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Building Specific Galleries - Ocean Commotion

Physical Description: Generally from 10 cm to 41 cm in diameter and 7.6 cm high; bell is shallow and almost colorless; four horseshoe shaped gonads which can be violet, pink or yellow in color; radial canals of the digestive tract are visible; numerous short tentacles; four oral arms that are long and frilly; short, stout feeding tube; bell margin divided into eight lobes with sense organs located between each lobe.

Specific Species Features:

• A. aurita is a highly flexible species that can adapt to a wide range of environmental conditions.
• Does not have a powerful enough sting to sting a human.
• Lacks long tentacles dangling from the bell.

 General Jelly Features:

• Brain – Instead of a brain “true” Jellies have an elementary nervous system, or nerve net, capable of detecting simple things like light and odors.
• Digesting –Jellyfish have a simple digestive cavity (coelenteron) which acts as a gullet, stomach and intestine with one opening for the mouth and anus.
• Delicate –Regardless of their size or shape, most jellyfish are very fragile, often containing less than 5% solid organic matter.
• Sting – True Jellies are a member of the phylum Cnidaria and therefore have nematocysts for defense and feeding.

 Interpretive Information:

• If stung by a jelly the victim should remove the tentacles that adhere to the skin using sand, clothing, towels, seaweed or any other available materials. Meat tenderizer, sugar, vinegar, plant juices, and sodium bicarbonate have all been used with varying degrees of success to stop the sting.
• We have the complete life cycle here and do not collect them from the wild.

Defining Characteristics : 1) Plates of fused cilia arranged in rows; 2) adhesive prey-capturing cells (colloblasts)

Special Features: NOT Jellyfish!!! - Although comb jellies bear a similar resemblance to the Cnidarian jellyfish, they are not related. They do have some similar characteristics but are in a completely different Phyla.

Similarities to Jellyfish Body structure: Outside epidermis, inside gastrodermis, and middle “jelly” layer (mesoglea). Mouth leads to a pharynx and then through a stomach to a series of gastrovascular canals

Colloblasts - Sticky, bulbous structures used to capture prey. Prey becomes stuck to the tentacles, which are then retracted. NOT NEMATOCYSTS!!!

Ctene - Band of partially fused, long cilia resembling a “comb” typically organized into 8 distinct rows equally spaced about the body; responsible for locomotion.

Bioluminescence- The biological production of chemical light. Excess energy is given off as light instead of heat. 

Excretion - Unlike Cnidarians which only have 1 opening serving as both mouth and anus, ctenophores have 4 digestive canals leading from the roof of the stomach to the aboral surface; 2 terminate as blind sacs and the other 2 open to the outside as anal pores where undigested wastes are discharged.

Notes :

• As carnivores they can have a severe impact on the abundance of zooplankton; copepods are particularly vulnerable to predation, which in turn can have an impact on the food sources for larvae and adults of many commercial fish species.
• 100 or so described species with more being discovered constantly
• One described species does use nematocysts to capture its prey, but they are obtained through the ingestion of cnidarian medusae; NOT produced by the ctenophore itself!!!
• Mnemiopsisleidyi was accidentally introduced into the Black Sea in the 1980s leading to a massive population explosion consequently having a negative impact on their fishing industry.
  

Physical Description: The green mandarinfish is mostly orange with an ornate pattern of green and blue bands and spots. Yellow lines on lower portion of head. Males have an elongated dorsal spine. These fish can grow to 2 1/4 inches long.

Interpretive Information:

• The mandarinfish was commonly referred to as the mandarin goby. It is not a goby, however, it is a member of the dragonet family.
• This fish is named for vibrant Chinese Mandarin robes.
• The elaborate colors and ability to breed in captivity make this a popular fish in the home marine aquarium.

Physical Description : Libinia 's skeleton is heavily calcified and decorated with spines that serve as armor. The presence of nine longitudinal bumps distinguishes Libinia emarginata from the long nosed spider crab ( Libinia dubia ) which only has six such bumps and a pronounced v-shaped rostrum. Libinia crabs walk forward about 80% of the time in a slow and jerky manner. Libinia crabs can grow up to 12cm or longer. The females have smaller claws (less calcified). Small crabs are not as heavily calcified as the adults and tend to bury themselves in the sand to avoid predation.

Interpretive Information:

• They belong to a group of animals currently thought to be among the first to have evolved the crab form. Unlike many crabs, which have five larval stages, Libinia has only two.

Physical Description: Boxfish are named for their modified scales which form a bony armor of hexagonal plates that enclose the body (except for the caudal peduncle) in a rigid shell-like covering called a “cuirass”. Only the eyes, mouth, fins and tails are free to move. The white-spotted boxfish has a long snout ideally suited to blowing jets of water into sediment to uncover small invertebrates along sandy reef bottoms. The sides and tail of the male are blue in color with yellow spots. Its dorsal surface is brown with white spots. The eyes are large and slightly protruding. On males the eyes are often ringed with yellow. The females are somewhat dull by comparison. The entire body of the female is brown with white spots. White-spotted boxfish grow to a maximum total length of 25cm (almost 10”).

