The pineapple fish (Cleidopus gloriamaris), also known as the Mailfish or Knightfish, is an intriguing species belonging to the Monocentridae family. Inhabiting the Pacific and Indian Oceans, from South Africa to Australia and Japan, this elusive species thrives at varying depths, typically ranging from 6 to 200 metres, and favouring habitats such as coral reefs […]
Sea pens, belonging to the order Pennatulacea, are a diverse group of colonial cnidarians, consisting of approximately 200 described species found in oceans across the world. Species vary greatly in size, with the aptly named tall sea pen (Funiculina quadrangularis) being the largest among them, exceeding heights of over 2 m. As predominantly benthic creatures,
Sea fans, also known as gorgonians, are a group of soft corals belonging to the phylum Cnidaria, within the class Anthozoa. These sessile colonial animals thrive in a variety of marine habitats, from shallow coral reefs to deeper continental slopes. Found predominantly in tropical, subtropical, deep sea and polar environments, their presence contributes significantly to
Belonging to the class Cephalopoda along with squid and cuttlefish, the common octopus (Octopus vulgaris) is a fascinating mollusk inhabiting temperate and tropical oceans across the world. Renowned for its complex behaviour and remarkable adaptability, this species has long captured the curiosity of scientists and marine enthusiasts alike. The common octopus has a distinct bulbous
Ctenophora, commonly known as comb jellies, comprises a diverse phylum of marine invertebrates found in oceans across the world. These intriguing organisms are distinguished by their unique propulsion mechanism, utilising specialised cilia called “combs” for locomotion. Remarkably, ctenophores are the largest animals known to employ cilia for movement, ranging widely in size from a few
The largest family of sharks, known as Scyliorhinidae, consists of over 17 genera and approximately 150 species. This group comprises species commonly known as shysharks; small to medium-sized elasmobranchs that are widely distributed in temperate waters across the world’s oceans. Despite their classification as sharks, these enigmatic creatures are harmless to humans, and characterised by
Sea hares, scientifically known as Aplysia, are intriguing marine mollusks that belong to the class Gastropoda and the order Anaspidea. While looking very distinct from other marine gastropods due to their ‘shell-less’ appearance, sea hares do in fact have an internal shell, however it is soft and made of protein. These interesting creatures range widely
As the name suggests, pipefish are small, elongated creatures, with close resemblance to their seahorse and sea dragon relatives, together forming the family Syngnathidae. Although unlike their relatives, pipefish have a long slender body covered in bony plates, ranging from 2 – 65 cm in length, with small nondescript fins. Pipefish are made up of
Shark egg cases, also known as “mermaid’s purses,” play an integral role in the reproductive ecology of many species. These unique structures consist of a tough, leathery material made up of collagen, designed to safeguard the developing embryo inside. Their unique appearance somewhat resembles a small, leathery purse or pouch, hence fondly referred to by
Salps are fascinating gelatinous zooplankton that play a significant role in ocean ecosystems. These tunicates belong to the phylum Chordata and are known for their unique life cycle, filter feeding behaviour, and ecological importance as carbon sequestrators. Despite their similar gelatinous appearance, salps are in fact not related to jellyfish, having diverged 800 million years
