221 Amazing Marine Animals Encyclopedia

Common name : Axil hogfish, Coral hogfish, Panda hogfish Scientific name : Bodianus axillaris Family : Labridae Native to : Indo-Pacific Ocean Interesting fact : The body colour changesdrastically from juveniles to adults. Conservation status : Least Concern Axilspot hogfish inhabit lagoons and seaward reefs feeding on molluscs and crustaceans. Males are reddish-brown with a […]

Common name : Freckled guitarfish Scientific name : Rhinobatos lentiginosus Family : Rhinobatidae Native to : Western Atlantic Ocean Interesting fact : It has no spineon its tail. Conservation status : Near Threatened The Atlantic guitarfish looks like a hybrid between a shark and a ray. Its flat body is freckled with white spots, has

Common name : Queensland lungfish, Burnett salmon, Barramunda Scientific name : Neoceratodus forsteri Family : Ceratodontidae Native to : Queensland Interesting fact : It has onlyone lung whereas other species havea pair and can live outside water for days. Conservation status : Not Evaluated The only living member of the family, the Australian lungfish is

Common name : Sea wolf, Sea cat, Ocean catfish,Devil fish, Wolf eel Scientific name : Anarhichas lupus Family : Anarhichadidae Native to : West and East coast of the Atlantic Interesting fact : Its body contains a natural anti-freeze to thrive in a cold habitat. Conservation status : Endangered This shy fish with an eel-like

Common name : Bullhead, Puff-belly, Whippy, Sculpin Scientific name : Hemitripterus americanus Family : Hemitripteridae Native to : New England and North-West Atlantic Interesting fact : Their bellies inflate when out of water and are unable to submerge Conservation status : Not Evaluated You’ll find this large species of scorpion fish in rocky bottoms of

Common name : Reeffish, Wreckfish, Jewelfish Scientific name : Anthiinae Family : Serranidae Native to : Deep reefs in the tropical and sub-tropical Atlantic Interesting fact : All anthias are born females and switch sex only when required. Conservation status : Not Evaluated This is one of the most beautiful groups of reeffish in the

Common name : Monkfish, Goosefish Scientific name : Lophiiformes Family : Lophiidae Native to : All oceans of the world Interesting fact : The male does not attain sexual maturity unless it attaches to the female,                                    leading a parasitic life thereafter. Conservation status : Not Evaluated Living in the deep, dark ocean floor is the

Common name : French angelfish Scientific name : Pomacanthidae Family : Pomacanthidae Native to : Atlantic, Indian and Western Pacific Oceans Interesting fact : All fish are born as females and can switch sex when required. Conservation status : Not Evaluated Marine angelfish love shallow coral reefs. Their bodies are flattened with small mouths, large

Common name : Ambon stingfish, Ambonfirefish, Hairy scorpionfish Scientific name : Pteroidichthys amboinensis Family : Scorpaenidae Native to : Indian and Pacific Ocean Conservation status : Not Evaluated This chameleon of the sea, that can camouflage, lives in sand debris of the ocean floor at a depth of 10-50 metres. It has a wide head

Common name : Pennant fish, Threadfin trevally, Cobblerfish, Cuban jack Scientific name : Alectis ciliaris Family : Carangidae Native to : Tropical coasts around the world Conservation status : Least Concern This beautiful silvery, iridescent fish lives in depths of less than 100 metres feeding on crustaceans and small fish. Juveniles float with the ocean

Common name : Hair seal, Counsellor seal Scientific name : Neophoca cinerea Family : Otariidae Native to : Australia and Indian Oceans Interesting fact : Excellent rock climbers Conservation status : Endangered    Australian sea lions are ‘pinnipeds’, i.e. they use their fins as feet. They have different breeding seasons which range from 5 to

Common name : Tongue worms Scientific name : Enteropneusta Family : Enteropneusta Interesting fact : Its skin secretes a bromide compoundthat keeps bacteria and predators away. Conservation status : Not Evaluated True to its name, the worm-shaped marine invertebrate has 3 parts–an acorn-shaped proboscis, a short fleshy collar and a long trunk. They live in

Common name : Red-spotted surgeonfish, Redtail surgeonfish, Redspot surgeonfish Scientific name : Acanthurus achilles Family : Acanthuridae Native to : Pacific coral reefs of Hawaii and Pitcairn Interesting fact : The scaly spikes on its back resemble a surgeon’s scalpel, and so it’s called a surgeonfish! Conservation status : Least Concern This beautiful tropical fish