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.
As they are ambush predators, their bodies are dark black, and even their stomachs are coated with black tissue to block out any light that might be produced by bioluminescent (light producing) animals that they eat. Along their dark bodies, Pacific blackdragons have several rows of specialized light cells, called photophores that are probably used to … Read more
Because yellowfin tunas undergo such an amazing transformation in size (from being nearly microscopic to being one of the largest open ocean predators), they eat a wide variety of prey, throughout their lifetimes. At a young age, they eat tiny zooplankton, and their prey increases in size as they do. As adults, they eat fairly large bony … Read more
While that may seem quite heavy, it is not very much for a fish that may reach lengths longer than a school bus. As a result of this general shape and the bright, silvery coloration and long, red fins, some people around the world know the oarfish as the ribbonfish. The first few elements of the dorsal … Read more
Like many species of damselfishes in the Caribbean and around the world, threespot damselfish are herbivores that cultivate a garden of their preferred algae. They carefully remove other algae and small invertebrates in order to encourage growth of their favorite species. The gardens serve two functions: 1) they provide a food source for the adult threespot damsels; … Read more
The tan bristlemouth is small-bodied, reaching lengths of only a few inches and weights of only a few grams. It has a relatively large mouth, compared to its body size and is likely predatory. Being numerically successful in the deep water column, this species one of the most abundant on Earth, and is probably an important prey species … Read more
The swordfish’s bill differs from those of the other billfishes by being flat and blunt, rather than round and pointed. Like many open ocean bony fishes, swordfish start out as extremely tiny larvae, no more than a few millimeters long and weighing only a few hundredths of a gram. Soon after hatching, they already have a visible … Read more
The smalltooth sawfish is one of the largest species of sawfish, reaching lengths of up to 25 feet (7.6 m; including the rostrum). It lives in coastal seas and estuaries and relies on mangrove forests for critical habitat during its juvenile years. Smalltooth sawfish reproduce via internal fertilization and give birth to well-developed, live young. After birth, the young … Read more
Adult orange roughy are predators that live on or just over the seafloor, but near areas where strong currents bring their preferred prey (other fishes and squids) to them. Deep seamounts provide the right oceanographic conditions to form these strong currents. Orange roughy grow no bigger than a few feet (less than one meter) and are eaten … Read more
Peruvian anchoveta are filter feeders that rely, in some seasons, on microscopic algae (called diatoms) as their primary food source. During other times of the year, they rely more heavily on small, pelagic crustaceans. Though they filter very small prey, they use their relatively large eyes and exceptional eyesight to increase the density of prey in the … Read more
Northern red snappers are active predators and eat just about anything that is smaller than them, including smaller fishes, crustaceans, octopuses, squids, etc. On hard bottoms and rocky and artificial reefs throughout their range, northern red snappers are one of the top predators, but adults are eaten by sharks, very large bony fishes, and marine mammals, … 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.