Clownfish

The clownfish, or amphiprioninae, if you're a fancy scientist who speaks Latin for whatever reason, is a fish that lives in the tropical waters of the Pacific Ocean. They are also known as anenomefish, as they have a tendency to live inside of sea anemones, which provide them with protection and companionship when the fish gets lonely.  Clownfish have the ability of sequential hermaphroditism, which basically means that if there are no available mates in the area, the weakest clownfish will literally change genders to conform to whatever the school needs.  They were basically Caitlyn Jenner before being Caitlyn Jenner was cool.  Clownfish are not actually, in fact, funny, and are instead like that guy that you always feel bad for and always fake a laugh towards as you gradually inch away, making some lame excuse as you leave.  They got their name simply from their poor choice in careers, spending 6 years at a liberal arts school for a career that will lead them nowhere in life.  We need to show these fish our support, as most of them are just trying to get by.  They also have a bad habit of losing their children, so they have to go on long, epic, animated adventures with a fish who can't remember much of anything.  However, the clownfish will always come out the other side okay because of their positive views on life.  A positive attitude is very important for a clownfish, as their diet consists almost entirely of the fecal matter excreted from their host anemones. Clownfish lay hundreds of thousands of eggs at a time, and they are then guarded for a week or two until the eggs hatch.  However, the parents are not particularly good at guarding their eggs, as only an incredibly small portion of the eggs that are laid live to hatch.  The parent fish need to be very careful when naming their children, as all children are born males, but some later develop into females. Thus, the parents will need to choose names that will fit both the male and female roles of the fish, without having them feel left out as they mature.    

Puffer Fish

The puffer fish (also known as the blow fish or Tetraodontidae, if Latin is your thing) lives in the tropical waters of the Pacific Ocean.  This fish has quite the prickly personality, and is easily aggravated by its fellow fish colleagues.  When agitated, the puffer fish channels its inner balloon, and puffs itself up to a much larger size, sometimes with spines all over its body.  This makes the fish look much more threatening, although it feels self-conscious about its appearance until it is able to calm back down.  However, about 50% of the time the puffer fish is an absolutely adorable, happy little creature who would never hurt anything.  The puffer fish really does not want to be eaten, as in addition to this rather unique natural defense, its flesh is also poisonous, and will paralyze or kill anything that decides that it is a good idea to eat it.  Puffer fish reproduce the same way most fish do, which I really don't feel like getting into right now, and they lay about four hundred eggs at a time. These eggs are buoyant and will usually float to the surface, and those that are lucky enough to survive hatch as fully functional, strong independent puffer fish who don't need no mom.  Puffer fish feast on a diet consisting mostly of tiny invertebrates and algae, none of which have the tremendous fortune of being able to expand themselves into a spherical ball of hatred.  The tiger shark and lizardfish are some of the puffer fish's only natural predators, who have decided that, instead of eating any of the other thousands of species of fish, it would be best to evolve specifically to eat this one random poisonous fish which can also turn itself into a ball of spikes at will.  Some people even enjoy eating puffer fish, despite the fact that it is incredibly poisonous if not prepared correctly.  If eaten raw or improperly prepared, the meat will likely kill within 24 hours, or put one in a coma for several days if they survive initially.  According to The Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources even claimed that the poison of the puffer fish is 100 times more potent than cyanide.  Personally, I don't understand why people and other predators seem to want to go through so much trouble to eat something that has made it incredibly obvious that it does not, in fact, want to be eaten.    

