Blue Whale is the largest animal who ever lived.  They grow to be 80-100 ft long.  The longest Blue Whale ever to live was 94 ft. long.  Blue Whales have a heart that weighs 1000 pounds and has 1400 pounds of blood in its body.  A Blue Whale is about the size of the biggest dinosaur that ever lived, which is 80 to 100 ft. long! Blue Whales are also the loudest animal that ever lived on Earth.  To hear one would almost leave you deaf!  The Blue Whale is usually blue gray with brown or yellow specks.  Its flippers are also 8 ft. long.  A whale eats about 2000-9000 pounds of krill a day. A Blue Whale can dive for an hour without breathing.  Blue Whales reproduce in winter and early spring.  Blue Whales are an endangered species that can live for 35-40 years. 

Name: Bullhead shark

Written and illustrated by: Chaz C.

Size: They grow between 22 and 66 inches long.

Where they live: The bullhead shark lives in shallow to moderately deep water in Western Indian and the western and eastern Pacific Oceans.  These sharks live in the same area for their entire adult lives.

General important information: Bullhead sharks have large, thick heads, and snub snouts.  They like to eat starfish, crabs, shrimps, barnacles, sea-snails, and other prey they rear with their teeth.

Name: Clown Anemonefish / Amphiprion percula

Written and illustrated by: Evan R.

Size: The Clown Anemone fish is 6cm ( 21/4in.)

Where it lives:  It lives in coral reefs along the Western and Central Pacific Ocean.

General important information:  The clown anemonefish belongs to the damselfish family, Pomacentridae.  Like the others in its genus, it has developed a relationship with large sea anemones, living among their stinging tentacles.  Thus the fish shelters from predators, and, at the same time, it is protected from the anemone’s poison by its own body mucus.  The clown anemonefish eats tiny crustaceans and other organisms.  The eggs are laid on rock or coral near the anemone and guarded by both parents.

Name:  Crustaceans

Written and Illustrated:  Marshal P.

Where it lives:  Crustaceans live in freshwater and saltwater. Some crabs live on land also.  Lobsters live on the bottom of the ocean.

General important information:  There are three main types of crustaceans, lobsters, crabs, and shrimp.  The two sides of the crustaceans are symmetrical and have exoskeletons (skeleton on the outside of their body).  They use two pairs of antennas to touch and smell.  The crustaceans also have a pair of eyestalks and mandibles (jaws).  They have segmented bodies and jointed legs.  Some crustaceans can swim and some walk on the ocean floor.  Lobsters are crustaceans and they are many kinds of them.  Lobsters walk along the ocean floor because they don’t have any ability to swim. At night they are active, eating other aquatic animals.  Crabs are another type of crustacean that lives on land as well as under water.  They have ten legs but two are claws. Shrimp are also crustaceans.  The shrimp have six appendages to help them out.    

Name:  Dugong (Dugong dugon)

Written and Illustrated by:  Kaylee M.

Size: The Dugongs size is about 9 ¾ feet and weighs 510 lbs to 1,100 lbs.

Where it lives:  It lives in the coastal waters such as the coast of Eastern Africa, India Ocean, and Red Sea to Northern Australia.

General Information:  The Dugong is a large vulnerable animal that is identified by its large fluked tail. It is an herbivore that eats off the ocean floor.  Because of being a mammal, they can only stay under water for about six minutes at a time.  The Dugongs life span is about fifty years.  Some Dugongs live alone while others live in small herds.  They spend most of the day sleeping the night eating.  Dugongs or sea cows are more closely related to elephants than marine mammals.  Because of their slow offspring and only having a litter of one, they are particularly vulnerable to factors that threaten their survival.        

Name: Echinoderms

Written and illustrated By: Evan Russo

Where It Lives: They live in the sea and at the bottom of the ocean. None live on land or fresh water.

General Important Information:

Echinoderms are radially symmetrical animals.  Echinoderms mean ”Spiny Skin” in Greek.  There are over 6,000 species.  Echinoderms are literally symmetrical.  Most adult echinoderms live on the bottom of the ocean floor.  Many echinoderms have suckers on the bottom of their feet.  These tiny feet can be filled with sea water.  The vascular system of the sea star is also filled with water.  By moving water from the vascular system into the tiny feet, the sea star can make a foot move by expanding it.  This is how sea stars move around.  Sea Stars are sometimes called starfish, though they are not real fish. There are two types of Sea Stars: Asteroideas are the true Sea Stars of sun stars.  Ophiuroideas are brittle stars and basket stars.

Name: Great Barracuda/Sphyraena Barracuda

Created and illustrated by: Nathan S.

Size: The Great Barracuda can get up to 1.8 meters (6ft). 

Where it lives: The Great Barracuda lives in the subtropical and tropical areas of the Atlantic, Pacific, and the Indian Oceans.  The habitats of the great barracuda are coral reefs and coastal lagoons.  The adult Great Barracuda lives farther out in the ocean.

