Fun Trivia » Animals » Animals by Region » Water World

Happily for us, and much of the ocean population, the mouth of all but the "giant" jellyfish is limited by size, from the tiniest jellyfish to those of a typical two metres (6.5 feet), because a jellyfish will put anything into that mouth. Most jellyfish drift and float along, with hanging tentacles that sting and shoot with venom whatever they encounter. The jellyfish then uses "oral arms" (hanging tendrils) and their tentacles to guide the food to the bottom of its bell-shaped body where the mouth is. The jellyfish will also spread the tentacles wide and then drop down through the water, stinging and gathering into its mouth all victims in the way as it descends. Whoa.

Typically for a jellyfish it is brine shrimp, eggs, larvae, zooplankton (tiny sea animals), small fish and other jellyfish that fit into the pie-hole. Because they are top predators once they dominate (that is, consume) an ecosystem it is unlikely to recover, especially if it was out of balance to begin with, by over-fishing, for example. These unique creatures have been around for some 500 million years, and they are found throughout the world and in all depths of ocean, as well as a few species in fresh water. Most jellyfish stings aren't fatal, though a box jellyfish or a sea wasp can definitely kill you.

Did you choose the incorrect answer option, "peanut butter", for the "jelly" fish? They'd eat it if they could, spread on a triple layer, five-meat Dagwood sandwich. This creature is ravenous. Difficulty: Hard.

 

Peanut butter, Seaweed and algae only, Whale, seal and otter young

Salmon are a family of fish that also include trout, char, grayling and whitefish. Native to the Pacific and North American areas, this fish has been introduced into other parts of the world, particularly for the purpose of farming and harvesting. From the farm to the plate. The poor creatures never get a chance to swim wild and free in the ocean and leap up beautiful rivers to spawn. That trait of moving between ocean and river to reproduce is known as anadromous. Interestingly, most salmon return to the spot where they were "born" when it is time to spawn. They rely on their olfactory (smell) memory in order to do this. With a life span of approximately five years, salmon usually die after spawning. At least they die happy. Difficulty: Hard.

 

Hearing, Sight, Taste

This crab has a dark purple shell and white underbelly, as well as reddish and purple spots on its claws. The European green crab is a predator who preys on oysters and young Dungeness crabs. The
blood shrimp is found in the Indian ocean, and the lemon lobster is a tasty way of cooking lobster. Difficulty: Hard.

 

Lemon lobster, Blood shrimp, European green crab

The giant catfish can get up to 16 feet long (a record set in the 1800s). Difficulty: Hard.

 

alligator gar, coelacanth, New England salmon

Porifera means pore bearing, such as a sponge. Difficulty: Easy.

 

crabs, fish, sharks

The anglerfish has a long protrusion, called an esca, jutting from its head. At the end of the esca is found a type of bacteria which emits a bioluminescent glow. This light attracts other animals who are searching for prey and the anglerfish attacks them as they get closer. Males of the species will eventually fuse themselves onto females and, over time, their fins, teeth, eyes, and some organs will disappear. All that will be left of him is sperm that will be utilized to fertilize the eggs. Difficulty: Average.

 

Incredible speed to chase prey, Release of special scent to attract prey, Chasing other smaller predators from a fresh kill

Tuna belong to the mackerel family of fish. Of the different kinds of tuna, sizes range from 4lbs right up to 1,500 lbs. How amazing is that! The largest tuna, the bluefin, can live up to fifty years. Who could kill such a glorious creature as that? Sadly though, some species of tuna have been fished almost to the point of extinction by man. This innocent creature is among the fastest swimmers of the deep, with the ability to reach speeds of 75 K.p.h. I have to tell you that it's a tad deflating to realise that a tuna can swim faster than we're allowed to drive around here. Difficulty: Hard.

 

Yellowfin, Skipjack, Bigeye

The common periwinkle, and periwinkles in general, is a type of sea snail. A significant part of the diet of Littorina littorea is algae but the common periwinkle will feed on other animals, particularly various larvae, if the opportunity presents itself. Sea snails are edible and, as unappetising as they sound, are considered a delicacy in certain parts of the world. Difficulty: Hard.

 

Limpet, Oyster, Sea cucumber

Sea anemones are cnidarians, along with jellyfish, corals, and hydrae. Their insides are jelly, and they have a mouth surrounded by stinging tentacles (though unlike some of their relatives these won't hurt people). They're stuck to the rocks (or coral, or shell, or whatever) with a sticky foot called a pedal disk. And in case you're wondering... the sea anemone's mouth is also its anus!
Difficulty: Very Easy.