Angler Fish

The angler fish, more commonly known for its role as that fish that Marlin and Dory ran into that one time in that one movie, is a fish that lives deep in the waters of the Pacific Ocean.  One of the most recognizable features of the angler fish is the light on it's head, hence the name angler.  This light is an amazing example of adaptation, as its bio-luminescence is what makes it the extremely efficient hunter that it is.  The angler fish will eat pretty much anything that is unfortunate enough to be lured into its gaping maw, and its diet includes, but is not limited to, small fish, eels, shrimp, and even sometimes other angler fish (they aren't the brightest creatures).  These fish are very sensitive, and they often feel that they are judged for their teeth, but the truth of the matter is that it can be extremely difficult to find a licensed orthodontist thousands of feet deep in the ocean.  So be sure if you ever meet an angler fish, don't mention the teeth, or it will probably bite you.  Angler fish range from just a few inches in size to nearly two feet in the deeper parts of the ocean.  The angler fish uses the light on its head to lure prey, and when the unfortunate fish swims too close, the jaws of the angler fish snap shut, instantly killing the poor fish who only wanted to look at the pretty light.  Angler fish have a beautiful mating ritual, which usually ends with the male being consumed by the female in an almost Shakespearean act of love.  The female then lays hundreds of eggs, most of which do not live to hatch as the mother eats some of them sometimes, because parenting.  Some people fish for angler fish in the ocean waters, and their tail is even considered a delicacy in some Asian countries such as South Korea or Japan.  This dish is said to be similar to lobster tail, and is actually very expensive due to the difficulty of successfully catching a fish that deep in the ocean.  To conclude, angler fish are not as mean as they appear, and only want to make friends because they have a hard time doing so.  As any angler fish would tell you, its what is on the inside that counts.

Killer Whales (Orca)

The orca is a species of killer whale that can be found in almost any environment, ranging from the frigid waters of the arctic to the tropical seas. Killer whales have an average lifespan of almost fifty years, which is impressively long for a marine mammal. The orca is a carnivore, feeding on a wide variety of animals including small fish, seals, and even other whales depending on the circumstance.  There have even been cases documented where a pack of killer whales would hunt and kill fully grown blue whales, which are usually over sixty feet long.  Usually, they pose no threat to humans, although there have been some cases of the animals injuring their captors in theme parks such as SeaWorld.  They are highly social creatures, as they travel in groups and families tend to stay together.  Killer whales are usually found in packs (or pods) of somewhere between 6-40 whales. Because they are mammals, they have to surface to breathe, expelling air through their blowhole.  Orca can hold their breath for about twelve minutes, although under normal circumstances they usually only stay under for around five or six minutes.  They are very intelligent creatures, and have been observed to actively teach their young skills that will be helpful for survival.  For example, mothers have been observed to push their young onto the land, allowing the young whale to find its own way back into the ocean, while the mother watches from a distance. Different pods of orca have their own languages and dialects to communicate with each other, which is mostly in the form of clicks.  They can also be trained relatively easy, which is why they are a common show at marine-based theme parks.  The killer whale is an endangered species due to a loss of habitat as well as the illegal hunting and killing of the species.

I will leave you today with a video of someone who is stuck in a kayak, surrounded by killer whales. Personally, I would be terrified to be in her situation, but to each their own I guess.

The Pterois

The pterois, more commonly known as a lionfish or zebrafish, are a fairly common species of fish whose native residence is in the Indian and Pacific oceans.  Easily recognized by its unique pattern, it is commonly kept as an aquarium pet in many households.  The lionfish is actually venomous, which is an uncommon trait for fish in the eastern Atlantic.  While their venom is rarely fatal to healthy adults, it has been known to kill small children and the elderly.  However, they are not aggressive, and most incidents occur when a diver accidentally steps on or grabs one.  If prepared correctly, the lionfish is edible, and is quite common as a food in many cultures.  Lionfish can live up to fifteen years old and have a relatively simple mating ritual compared to some other species of fish.  Females release egg sacs containing about fifteen thousand eggs, which the males then fertilize as they swim by.  The lionfish has quite a diverse diet, feeding mainly on small fish, invertebrates, and mollusks.  The lionfish have very few natural predators, mainly due to its venomous fins and scary colors.  However, animals like the moray eel, bluespotted cornetfish, and large groupers are brave enough to feast on the lionfish,    However, due to many people keeping them as pets, they have recently been released into the Atlantic Ocean and Caribbean Sea, and are quickly becoming an invasive species, mainly due to their lack of predators.  If left unchecked, the lionfish can pose a threat to the diversity of reefs on the eastern coast.  Some groups have attempted to train sharks to eat lionfish in an effort to control their population, with little to no success.  Because lionfish can reproduce monthly, their populations are extremely difficult to control, thus they have rapidly spiraled out of control within the last decade.  Lionfish are extremely popular in aquariums, as they are easy to obtain and pretty to look at,  They are considered a very easy option for people who want to start a salt-water fish tank, because they are extremely low maintenance and are easy to take care of and feed.  

