Marine Life with Brenda

The clownfish The clown fish is among the few animals that can survive the sea anemone's fatal sting. This is done by the tiny orange-and-white fish by slathering themselves in anemone mucus so that the anemone embraces the fish as part of itself and allows the clown fish to live in their tentacles. The clown fish needs the defence of the toxins of the sea anemone as they are unable to swim very fast and are often eaten by predatory fish including barracudas and groupers. In their host anemone the clown fish is hardly ever seen. The clownfish and the anemone live in a mutualistic relationship. Through driving away butterfly fish and other anemone-eating fish, they get bits of food dropped by the clown fish and the aggressive and territorial clown fish defend their host. Author: Brenda Moita 

Giant Pacific octopus  The giant Pacific octopus grows bigger and lives longer than any other species of poultry. A specimen which was 30 feet long and weighed more than 600 pounds holds the size record. Averages more than 16 feet and 110 lbs. Giant Pacific octopuses have large, bulbous heads, and are typically coloured reddish-brown. Nevertheless, like the other members of the octopus family, they use different pigment cells in their skin to change colours and textures, so they can blend in with even the most intricately patterned corals, plants, so rocks. They live to be about four years old, with males and females soon dying after birth. Females live long enough to tend their eggs fastidiously, but during this month-long time of brooding they do not feed, and typically die soon after.  Giant Pacific octopuses, highly intelligent creatures have learned to open bottles, imitate other octopuses and solve labyrinths in laboratory experiments. Its population figur...

Orcas  Did you known that killer whales are not whales? They are actually dolphins. If you look well at them you will notice that they definitely look like dolphins. The orca ( Orcinus orca ) is a dented whale belonging to the family of oceanic dolphins, of which it is the largest member. Killer whales have a varied diet but different types of prey are also selected by individual populations. Many feed solely on fish, while others chase marine animals such as seals and other dolphin species. They were notorious for attacking calves of baleen whales, and even adult whales. Killer whales are apex predators, since they are not preyed upon by mammals.

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.