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.
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
Adult Patagonian toothfish reach lengths of up to 7.5 feet (more than 2 m) and weights of 220 pounds (100 kg). These large adults live near the bottom of the sea, in very deep water (over 12,000 feet/3800 m), where they hunt other fishes, squids, and crustaceans. They are known to be the occasional prey of deep-diving mammals … Read more
Though they spend most of their time in the deep, common fangtooths are known to migrate toward the surface, at night, following their preferred prey of crustaceans and other fishes. Common fangtooths are more active than many other deep-sea fishes and seek out food, rather than being purely ambush (sit and wait) predators. Their huge mouths and … 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.