The Cuttlefish

The cuttlefish is an absolutely adorable sea creature who resides in tropical and temperate waters, mainly along the coasts of East and South Asia, Western Europe, and the Mediterranean, as well as all coasts of Africa and Australia.  They are primarily shallow water dwellers, although

they have been known to live up to deaths of 2,000 feet.  Cuttlefish are a part of the mollusk family, which makes them related to animals like the squid and octopus.  Proportionally, they have the largest brain to body ratios of all invertebrates.  This makes them some of the most intelligent invertebrates on the planet, but granted, they really don’t have very much competition.   

Cuttlefish eat pretty much anything small enough to fit in their mouths, even if it occasionally means another cuttlefish.  However, their diet is primarily crabs, shrimp, fish, and worms.  The cuttlefish uses its impressive array of suction cups to latch onto its prey, quickly devouring it.  Most creatures don’t have a chance to even see the catalyst of their demise approaching, as the cuttlefish has one of the most advanced camouflaging mechanisms in the animal kingdom.  They have the capability to change their color, texture, and in some cases, even body temperature.  This is incredible, as it has been proven that the cuttlefish cannot actually see color itself, so the mechanism involved in its camouflage remains unknown.  Because of its camouflaging capabilities, the cuttlefish is able to easily lie in wait for its prey, as well as escape predators with relative ease, as it can also eject ink at will.  

Like most mollusks, the cuttlefish has a set of extremely advanced eyes.  While it cannot see color, it can detect the polarization of light, which helps it to determine contrast.  The eyes of the cuttlefish can move independently of each other, allowing it to see in almost any direction.  During the development cycle of the cuttlefish, the eye is developed first which means that the cuttlefish can actually observe the outside world from its egg and, when it is born, begin to immediately hunt prey that was seen while in the egg.

Isaac's Introduction to Aqueous Animals

When I was about four years old, my grandparents took me to an aquarium, and from that moment on, I was in love.  Since that day I have been drawn to the surreal, almost otherworldly beauty that exists under our oceans.  Because of that, aquariums are easily one of my favorite places on earth.  I love the feeling of standing in a dark room, surrounded by people talking in hushed whispers as everyone in the room stares in awe at a shark swimming lazily by. Aquatic life is so amazing mostly because it is so drastically different than life up here on the surface. It is estimated that over 90% of the ocean still remains unexplored, which means that we know more about other planets than what is contained in our own oceans. Because of this, there could be a virtually endless number of species still undiscovered, allowing for an almost constant advancement of knowledge from a scientific standpoint, and I find that amazing.  There are even several species of animals that scientists had thought to have long been extinct that have just suddenly made an appearance, like the coelacanth, which a fisherman just happened to catch in a net one day. Using that information, who could possibly guess what other monsters are down lurking in the depths of the ocean.
 
Due to my enjoyment of aquariums and aquatic animals as a whole, I have spent many hours studying and reading about all types of aquatic life in an effort to learn and discover everything I can about them. I have read everything from the different types of sharks to the anatomy of an octopus, and I have loved every minute of it.  It has continually interested me due to just how radically different the creatures are from those that are on the surface, and that there are some animals deep in the ocean that will live their entire lives without ever even knowing that the sun exists. This blog will be dedicated to my love of aquatic life, and will explore many different animals, ranging from the surface to the very depths of the ocean.