The skipjack tuna is a common species in the open ocean that forms very large schools, often around floating objects. A single floating log or slowly moving adult whale shark may have tens of thousands of skipjack around it. There are several hypotheses as to why this phenomenon occurs, but scientists generally agree that skipjack use these objects – … Read more
The shovelnose guitarfish is a relatively small-bodied ray that has the typical wing-like pectoral fins of all rays but a body that otherwise resembles a shark’s. Like most rays, this species lives on the seafloor, typically settled on soft sandy or muddy bottoms, often near rocky reefs. Shovelnose guitarfish have the ability to pump water … Read more
The red lionfish is an ambush predator. It moves very slowly and often sits perfectly still, waiting for small fishes to approach too closely, at which point it lunges aggressively toward its prey. At the same time, it extends its jaws forward, creating a large amount of suction, and easily swallowing the prey whole. This species is … Read more
Ocean sunfish are foraging predators that will eat a variety of food, but their preferred prey are jellyfishes. Jellyfishes are almost exclusively made up of water and are low in calories/nutrients, so a fish with a body as large as the ocean sunfish’s has to eat a whole lot of jellyfishes to support its weight. They have … Read more
The Mexico lookdown is native to shallow, coastal waters from the Baja California Peninsula, Mexico to northern South America. Mexican lookdowns are foraging predators that feed over sandy and muddy soft bottoms. They are known to eat a variety of small invertebrates – including shrimps, squids, and polychaete worms – as well as small fishes. They feed … Read more
Like many seagulls, the laughing gull eats a variety of prey and will both hunt and scavenge for suitable food. They forage for a variety of living, coastal invertebrates and for human garbage. They also often steal food from other predators, especially the brown pelican. Adult laughing gulls have few predators, but they are likely taken by tiger … Read more
Like many seagulls, the kelp gull eats a variety of prey and will both hunt and scavenge for suitable food. They forage for many species of living, coastal invertebrates and for human garbage. They occasionally take larger animals, like fishes and coastal reptiles or mammals. Individuals often also steal food from other predators. Kelp gulls will eat just about … 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
Interestingly, though they are enormous, humpback whales are not predatory. They filter feed for tiny krill or small pelagic fishes and are totally harmless to people (other than through accidental collisions). This life history strategy is common among several large animals in the ocean, including the whale shark, the basking shark, and the other great whales. Like all … Read more
Harp seals are foraging predators that eat several dozen species of bony fishes and invertebrates. They will eat just about anything they can catch. Juveniles eat krill and other pelagic crustaceans, and the diet diversifies as they grow. Adult harp seals are eaten by killer whales and large sharks. Juveniles are eaten by polar bears and other terrestrial predators, including foxes … 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.