 

Sea amaryllis, Sea azaleas, Sea asters

The other three fish are predators who use camouflage to hide from unsuspecting small fish. Difficulty: Easy.

 

Mushroom scorpion fish, Stone fish, Oscellated frogfish

 

eelets, eelings, tadpoles

It has a long alligator-like snout and teeth, which gives it the name. They tend to be an olive green color while their underbelly is a lighter shade of the same color. Difficulty: Hard.

 

White, Red, Blue

Sessile means attached and animals like barnacles, oysters, and bryozoa. Difficulty: Hard.

 

free floating, lives near a reef, lives in open water

Shrimp ("caridea") are hungry omnivores that especially like algae, plankton and small fishes, but they are above all the ocean cleaners, its scavengers, called "decomposers" on the food chain. They consume the dead bodies of animals such as fish, whales, insects, snails and clams. There are over 3000 species of shrimp, found in every type of water in the world. Shrimp live from 1-2 years, with the female laying 50,000 to 1 million eggs which hatch two weeks later, float to the surface and become more shrimps, if they make it that far.


Difficulty: Easy.

 

Apex predators, Parasites, Composters

The body of the telescope octopus is so clear it is practically transparent. Unlike other types of its species, it does not dwell on the ocean floor. Instead it lives its life floating through the deep ocean currents. It swims vertically, perhaps to make a more narrow target for predators. Its protruding eyes, which rotate, allow it to see both potential food sources and incoming predators. A webbing reaches between each of its eight tentacles and gives it an even more ghost-like appearance in the murky depths. Difficulty: Hard.

 

Black, Green, Red

The swim bladder is a gas-filled organ that allows many smaller fish to survive in the very deep locations of the seas and oceans. In some cases, the swim bladder even allows fish to receive sound. Often seen in photos with large spiked teeth, their size is often distorted making them look much scarier than they are (scientists have stated that they are harmless to humans). They range in size from 2 to 7 inches in length. The fangtooth are part of a genus of fish known as Anoplogastridae. There are only two known species of fangtooth fish, the shorthorn fangtooth and the common fangtooth. Difficulty: Very Easy.

 

Esophagus, Spleen, Ear drum

The other three worms are tubeworms who prefer to retreat when they feel threatened. Difficulty: Hard.

 

Christmas tree worm, Magnificent feather duster, Large-eyed feather duster

Octopus vulgaris produces this poison, which can kill its prey instantly, in its salivary glands. Difficulty: Hard.

 

stingray, blowfish, jellyfish

They are very primitive animals. Difficulty: Hard.

 

brain, heart, eyes

The Vampyroteuthis infernalis which literally translates to "vampire squid of Hell", is a cephalopod that is known to survive at depths of up to 3000 feet or more. This region of the sea is known as the oxygen minimum zone (OMZ) which very few species can survive in. Most cephalopods, due to their anatomy cannot survive at lower depths. The vampire squid has the lowest mass-specific metabolic rate of any cephalopod and hemocyanin in their blood allows oxygen to transport more efficiently allowing it to survive in a low oxygen environment. Difficulty: Hard.

 

Devil squid, Demon squid, Telescope octopus

Belonging to the Ostreidae family, oysters, those slimy, slithery clam-like seafood, can be eaten raw or cooked, or harvested for the pearls they have the ability to create from an invasive parasite. Not all oysters possess that gift though and under natural circumstances, only about four out of several thousand produce these lustrous gems. They do so by covering that foolhardy parasite with a layer of nacre, and adding further layers over several years. A female oyster produces millions of eggs after fertilisation. Amazingly, these develop within a few hours. Known as spats at that stage, they move around the area where they were delivered for several days, before dropping to the sea bed to begin their maturation process.

Oysters, more interesting that you would think, are male for their first year, during which time their sperm is released here, there and everywhere, but after that first year, they become female and start releasing eggs instead. Not only that, but because they easily consume bacteria, ammonia, nitrates, phosphates and organic matter, plans are under way to release these small little miracles by their thousands into areas of the world where water nitrogen content is too high for human safety, to clean it up for man. Incredible, isn't it? They give us a drink of clean water with a pearl chaser. Italian film director, Federico Fellini (1920-1993) remarked once that "All art is autobiographical. The pearl is the oyster's autobiography". How lovely is that? Difficulty: Hard.

 

Cockle, Scallop, Mussel

Closely related to sea cucumbers, sea urchins are in the same phylum as starfish, the echinoderms. The sea urchin is called kina in Cook Island Māori, and has been eaten by humans since prehistoric times. However, be careful, because some species carry venom in the Pedicellariae between the spines, and you really don't want to stand on one of those!
Difficulty: Very Easy.