Similar Species: Similar species include other boxfish members and subspecies such as the Ostracion meleagris camurum found in the Hawaiian Islands and Ostracion meleagris clippertonense found in the Eastern Pacific.

 Interpretive Information:

• Boxfish secrete a highly toxic substance from their skin that protects them from predators.

Physical Description: Longhorn cowfish are distinguished by the two long horns in front of their eyes. They also have two long horns sticking out of the back underside of their body. Their color is bright yellow with blue or white spots. The body color can also be brown, gray or olive. Longhorn cowfish can grow to 18 inches long.

Similar Species: Other species of cowfish including the scrawled, the roundbelly and the thornback cowfishes.

Interpretive Information:

• Like other boxfishes, the long-horned cowfish can release a toxin (ostracitoxin) through its skin when it feels threatened. These toxins can be harmful to other tankmates.

• In captivity, longhorn cowfish learn to blow jets of water at the surface instead of at the substrate. They can become quite proficient at aiming these jets of water at their caregivers when they want to be fed!

• Cowfish often break their horns off, especially in captivity due to all the obstacles in their enclosure. They can regrow their horns, but this may take several months.

• Cowfish (and other boxfish) use a special type of locomotion called “Ostraciform swimming”. It involves mainly the undulating dorsal fin and the pectoral fins. Cowfish are slow but precise swimmers and can even swim backwards.

Physical Description: This is a bright yellow, disc-shaped fish with a small white spine on the caudal peduncle. They have a small pointed snout and are sometimes called the yellow sailfin tang because its dorsal fin resembles a large sail when erected. There is no visible difference between males and females. Yellow tangs can reach a length of 8”.

Similar Species: Juvenile blue tangs are also bright yellow, but have blue around the eye and blue edges to their fins.

Interpretive Information:

• Tangs are members of the surgeonfish family (Acanthuridae) which is named for the two “surgeon scalpel”-like scales on the sides of the caudal peduncle.

• Captive yellow tangs often come from Hawaii, specifically the Big Island and Oahu. These fish are abundant there.

• When mating, the males change colors and exhibit a shimmering movement to attract females.

• Due to their popularity as aquarium pets, yellow tangs have been recorded around the warm waters and reefs of Florida.

• Like many fish, the yellow tang changes color at night. In the dark, they change from bright yellow to a darker grayish-yellow and a thick white band develops along their lateral line.  

Physical Description: Body color is blue with a small black spot at the base of the rear part of the dorsal fin. There is a small black line from the snout to the eye. Males often have a bright yellow tail and ventral fins. They can grow to 2.5” in length.

Similar Species: Many other species of blue damsels

Interpretive Information:

• These are one of the most commonly kept fish in the marine aquarium trade, they are often used as “beginner” or “start-up” fish for new hobbyists.

• Blue devils are named for their feisty behavior, and are known to be aggressive and territorial. They will even pick on fish many times their own size.

• Like many other damsels, they are very wary and will quickly dart into a crevice if they feel threatened. They can also turn very dark, almost black when threatened, but will quickly return to their electric blue color.

• Sexual dimorphism: males have bright yellow tails and lack the black spot on the dorsal fin.

They are a popular marine aquarium fish due to their small size and bright color.

Physical Description: Bright red fish with 4-5 black vertical bands on either side of body. This small angel only grows to about 3” long. Males tend to be brighter red and are also a little larger than females.

Similar Species: Other types of dwarf angels, this species’ bold coloration is fairly unmistakable.

Interpretive Information:

• Flame angelfish belong to a group known as the dwarf angels, due to their relatively small size.

• They spend most of their time grazing on algae, but will quickly dart into their hiding place when they feel threatened. They are generally peaceful, but become territorial and aggressive towards other dwarf angels.

• Flame angels are very popular aquarium fish. It is estimated that 5,000 individuals are collected and sold worldwide each week!

Physical Description: The blacktip reef shark has two dorsal fins with the second dorsal being relatively large in size. It has a short, bluntly rounded snout and oval eyes. The blacktip reef shark is beige or brownish in color on the dorsal surface and white on the belly or ventral surface (countershading). There is a light band that can be seen extending forward from the anal fin to an area between the first dorsal and the belly, which ends just above the pectoral fins. All of its fins are tipped with black pigment and accentuated by lighter pigment closer to the body of the shark. The blacktip reef shark is a medium sized shark and commonly reaches maturity at 36-39 inches (0.91-1.0 m) total length (TL) and 38-44 inches (0.97 -1.12 m) TL for males and females respectively. The largest specimen recorded was > 79 inches (2 m) TL.

