Saltwater Animals: A Diverse Group
Saltwater, or marine, environments are home to an incredible diversity of animals. Here's a breakdown by category:
Fish:
* Bony Fish: Tuna, salmon, cod, sharks, clownfish, seahorses, pufferfish, eels, etc.
* Cartilaginous Fish: Sharks, rays, skates
Mammals:
* Whales: Blue whales, humpback whales, orcas, dolphins, porpoises
* Seals: Harbor seals, elephant seals, grey seals
* Sea Lions: California sea lion, Steller sea lion
* Manatees: West Indian manatee, Amazonian manatee
* Dugongs
Reptiles:
* Sea Turtles: Leatherback sea turtle, green sea turtle, loggerhead sea turtle, hawksbill sea turtle
* Sea Snakes: Yellow-bellied sea snake, olive sea snake
* Saltwater Crocodiles: American crocodile, saltwater crocodile
Invertebrates:
* Crustaceans: Crabs, lobsters, shrimp, barnacles, krill
* Mollusks: Octopus, squid, cuttlefish, clams, oysters, snails
* Echinoderms: Sea stars, sea urchins, sea cucumbers
* Cnidarians: Jellyfish, coral, sea anemones
* Sponges: Various types of sponges
* Worms: Various types of marine worms
Other:
* Jellyfish: Box jellyfish, moon jellyfish
* Sea Anemones: Various types of sea anemones
* Coral: Hard corals, soft corals
* Seaweed: Kelp, algae
This is just a small sample of the incredible variety of animals that live in saltwater. From the smallest plankton to the largest whales, marine ecosystems are teeming with life.
Remember: Many animals spend only part of their life cycle in saltwater, such as salmon that migrate from freshwater rivers to the ocean to spawn.