General important information: There are many kinds of barracuda (18). The Great Barracuda will always be skinny and lean.   It has a jaw that comes out past the jaw line.  The Great Barracuda has strong sharp teeth. The Great Barracuda is also very aggressive; it eats fish but may attack humans if disturbed.  Great Barracudas don’t travel in schools but may come together to mate.

Name: Green turtle/ Chelonia mydas

Written and illustrated by: Anthony J.

Size: 1-1.2 m (3.14 ft – 4 ft long).

Where it lives:  The Green Turtle lives right on the equator or tropics.

General Info: The Green Turtle is an ancestor of the Flat Back Turtle. It feeds on things like lobsters  and crabs but mainly eats seaweed.  It only comes to land to mate.  When they lay eggs, they swim hundreds of miles to the place they were born. One of these places is Ascention Island. They are endangered so this is one of the rare places on Earth where they are safe and protected. One bunch of eggs usually contains 106 eggs. Once they hatch they go to the ocean. Few of the turtles make it from the egg to the ocean because there are so many animals that eat the eggs or turtles.  Adult turtles have been hunted for their meat, hides, and eggs.       

Name:  Hawksbill/ Eretmochelys imdricata

Written and illustrated by: Thomas P. and Zach S.

Size: The Hawksbill can grow to be 30 to 36 inches. (76-91cm.)

Where it lives: The Hawksbill lives in many areas, especially coral reefs and rocky coasts. They live in the tropical Atlantic, Pacific, and Indian Ocean. They also live in southeastern United States and in the Caribbean Sea.

General important information: The Hawksbill’s carapace (shell) is serrated with thick plates, yet it has the most beautiful shell of all tortoises’ shells. Because of that beauty, they are now endangered. They have a tapered head for searching out their favorite food, (shellfish like mollusks and crustaceans).  Hawksbills are very opportunistic when it comes to breeding.  For instance, they will nest on any beach near feeding grounds. They can lay more eggs at any time than any other turtle, which are usually 150 eggs.

Name: Two different forms of a Cnidarians body (Polypoid and a Medusoid shape)

Written and illustrated by: Mary G.

Where it lives:  The Polypoid shapes usually live at the bottom of the ocean.

General important information:  The polypoid is the shape of corals and anemones.  The mouths face up when the other side anchors itself to the other corals and anemones of the same creatures. Polypoids usually live together in colonies, but some live alone. The polypoids look like tiny anemones, anchored together sharing living tissue and food resources.

Medusoids usually swim free, like jellyfish.  They are the opposite of polypoid shapes.  There legs called tentacles are usually pointed down.  Jellyfish are in a group called scyphozoans.  Jellyfish are not quite fish because they don’t have a spine and many other things found in a fish.  Jellyfish are free-floating because they don’t attach to anything. They swim with their mouths and tentacles pointing down. Some jellyfish are poisonous to humans while some can even kill.  Most jellyfish just cause a rash somewhat similar to poison ivy.

Name:  Knobbed Whelk/Busycon carica

Written and illustrated by:  Nile L.

Size: The Knobbed Whelk shell can be up to 9.5 inches long.

Where it lives:  This mollusk lives in the Atlantic Ocean.

General information:  The Knobbed Whelk is protected by its hard shell and has no backbone.  It has knobs on its spiral shell. The shell is tan or gray with white or brown streaks. The Knobbed Whelk has four tentacles; two large ones that are used for sight, and two small ones used for touch and smell. They eat by taking clams out of their shell using a rough tongue.   

Name:  Mollusks

Written and illustrated by:  Parker R.

General important information:  Mollusks are some of the most well known of invertebrate sea creatures. Some examples are snails, clams, mussels, squid, and octopods. 50,000 are living today but some are very rare because they are found only in deep water.  Mollusks have three body regions.  They have a brain, a visceral mass, and a foot.  The mollusks also have a tongue called a radula.  The bivalves are very well known.  Bivalves like clams, mussels, oysters, and scallops make pearls.  Other mollusks do not contain a shell.  Octopus and squid are two examples from the cephalopoda class.  An octopus has eight arms while a squid has ten (eight little ones and to long ones). 

Name:  Porcupinefish / Diodon Hyotrix

Written and illustrated by: Sean Essay

Size:  91cm (35 ¾ in)

Where it lives: Pacific, Indian and Atlantic oceans: tropical areas.

General important information: The porcupinefish is covered with long sharp spines. These spines normally lie flat but when the porcupine fish inflates the spines come out. When the porcupine fish inflates and the spines come out it is nearly impossible to penetrate. This defense helps it for its lack of speed. It moves slowly with the movement of its fins.  The porcupinefish has two fused teeth in each jaw, making a sharp, bird-like beak with which it crushes hard-shelled prey such as crabs, mollusks and sea urchins.

