Chilean jack mackerel are filter feeders that eat fish larvae and small, pelagic crustaceans. Though they filter very small prey, they use their relatively large eyes and strong eyesight to increase the density of prey in the water that they filter. This strategy is in stark contrast to that used by the very large bodied filter … Read more
The barndoor skate is one of the largest skates in the world. Skates are closely related to the rays and more distantly related to sharks. The skates are the most diverse lineage of the cartilaginous fishes (sharks, skates, and rays). The term ‘cartilaginous fishes’ refers to the fact that these groups do not have true … Read more
Like many open ocean bony fishes, Atlantic bluefin tuna start out as extremely tiny larvae, no more than a few millimeters long and weighing only a few hundredths of a gram. Within three to five years, individuals reach lengths of three feet (1 m) and are sexually mature. Because Atlantic bluefin tunas undergo such an amazing transformation … 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
White shrimp progress through several life history stages in a short amount of time, mature quickly, and typically live for less than a year. Adults live on soft bottoms from the near shore to depths of a few hundred feet. Unlike many aquatic invertebrates, white shrimp reproduce via internal fertilization. After mating, females release hundreds of thousands of … Read more
Tiger prawns progress through several life history stages in a short amount of time and mature quickly. Adults live on soft bottoms. Unlike many aquatic invertebrates, tiger prawns reproduce via internal fertilization. After mating, females release hundreds of thousands of fertilized eggs, which quickly hatch. Planktonic larvae live in the open ocean, and juveniles live in estuaries, before moving … 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 southern stingray is a moderately sized whiptail stingray native to the western Atlantic Ocean. Unlike the spotted eagle rays, the southern stingray spends much of its time in contact with the seafloor, often buried in soft sediment with only its large eyes uncovered. The southern stingray’s mouth is on the ventral (bottom) side of … Read more
The southern elephant seal is one of two living species of elephant seals. These two species get their name from the trunk-like nose that males develop as they become sexually mature. Only the strongest, most dominant males win the right to mate with females, and ninety percent of males die before developing a harem. Harems defended by the … 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
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We have already protected over 4 million square miles of ocean and innumerable sea life - but there is still more to be done.