Marine Life with Brenda

Red Lionfish  Red lionfish are native to the Indo-Pacific reefs and rocky crevices even though they have found a way to warm ocean environments around the world.  Lionfish the largest can grow to approximately 15 inches long, however the average is closer to 1 foot.  Red lionfish are popular as food in some parts of the world but are much more valued in the aquarium trade. Their population numbers are high, and their spread is growing, raising concern in the United States, where some fear that the growth of this non-indigenous species poses human and environmental hazards. So much about the venomous red lionfish,  its red-and-whitestripes of zebra, long, showy pectoral fins, and generally cantankerous demeanour are a give a way that they are dangerous, although  very pretty. 

Sunburst butterflyfish  Chaetodon kleinii, the sunburst butterflyfish, is native to the Indo-Pacific region, from the Red Sea and East Africa to the Hawaiian Islands and Samoa, north to southern Japan, southern to Australia and New Caledonia. They are also present in the Eastern Pacific, Galapagos Islands. The sunburst butterflyfish can be found in the wild at depths of 4–61 metres, usually in deeper lagoons and channels and seaward reefs, swimming alone, or (especially during breeding) in pairs.

Flying fish  The Exocoetidae, known colloquially as flying fish, are a family of marine fish in the order Beloniformes class Actinopterygii. There are about 64 species grouped into seven to nine genera. Although they can not fly in the same manner as a bird does, flying fish may make strong, self-propelled leaps out of water where their long wing-like fins allow gliding over the surface of the water for considerable distances. It is assumed that the principal explanation for this action is to escape from predators. They are all small, with a maximum length of approximately 45 cm and have winglike, rigid fins and irregular forked tail.  Barbados is regarded as the "land of flying fish," and the fish is one of the country's national symbols. The Exocet missile is named after them because underwater variations are launched and take a low trajectory, skimming the surface, before hitting their targets.

The Napoleon wrasse  The Napoleon wrasse or humphead wrasse ( Cheilinus undulatus ) is a large wrasse species found in the Indo-Pacific region primarily on coral reefs. It is a large coral reef fish with a prominent bulge on its forehead (growing over six feet long). Some live to be older than 30 years. They wander in search of hard-shelled preys such as mollusks, starfish, or crustaceans across coral reefs.  Humphead wrasses are protogynous hermaphrodites, like most wrasses, meaning they can act as members of both sexes throughout their reproductive lives and start as females. They may convert to males later in life but not all individuals can change in some species. Scientists are still researching the exact queues which cause this incredible transformation.

Why can't we drink sea water Aside from the fact it doesn't taste so well, it's a terrible idea to drink saltwater because it causes dehydration.  Seawater is harmful to humans, since the body can not get rid of the salt from seawater. Through making the kidneys generate urine, the body naturally gets rid of extra salt, so it requires fresh water to dilute the salt in your body so that the kidneys can function properly.  Seawater can be desalinated to reduce the amount of salt to where it should be palatable, but the process is very energy-intensive.

Short-nosed unicornfish The unicorn fish is one of my favourite types of fish. I remember that one day when I was volunteering at the National Marine Aquarium and was talking to people about the coral and the Great Barrier Reef tank, I mentioned that I loved the unicornfish, however a bilingual girl told me that they are not called that in Russian. Hahaha. Their name in Russian is "Короткошерстный единорог" (sorry if my Russian is wrong) but the point is their name is not unicornfish alright!? Well at least their Latim name has something to do with it they are called Naso brevirostris (Naso, nose you get it?) and can be found in the Indian and Pacific Oceans.  The unicornfish dwells in midwaters along steep outer lagoon, in drop-offs from the rocky shore and seaward reef, and prefers water temperatures ranging from 22.4 to 29 °C.  This species is listed on the IUCN Red List of Threatened species as "least concern," and there are no declines reported as a ...

Tides  Tides are the rise and fall of sea levels caused by the combined effects of the Moon and Sun exerted tidal forces and the Earth's rotation.Tides differ between hours and years due to a variety of factors that decide the lunitidal period. Tide gauges at fixed stations monitor water levels over time to make precise records. Gauges disregard wave-induced variations of intervals shorter than minutes. These data are correlated with the reference (or datum) level usually referred to as mean sea level. Tidal phenomena are not restricted to oceans, yet can occur in other systems when there is a gravitational field present which varies in time and space. For example, Earth tide subtly affects the form of the solid portion of the Earth, but this is not as readily visible as the water tidal movements.