Notes:

• Darker back and pale underside is an example of countershading, a camouflage that makes this species of shark harder to see for both predators and prey.

• Black tip reef sharks must swim constantly with their mouths open to run water over their gills. They also lack a swim bladder and will sink if not swimming.

• Like other sharks, rays, and skates, the black tip reef shark has a skeleton comprised of flexible cartilage.

• Scale-like structures embedded on the skin are called denticles, which are tooth-like when viewed with magnification.

• Black tip reef sharks are viviparous, meaning that they give live birth. Females give birth to 3-4 pups (12-14 inches long) per litter after a gestation period of 8-9 months.

• Because they adapt well to captivity and are relatively docile, black tip reef sharks are displayed at a number of public aquariums world-wide.

Notes:

• Zebra sharks are often observed resting on the bottom with their open mouths facing the current. 62

• Like other sharks, zebra sharks lack a swim bladder. However, they can rest on the bottom and still pump water over gills, whereas most sharks must remain swimming in order to pass water over their gills.

• Primarily a bottom-dwelling shark, zebra sharks are relatively slow moving and are considered docile.

• Like other sharks, rays, and skates, the zebra shark has a skeleton of flexible cartilage.

• Zebra sharks are “oviparous,” or egg-laying. Females lay eggs in purplish-brown to black cases, covered in hairy tufts that help hold the eggs firmly on the seabed until they hatch. Hatch size of young is approximately 8 inches.

Physical Description: Body moderately slender with a very broad and flattened head. Gray to brownish upper body with a light ventral surface. The first doral fin and upper caudal fin are white tipped. Other fins may be white tipped as well. They can get up to 5 feet in length (although some may grow as long as 7 feet).  

Specific Species Features:

• White Tip Reef sharks are capable of pumping water over their gills by opening and closing their mouths, therefore, they are able to lie on the ocean floor.
• Prefers shallow water, but has been found down to 1,083 feet (330 m). This shark can lie motionless on the bottom for long periods of time. White tip reef sharks have been known to stack up on top of each other. They also often rest in caves or under ledges. They are mostly active at night.
• The white reef shark is a curious species that often approaches divers. It is not considered dangerous to people, but may bite if provoked.
  
• Similar Species: The silvertip shark ( C. albimarginatus). The silvertip shark is a much heavier species with a large first dorsal and a much smaller second dorsal fin. Also, its caudal fin is lined with white rather than tipped as in the whitetip reef shark.
  
  

Physical Description: Named for their large heads. They have powerful jaws to feed on hard-shelled prey, including whelk and conch. The carapace (top shell) is reddish-brown and slightly heart shaped. The plastron (under shell) is a pale yellow color. Length in adults to 36”; Weight up to 250 – 300 lbs. The males are larger than the females, with the male’s tail being longer, extending well beyond the shell.  

General Sea Turtle Features:

• Shell –The number and arrangement of the scutes can be used to determine the species of turtle. The sea turtles have counter-shading for camouflage in which the carapace is dark and the plastron is light. This counter-shading conceals the turtle from predators; making it difficult to distinguish its dark upper carapace from the sea floor or its white plastron from the lighter sky.
• Senses -They do not have visible ears but have eardrums covered by skin. They hear best at low frequencies, and their sense of smell is excellent. Their vision underwater is good, but they are nearsighted out of water.
• Species – There are seven species of sea turtles. All are considered endangered except the loggerhead which is threatened. Five species visit Florida and all five are protected under state regulations.
• Breathing - Active sea turtles can hold their breath for 10-15 minutes or less depending on how active they are. However, when hibernating they can hold their breath up to 4 or 5 hours. The record for a loggerhead is 10 hours!
• Nests - Female sea turtles create nests at the beach in which they hatched. They use their front flippers to move the sand next to them and then their back flippers to remove the sand from the nest. After laying the eggs, the egg cavity is closed up.
• Eggs - The sex determination of the egg is set by the temperature during development. A lower temperature will produce males and a higher temperature for females.
• Swimming - Sea turtles can swim up to speeds of about 15 mph. 

• Similar Species: Green sea turtle, Hawksbill, Kemp’s Ridley, and Olive Ridley

Interpretive Information:

• Size – Loggerhead sea turtles start off as hatchlings weighing about 1 ounce with a carapace length of 2 inches. Adults can grow to have a carapace length of 3 feet and an average weight of 250 pounds.
• Hydration – Loggerheads drink seawater as a means of hydration due to the fact that they have special salt glands near eyes to excrete large concentrations of salt.
• Special Feet - Loggerheads have callus-like traction scales on the bottom of their flippers to “walk” on the ocean floor.
• “Arnold” is an approximately 200 lb. rehab turtle from Clearwater Marine Aquarium.
• Ninety percent of loggerhead nesting worldwide occurs in Florida. Most of this occurs in 6 Florida counties: Brevard, Indian River, St. Lucie, Martin, Palm Beach, and Broward.
• Unlike land turtles, sea turtles are unable to tuck their head and arms into their shell.
• No one knows where the majority of the newly hatched turtles spend their early years, which is estimated from 3-7 years.
• According to her stranding report, Arnold was missing about ¾ of both front flippers, both flippers were healed and the injuries indicated the cause was either monofilament or a rope.