 

Sea burrs, Sea porcupines, Sea sprites

Sponges are among the oldest and most primitive animals on earth. Although most of them grow in colonies that are home to much other sea life, some sponges are carnivorous and dine on small crustaceans. Red tree sponges and purple tube sponges are found in the Caribbean. Spongebob Squarepants is found on your TV if you have small children. Difficulty: Hard.

 

Red tree sponge, Spongebob Squarepants, Purple tube sponge

The nematocyst is also known as the cnidocyst. It can be a means of defense or assist in capturing prey. Difficulty: Hard.

The frilled shark can grow up to six feet long and has six rows of frilly gill slits, which gives them their name. They live in deeper parts of the ocean than many other shark species and have a long eel-like body with 300 teeth in many rows. These teeth help grab hold of their prey, which consist primarily of squid and octopuses. It is believed that when prey is seen by this shark, it moves like a striking snake and relies on this method since it does not have the bite force as most of its cousins. The gestation period for these sharks is an incredible 3 1/2 years and the eggs stay in the female until it is time to hatch. Difficulty: Hard.

 

Bramble shark, Angel shark, Carpet shark

This slimy and unusual fish can be found in the depths near Australia and New Zealand. The blobfish is quite different from other fish as it is essentially a gelatinous mass and often changes shape when out of water because it has a low-density flesh. One interesting fact is that musician Michael Hearst has a song titled "Blobfish" that is inspired by the fish of the same name on his "Songs for Unusual Creatures" album. Difficulty: Hard.

 

Sea sloth, Dugong, Sea slug

He sounds like a Klingon. Surprisingly, stingrays, of which there are eight different types, are from the same family as sharks. Their famous barbed stingers, which have killed people such as Australia's famous wildlife expert, Steve Irwin, are used for defence only. They contain a deadly venom. Manta and porcupine rays, on the other hand, possess no stingers at all. One learns something new every day on Fun Trivia. I thought stingrays and manta rays were the same creature. Found in tropical and sub-tropical areas of the world, the diet of the stingray consists of small sea creatures such as crab or very small fish. When a male stingray is courting his lady of choice, he keeps close to her and displays his intent by biting her pectoral area.

When the female obligingly mates, she usually procures live offspring, numbering between five to thirteen. Until they're ready for birth, and without the benefit of a placenta, the mother feeds them while they're developing through a kind of sac, or by milk she creates within her uterine cavity. This is amazing: If she is kept in captivity, and providing she has mated while free, the female stingray has the ability to store sperm until she is ready to have babies. This was noted recently in a London aquarium, when two females, who had had no contact with males for many months, delivered babies more than two years after captivity. Stingrays can be eaten as a food, and the Japanese in particular then use their skin to makes objects such as belts, jackets, shoes and wallets. Difficulty: Hard.

 

Turns somersaults near her, Keeps swimming in front of her, Pretends he is dying

There are over three hundred species of octopus, and some species can reach our 4m from armtip to armtip. Most species are much smaller. Octopuses are also believed to be the smartest of invertebrates. I'll never forget swimming in the Muri Beach lagoon off Rarotonga, and how our guide dived into the deep water between the coral heads with a stick, and came up with an octopus wrapped around it. You could say that it got suckered!
Difficulty: Very Easy.

 

Decapod, Nautiloid, Ammonite

Some people get them for their aquariums; they are a great natural cure for Ich. Difficulty: Hard.

 

Blood shrimp, Ghost shrimp, Fan shrimp

Although some of us might go the distance for a Big Mac hamburger, leatherback sea turtles journey thousands of miles for their favorite and almost exclusive prey, the jellyfish, often following them into extremely cold water. To catch their delectable a turtle will dive deeper than 1000 m (well over 3,000 feet), deeper than nearly any tetrapod. With a thick shell, "leather" skin and well-protected eyes, the turtle is the rare creature shielded from jellyfish stings, therefore it keeps the jellyfish population in check.

Unfortunately to a turtle plastic bags look very much like jellyfish, ending up in the stomach, either killing the turtle outright or causing a slow decline when plastic takes up room in the digestive track that should fill with food. (Can't we make plastic bags that don't look like jellyfish?)

Green sea turtles are large, named for their green fat, not their blackish shells. They are the only herbivorous species of turtle. They start out carnivorous, but perhaps to rebel against their parents they give up meat and become vegetarians. In Hawaii tourists enjoy swimming with the gentle turtles, who dine on seagrass and algae. Difficulty: Hard.

