Aquatic Animals Example

Called aquatic animals to the animals that live exclusively in water, either salty or sweet. These animals can have gill or lung respiration and can be vertebrates or non-vertebrates.

Vertebrate aquatic animals. Vertebrate aquatic animals include fishes, aquatic snakes, cetaceans (whales), sharks, salmon, and a myriad of aquatic entities.

Invertebrate aquatic animals. These animals are jellyfish, starfish, squid, octopus, snails, crabs, seedlings, etc.

Reproduction of aquatic animals

The reproduction of aquatic animals is of two types:

• Sexual. Sexual reproduction can be oviparous (the majority) and viviparous, and between these two, oviparous is usually in small animals and some large ones.
• Asexual. This is produced by division or fragmentation as in starfish or by reproduction without the intervention of the male gender, as in the case of sawfish.

Aquatic animal characteristics:

Habitat

Its habitat is completely aquatic.

• Rivers
• Lakes
• Lagoons
• Seas

Feeding

The feeding of aquatic animals includes the different types of feeding:

• Carnivores
• Herbivores
• Insectivores
• Omnivores

Carnivores. Among these are sharks, some whales called orcas, barracudas, salmon and tuna among others.

Herbivores. Among these we can find manatees, sea whales, green sea turtles, dudongs and parrotfish among others.

Insectivores. Tarpon, striped boga and ax fish among others.

Omnivores. Piranhas, some turtles, common carp and cod.

Breathing

This can change according to the species and consists of three different types:

Lung breathing. Lung respiration is typical of marine mammals, such as whales, killer whales, and dolphins.

Branchial breathing. This is found in a large number of marine living beings, such as fish and eels.

Skin respiration. This appears in animals such as marine polychaetes, marine hirudíneos and some fish that use it in case of being out of the water.

Physic structure

Body. This can consist of a body prepared to move in the water, having fins, a driving tail and a side view. They also have their organisms adapted to regulate the different levels of pressure that can be generated under water. being regulated in some fish by means of a swim bladder, which increases or decreases its volume according to the depth.

Aquatic animals: The dungongo (Dugong dugong)

Dungongo characteristics

• This aquatic animal is one of the four species of sirenians that exist today and one of the few mammals considered completely aquatic.
• Her name means "lady of the sea". The dugong is considered to be one of the sources of inspiration for legends about mermaids.
• It can measure up to 3 meters long and weigh up to 200 kg.
• Is herbivorous. Its diet is based on marine herbs.
• His breathing is pulmonary; it requires oxygen from the air. Approximately you need to get out to breathe after six to twenty minutes submerged.
• Because they have been the prey of human hunting for the use of their meat, fat and skin, it is a threatened species.

Aquatic animals: The barreleye or transparent head fish

Characteristics of the barreleye

• This deep-sea fish belongs to the Opisthoproctidae family; It is a kind of goblin fish.
• It lives between 600 and 800 meters deep.
• They can measure up to 15 cm in length.
• They are carnivorous and oviparous fish. They feed on other fish and mollusks.
• It has a transparent skull inside which are its eyes, which acquire a greenish color; Their eyes also have the ability to absorb sunlight from the surface and rotate for greater visibility.
• Outwardly, they have two olfactory holes in the back of the head, above the mouth.
• In 2004 this fish was photographed for the first time.

25 examples of aquatic animals

1. The Antillean manantí (Trichechus manatus)
2. The Amazon spring (Trichechus inunguis)
3. The West African manatee (Trichechus senegalensis)
4. The Greenland whale (Balaena mysticetus)
5. Sea anemones or actiniaries (Actiniary)
6. The southern right whale (Eubalaena australis)
7. The killer whaleOrcinus orca)
8. The mako shark or short-finned shark (Isurus oxyrinchus)
9. The swordfish (Xiphias gladius)
10. The White shark (Carcharodon carcharias)
11. The big-bellied sea horseHippocampus abdominalis)
12. The common octopus (Octopus vulgaris)
13. The eel sharkChlamydoselachus anguineus)
14. The spiny catfish (Acanthodoras spinosissimus)
15. The puffer fish (Arothron nigropunctatus)
16. American eelAnguilla rostrata)
17. Laanguila or common eel (Anguilla anguilla) 
18. The Marine turtles.
19. The common oceanic dolphin or short-finned dolphin (Delphinus delphis)
20. Pygmy Laorca (Feresa attenuata)
21. The false killer whale or black killer whale (Pseudorca crassidens) 
22. The North Pacific right whale (Eubalaena japonica) 
23. The giant clamTridacna gigas) 
24. The sea pig (Oxynotus centrina)
25. Sea snakes

Learn more about:

• Land animals
• Aquatic and terrestrial animals