Physical Description: Ghost shrimp have semi-translucent bodies. They may appear see-through, but can display different colors and patterns over time . Depending on the species, these shrimp are usually less than 50 mm long (2”).

General Shrimp Features:

• Shrimps are in the Phylum Arthropoda , along with spiders, millipedes and winged insects. They belong to the Class Crustacea , which includes lobsters, crabs and barnacles.

• Crustaceans possess five pairs of head appendages which include the 1 st and 2 nd antennae and the innermost three pairs of mouthparts (mandibles and 1 st and 2 nd maxillae). Eight pairs of thoracic appendages are present and include the outermost three pairs of mouthparts and five pairs of walking legs. The first five segments on a shrimp’s abdomen have forked, flattened appendages called swimmerets . The last segment ends in a flattened tailpiece, or telson .
• Walking legs consist of six unique segments, starting at the body and extending out, these are: coxa, basiishium, merus, carpus, propodus, dactylus.

MOLTING – The hard outer covering, or exoskeleton, of crustaceans limits growth, so shrimps must go through a hormonally triggered phenomenon known as a “molt”. At this time, a shrimp seeks a sheltered place, its body reabsorbs substances from the old exoskeleton, and deposits them into the new. The space between the old and new exoskeleton is filled with water, and the shrimp’s carapace splits so the animal can extract its new body from the old shell. The shrimp is extremely vulnerable before, during, and after the molting process, until the new exoskeleton hardens.

Physical Description: Typically between 2-5 inches long. Orange in color with white bands vertically down its body. Fins are rounded and may have black on the edges. Females are larger than males. Has the typical damselfish shape.

The giant pacific octopus is the largest species of octopus in the world. The largest one had an armspan of 30 feet and weighed around 600 lbs. They usually do not attain this size, however and are more likely to be between 40-50 lbs with arms that are 6 feet in length. The head and arms vary in color, according to mood and surroundings. They can be a mottled white to a deep reddish brown. The flesh is folded and wrinkled. Each of the eight arms has two rows of white suckers. They have a sharp beak for crushing and eating prey Typically up to 100 pounds, with references of larger individuals up to 598 pounds. Large individuals can reach 20 feet from the tip of one arm to another, but most reach lengths of approximately 14 feet.

Life Span: 3-5 years

Notes: There are over 100 species of octopuses, and the giant pacific octopus is the largest species of octopus in the world. Octopuses are invertebrates, lacking an internal spine. They are extremely flexible, capable of squeezing into and through small spaces. Giant pacific octopuses occupy dens found under rocks or in crevices. They are nocturnal predators, typically bringing prey items back to their dens. The eight flexible arms pass food to a sharp beak. The saliva is toxic and can paralyze prey and dissolve tissues. Female giant pacific octopuses have 280 suction disks on each arm (2,240 total). Males have 280 suction disks on seven arms, and 100 suctions disks on the eighth arm. These suckers cling to prey by creating a partial vacuum. Octopuses are eaten by humans, but little is known about abundance and safe limits for fisheries.

Physical Description: Scorpionfish belonging to the genus Rhinopias range in size from about 7-9 inches long. They have a compressed body with an upturned snout, and are usually adorned with numerous skin flaps. They come in a variety of colors including: green, brown, yellow, red, black, pink, orange, blue and lavender. The paddle-flap scorpionfish (Rhinopias eschmeyeri) is uniformly colored and has flat, paddle-like skin flaps. The weedy scorpionfish (Rhinopias frondosa) is often mottled with dark outlined spots and irregular markings. The numerous skin flaps are short and branched.

Interpretive Information:

• Rhinopias rarely swim; instead they hop along the bottom using their pectoral and pelvic fins as crutches.

• They often perch right on top of the reef, but their camouflage is so effective that they still remain unseen by most predators and prey.

• They can be seen swaying back and forth at the bottom, resembling a piece of seaweed. This helps them lure prey within reach. Rhinopias scorpionfish feed by sucking prey right into their cavernous mouths.

• Because of their relatively sedentary lifestyle, they often shed the outer epidermal layer. This resembles slime, and rids the fish of parasites or algae.

• Rhinopias are usually nocturnal hunters. They may remain in the same spot for weeks or months at a time, waiting for prey!