Chambered Nautilus also known as the Emperor Nautilus is one of the oldest species of cephalopods on Earth. This highly developed sea snail has survived for more than 550 million years. The word “Nautilus” means “sailor” in Greek and these creatures are found in the eastern part of the Indian Ocean. Nautiluses lead a different
Lobsters are an ancient animal species and fossils dating an age of about 200 million years have been found. They are crustaceans with incredibly strong claws, able to cut through most sea animal shells. These animals have been hunted since the beginning of history for their delicious meat, and there are stories of European Lobsters
Many are confused between the usage of shrimps and prawns when in reality both terms are often used to describe the same kind of animal. Macrobrachium rosenbergii or popularly known as the giant freshwater prawn are famous for its breeding program. Recently, the growth of freshwater prawn farms has increased tremendously. Over 37 countries are
Brittle Stars are small sea creatures closely related to starfishes. They’re very primitive creatures – they can tell where’s up and where’s down, but as they have no brains, all their actions are reflexes. Brittle Star spends most of its life in one position, constantly feeding These sea inhabitants are very small, with their legs
The Leatherback Turtle is the largest turtle in the world. All its lief is spent wearilessly swimming through the tropical and temperate seas, looking for food far from the shore. They can be observed in all seas of the world – from Iceland in the north to New Zealand in the south. At first glance
The sea cucumber is a marine animal (not plant) that is an echinoderm from the Holothuroidea class. It has leathery skin, an elongated body like a cucumber, and a single, branched gonad. They are found worldwide on the sea floor. Sea cucumbers are well known as they are used for human consumption, however the actual
Every March an unusual view can be observed near the shores of South California – thousands of squids emerge from the water to mate in the moonlight. Those are the Opalescent Inshore Squids, who look extremely beautiful when the light of the moon shines through their partly translucent bodies. Being able to change their colour,
Don’t be fooled by the Backswimmer’s tiny size – it might be small, but it’s definitely not helpless. This small creature, that is also known by the name of “Water Boatman” glides above water as a live “dose of poison” that attacks anything that passes by. They inhabit all Europe and the areas East up
The Bullfrog has earned its name thanks to the powerful voice, that sounds more like a roar of a bull than the croaking of a frog. These frogs have extremely strong hind legs, making it able to jump incredible distances. It has even been observed that a Bullfrog caught and ate a low flying bat.
As the name suggests, the Japanese Spider Crab (Macrocheira kaempferi) is a marine crab species that lives in the waters that surrounds Japan. It is known as the biggest anthropod in the world, and is a favorite meal of many Japanese food lovers both in Japan and around the world. The enormously huge Japanese Spider
From the first glance, the Paradoxical Frog looks like an ordinary frog, but the special thing about this animal is that the tadpoles are almost four times bigger than mature frogs, and they gradually become smaller, as they develop. For a long time the life and habits of this frog were a mystery, because this
The Snakeneck Turtle is definitely the most common and most widely known Australian freshwater turtle. Europeans first met this turtle during the first journey of captain Cook in 1770. In different regions this turtle is called differently, with the name almost always referring to a foul smelling scent used by the turtle as means of
Physalia, sometimes also called “Portugese Man of War” is actually a colony made up of many polyps. This warm ocean creature deceives with its beautiful colours, but in fact it’s very dangerous. The Physalia’s venom kills quickly and efficiently. A Physalia, having just caught a number of fish Physalias inhabit the warm seas in the
The Vampire Squid (Vampyroteuthis infernalis) is the only surviving member of the order Vampyromorphida which means it’s a phylogenetic relict. Its scientific name literally means “Vampire squid from hell”, but despite this it doesn’t actually suck the blood out of other creatures of the sea. Its size is relatively small – only 30 cm (1
The Greater siren is a aquatic salamander with a slender body, bushy gills and no hind limbs. The Greater siren can be found on the south-eastern coastal plains of North America. This large siren is fortunately not classified as endangered and although generally thought of as pretty common there are not current estimations on population.