221 Amazing Marine Animals Encyclopedia

Common name : Common warthog Scientific name : Phacochoerus africanus. Family : Suidae Native to : Sub-Saharan Africa Interesting fact : The warthog is the only species of the pig that has adapted to grazing and savanna habitats. Conservation status : Least Concern It is a wild member of the pig family. The common name […]

Common name : Vicugna Scientific name : Vicugna vicugna Family : Camelidae Native to : South America Interesting fact : They yield small amounts of fine wool, every three years. Conservation status : Least Concern It has a long, woolly coat which is tawny brown on the back, while the fur on the throat and

Scientific name : Elaphodus cephalophus Family : Cervidae Native to : China and Myanmar Interesting fact : Its hide costs much and sells for a lot of money. Conservation status : Near Threatened It is called tufted deer because of a tuft of black hair on its forehead. The deer bears close resemblance to the

Common name : Varying hare or Snowshoe rabbit Scientific name : Lepus americanus Family : Leporidae Native to : North America Interesting fact : Unlike rabbits, they live above the ground. Conservation status : Least Concern It has the name ‘snowshoe’ because of the large size of its hind feet and the marks its tail

Common name : Leopard shark, Common carpet shark Scientific name : Stegostoma fasciatum Family : Stegostomatidae Native to : Indo-Pacific Oceans Interesting fact : Zebra sharks movelike eels with their tails moving from side-to-side.      Conservation status : Vulnerable Only the juveniles of the zebra shark have stripes whereas the adults have leopard-like spots. This fish

Common name : Green eel, Brown reef eel, Sydney green moray Scientific name : Gymnothorax prasinus Family : Muraenidae Native to : South-West Pacific region Interesting fact : It swims by flexing its whole body into lateral waves. Conservation status : Not Evaluated The yellowish-brown to green eel has an orange head and a yellow

Scientific name : Thunnus albacores Family : Scombridae Native to : Tropical and sub-tropical oceans worldwide Interesting fact : They are built for speed, capable of capturing fast-moving baitfish like flying fish and mackerels. Conservation status : Near Threatened The yellow fin tuna has a very dark metallic blue body with a silvery belly having

Common name : Yeti lobster Scientific name : Kiwa hirsute Family : Kiwaidae Native to : Pacific and Antarctic ridge Conservation status : Not Evaluated The yeti crab is a hairy white crabsensing its surroundings with its hair, as it lacks eyes. The arms are covered in bacteriathat live and grow in the hair. These

Common name : Great amberjack, Silver king Scientific name : Seriola lalandi Family : Carangidae Native to : Pacific and Indian Oceans Conservation status : Not Evaluated The yellow tail amberjack is foundaround offshore islands, rocky reefs and kelp beds. It grows up to 250 cm long and weighs 52 kg.It has a blue back,

Common name : Yellow sailfin tang, Yellow surgeonfish Scientific name : Zebrasoma flavescens Family : Acanthuridae Native to : Pacific and Indian Oceans Interesting fact : It has sharp spines near the tailwhich is used in defence and as an anchorin the rocks. Conservation status : Least Concern The yellow tang is found in shallow

Common name : Golden pristella tetra, Water goldfinch Scientific name : Pristella maxillaris Family : Characidae Native to : South America Interesting fact : It has an acute sense of hearing. Conservation status : Not Evaluated    The X-ray tetra has faint gold scales on a translucent layer of skin,allowing its backbone to be clearly

Common name : Swordfish, Broadbill Scientific name : Xiphias gladius Family : Xiphiidae Native to : Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans Interesting fact : They are ectothermic animalswith special organs next to their eyes to heat theireyes and brain, improving their vision. Conservation status : Least Concern Xiphias are migratory fish with elongated, round bodies,

Common name : Wonderpus octopus Scientific name : Wunderpus photogenicus Family : Octopodidae Native to : Western Indo-Pacific Oceans       Interesting fact : The wunderpus can imitate other sea creatures in a flash to confuse predators and prey. Conservation status : Not Evaluated The wunderpus is an octopus with a unique pattern of white bars and

Common name : Atlantic wreckfish Scientific name : Polyprion americanus Family : Polyprionidae Native to : Pacific, Atlantic and Indian Oceans Conservation status : Data Deficient   Wreckfish inhabit rocky reefs, caves andshipwrecks. Their compressed bodies have small rough scales, scaly heads, spines on thedorsal fins and horizontal ridges on the opercleswith short spines in

Common name : Grey shrimp, Lake shrimp Scientific name : Litopenaeus setiferus Family : Penaeidae Native to : Atlantic Coast of North America and the Gulf of Mexico Conservation status : Not Evaluated The white shrimp is bluish white with a tinge of pinkon the sides. They are 197 mm long with antennaethat are three