Name:  Star Fish, Sea Urchins, Sand Dollars, Sea Cucumbers

Written and illustrated by Andie R.

Where it lives:  Sea cucumbers lay on their sides at the bottom of the ocean.

General important information:  Sea stars can grow back arms that have been damaged or removed.  A sea star’s diet is barnacles, snails, sea urchins, clams, and mussels.  Sea urchins and sand dollars have many sharp spines pointing out in all directions that offer protection from predators.  Sea cucumbers are football ball shaped creatures with five rows of tube feet running lengthwise.  Sea cucumbers eat plankton and other organic matter.  Many sea cucumbers are poisonous.  It can throw out all its internal organs to defend itself if needed.  The sea cucumber then would grow another set of internal organs.  Some sea cucumbers secrete a very sticky substance as a defense mechanism.  If you get this glue on your body, you will not be able to remove it without shaving your skin.

Name:  Skipjack Tuna/ Euthynnus pelamis

Written and illustrated by:  Kellyn M.

Size:  The Skipjack Tuna fish is 1 meter or 3 ¼ feet.

Where it lives:  It lives in tropical seas around the world, in temperate areas, particularly in the Pacific.  Its habitat is in offshore surface waters.

General important information:  The Skipjack Tuna is a member of the Scombridae family. Dark stripes on the lower half of its body are distinguishing characteristics. It has the body has a streamlined body shape typical of the fast-swimming tunas.  It swims in a huge school with as many as 50,000 fish.  Skipjacks feed on fish and invertebrates such as squid and crustaceans.

Name    Smooth Hammerhead/Sphrna zygaena

Written and illustrated by:  Sammy G.

Size: The size of the Smooth Hammerhead is 44.3 miters (14 feet).

Where it lives: Its habitat is near coastal or inshore waters in warm or tropical waters usually in the Atlantic, Pacific, and Indian Oceans

General Important Information: The smooth Hammerhead shark has a head that looks like a hammer. It’s one of 10 species of hammerhead sharks. Their eyes are on the outer part of their head while their nostrils are in the center. The hammerhead shark has very good movement because of the shape of its head. It also has excellent eyesight.  The Hammerhead shark is a scavenger that feeds on fish and minarets.  It makes a regular migration to cooler waters in the summer. Hammerhead sharks are thought to be aggressive sharks and have been known to attack humans.

Name:  Sponges (Porifera)

Written and illustrated by:  Luke S.

Where it lives:  Sponges live at the bottom of the ocean.

General important information:  Sponges attach themselves to something hard or solid where it can get enough food to live.  The sponge’s scientific name is “Porifera” which means “pore-bearing”.  Sponges live by pumping water through their body.  A sponge is covered with small pores.  These pores have a system of canals which eventually lead to one or more larger holes.  These canals live to move through the sponge.  Lining the canals are special collar cells which force water through the sponge’s body.  Then it brings oxygen and nutrients and removes carbon dioxide and waste.  The sponges feed by the collar cells.

Most sponges are both male and female.  While mating, one sponge plays the male and the other the female.  Although, they are both capable of playing both roles.

The two main types of sponges are: encrusting and free standing.  Encrusting sponges are almost the same as moss because they cover rocks.

Free standing sponges can sometimes grow to be gigantic and strange shapes.  Free standing sponges are best known to people because of their large and strange shapes.  The barrel sponge is a tropical sponge shaped like its name.  It is large enough to fit an entire person inside it.  The tube sponge looks similar to the barrel sponge but has a much differed coloration. 

Name:  Stonefish / Synanceia verrucosa

Written and illustrated by:  Nile L.

Size: The Stonefish is about 113/4 inches long.

Where it lives:  The Stonefish lives in shallow water in the Indian and Pacific Oceans and Africa and the Red Sea to Northern Australia.

General important information:  Stonefish have venom in their needle-like fins that could kill any human. They eat other fish. Stonefish have large, scaled bodies, with eyes that stick out of its head. It is able to blend into rocks because of its shape and color.   

Name:  Weddell seal

Written and Illustrated by: Catherine S.

Size: 10 feet long (3m)

Where it lives: The Weddell seal lives in the Antarctic Ocean.

General important information: The Weddell seal is a large marine mammal that lives in Antarctic waters and on fast ice (ice anchored to land).  It is related to the walrus and sea lion.  The Weddell seal can dive underwater for over an hour, and has been seen at depths of 2,300 feet.  The seal vocalizes noisily underwater, using a variety of calls to communicate with other Weddell seals.

The Weddell seal has short, thick fur.  It grows to be up to 10 feet long and can weigh up to 1,000 lbs.  Weddell seals eat fish, squid, octopus, krill, and other small crustaceans.  They eat their food in small chucks underwater.