Some estimates report the world’s oceans are home to 20,000 species of fish. Ocean fishes come in all shapes, sizes, colors and live in drastically different depths and temperatures. Despite this diversity, the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization reported in 2016 that 89.5% of fish stocks are fully fished or overfished.
Learn fun facts and how you can help you favorite ocean fishes – from Atlantic bluefin tuna to blue tang – by clicking a species below.
The herring’s body is bluish-green on the top of the back, and the stomach and sides are a bright silver. This coloring is known as countershading, and it makes Pacific herring harder to see from above or below. Countershading helps the herring camouflage itself from potential predators, which include larger fish, seabirds, and marine mammals.1 Another … Read more
Sockeye salmon are native to the western coast of North America and reside in the northern Pacific Ocean.3 They spend most of their life at sea, but during mating season from July to October, they move inland—some populations as far as western Idaho—for spawning.1 Sockeye salmon hatch in lakes, rivers and streams where they spend their … Read more
The green moray eel has one long dorsal fin that extends down the entire length of its body and connects to a second fin, the caudal fin. Their faces have two nostrils, made visible by two small openings. On their upper jaw, moray eels have two full rows of teeth, while on the bottom there … Read more
Great barracudas have a large mouth containing two sets of teeth. The outer row of small, razor-sharp teeth are for tearing, and the inner set of larger teeth for piercing. These closely set teeth work in tandem to rip into the flesh of their prey. The long needle-like teeth fit into holes in the opposing … Read more
As their name suggests, pygmy seahorses are tiny fish that are nearly indistinguishable from their habitats due to their size and extreme camouflage. They are so well camouflaged that Bargibant’s pygmy seahorse was only discovered after a host gorgonian was collected and observed by marine biologist George Bargibant.1 2 Pygmy seahorses grow to an average size … Read more
Sailfish are a type of billfish (like the blue marlin or swordfish) that are known not only for their pointed bills, but also their extraordinary dorsal fins that can be taller than the length of their bodies.1 Sailfish start out as tiny larvae, no more than a few millimeters in length, but grow rapidly during … Read more
Scorpionfish are bottom-dwelling fish that have also been called rockfish or stonefish because of their tendency to live among rocks near the seafloor. There are more than 200 known species of scorpionfish in the ocean. Members of this fish family are commonly found in the Indian and South Pacific Oceans where water temperatures are temperate … Read more
Leafy seadragons are very poor swimmers and rely on their camouflage to avoid predation. They are relatively large compared to their closely related species and reach lengths of up to one foot (30 cm) long. Leafy seadragons eat small, plankton crustaceans but are small enough themselves and have sufficient vision to see and attack individual prey … Read more
The John Dory is an active predator and eats a variety of schooling fishes and invertebrates. It lives in a wide depth range, from 15 feet (5 m) to 1200 feet (360 m) and usually stays near the seafloor, over both soft and hard bottoms. John Dories are medium-sized predators in the systems in which they live. They … Read more
Garden eels burrow tail first into the sand, and several individuals (as many as hundreds) live close to each other, forming “gardens” of eels that sway back and forth and bob up and down like prairie dogs in order to balance their need to feed with the security that their burrows provide. The white-ring garden … Read more
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We have already protected nearly 4 million square miles of ocean and innumerable sea life - but there is still more to be done.