Biodiversity #8 – Sea Cucumbers which are Echinoderms (literally hedgehog skin). Scavengers that feed on debris on the ocean floor, serving a useful role as they recycle nutrients breaking down detritus so that bacteria can complete the degradation process. Essentially the oceans’ vacuum cleaners.
Biodiversity #7 – Coral. Very simply: little polyps 1-3mm across (bit like jelly fish without tentacles), convert sunlight into energy and excrete some calcium carbonate – which is what builds the reef that they live in
Biodiversity #6 – The Whale has been around for 40 million years, its closest living relative is the hippo! An air breathing mammal that lives in the ocean. Toothed whales use echolocation and can generate up to 20,000 watts of sound.
Biodiversity #5 – The shark has the greatest electrical sensitivity of any animal, and use the ampullae of Lorenzini to detect the electromagnetic fields that all living things produce. Sharks have keen olfactory senses with some species able to detect one part per million of blood in seawater; they can also determine the direction of a given scent.
Biodiversity #4 – Anemonefish: 1 genus and about 30 species and only found in Pacific and Indian Oceans; ie, not the Atlantic. Lives in symbiotic mutualism with sea anemones: not only do they provide and give mutual protection, they in feeding feed each other
Biodiversity #3 – The Nudibranch – which literally translates as ‘naked gill’ as they breathe through the branchial plume which projects from around their anus. There are 2-3,000 known species, all have sensory rhinophores which they can retract.
Biodiversity #2 – eels are fish but their dorsal fin and anal fins are joined to their caudal (tail) fin; and also, they don’t have scales like fish – but instead a mucous coating over their skin
Biodiversity #1 – The turtle: lives in water but breathes air. Doesn’t lay its eggs in water – it comes back to the beach where it was born to lay its eggs
To celebrate biodiversity in the marine life of Australia we’ll be bringing you a pretty diverse selection of aquatic critters from around the region – a new one each day.
Breaking news: WA EPA recommends the shark cull NOT go ahead, and WA Premier accepts the decision.