 

A Big Mac, Seals, Bird eggs

Many jellyfish have a sessile stage of life when they are in a fixed position and attached to something like a reef. The benthocodon does not have this stage and moves on its own, floating through the water. They have a bell that is around 3/4" in diameter on which are 1500-2000 tiny red tentacles that function as a form of locomotion and also as the digestion system. These tentacles can also sting predators. The benthocodon live deep in the ocean near the floor and feed on tiny shelled organisms. The reddish color it exhibits is believed to exist in order to mask the illumination of certain prey to avoid other predators from moving in and stealing the meal! Difficulty: Hard.

 

Squid, Octopuses, Cuttlefish

With recorded length and weights of 30 meters and 173 tonnes, the blue whale is the largest marine mammal known to exist. The blue whale typically has a blue or grey back and a pale or sometimes white belly. At one time they were a very abundant whale in the oceans, the blue whale was almost at risk of becoming extinct due to the whaling industries in Norway, Newfoundland, and Japan during the mid to late 1800s. They are classified as an endangered species and blue whale hunting has been banned worldwide since 1966. Difficulty: Very Easy.

 

Beluga, Orca, Narwhal

Abalone is the name given to assorted marine gastropods and sea snails. There are approximately 130 scientifically classified members of this species, most of which are noted for their inner shells of iridescent, exquisitely coloured mother-of-pearl. Known as nacre, the purpose of its production, from the abalone's point of view, is a defence mechanism that is used against invasive parasites, as noted in the oyster question discussed above. Man, however, has used this product for thousands of years for various ornamental purposes. These include trimming on ceramic tiles, buttons, the handles of guns and knives, jewellery, different parts of musical instruments, and assorted architectural trimmings. More recently, its incorporation into the manufacture of glass has resulted in glass that is two hundred stronger than normal glass. The flesh of the abalone itself is considered a culinary treat and can be consumed either raw (shudder) or cooked. This little creature, sadly so, is now in danger of extinction as a result of overfishing and the possible changing pH of the oceans. We're never going to learn, are we? Difficulty: Easy.

 

Nadir, Nafta, Nalle

The moray eels include the biggest species of eel, the slender giant moray, which grows to 4m long, and the giant moray, which can weigh over 36kg. They're actually scared of humans, but they do have a nasty bite, because their teeth face backward and are infested with bacteria. Morays are predators, but they're nocturnal, so you're not likely to see one. I think I might have spotted a small one, once.
Difficulty: Very Easy.

 

Moray snake, Moray lizard, Moray serpent

The slipper or shovel lobster has hard plates instead of antennae to help it dig. It takes a lobster about seven years to grow to one pound. They can live for over fifty years. Difficulty: Hard.

 

Clawed lobster, American lobster, Clawless spiny lobster

 

squid, jellyfish, clam

The algae provide oxygen to the coral and also remove waste, while the coral provides shelter for the algae in a mutually beneficial relationship. Difficulty: Average.

 

a deep dwelling fish, a type of crab, species of dolphin

According to "National Geographic" tiny fish such as anchovies are eating "microplastics"--tiny toxic bits of plastic found abundantly in the oceans. In turn the tiny fish are eaten by larger fish, and eventually by humans. Each microplastic is about the size of a grain of rice, formed when bigger plastic at the surface is broken down by sunlight and waves. Their numbers range in the trillions. In 2017 The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Southwest Fisheries Science Center (really) documented at least 700 species of fish, animals and birds eating these microplastics, but there's a lot more to learn about how this happens, and what effect it has. They did determine that everyone is hungry for the plastics because after bobbing around a good while, plastic takes on ocean odors, so it smells like food. Tupperware, yum. Difficulty: Very Easy.

 

Marble, Computer chips, Spanish coins

Related to whales and porpoises, there are almost forty different species of dolphin in our waters. Until this question was researched, I thought dolphins and porpoises were the same creature. There are distinct physical differences between the two however, with the porpoises having much shorter beaks and different shaped teeth altogether. Wow, this is interesting: Whereas many land animals once evolved out of sea creatures, dolphins, whales and porpoises evolved out of land creatures instead! It is believed that their pelvic bones were once hind legs. That's incredible. The word dolphin itself is of ancient Greek origin, which translates roughly to fish with a womb. Oh my goodness, this is even more amazing: Dolphins possess a remarkable ability to recover and regenerate their form from even the deepest gaping wounds.

Other facts about these extraordinary creatures include the following: Dolphins are known to develop type II diabetes but in a natural way. Scientists are studying this in order to try to develop a cure for mankind's unnatural development of the disease. Most dolphin possess excellent eyesight and hearing. Using a form of echolocation in pinpointing sources of sound, it is believed that their teeth act as a form of antenna to aid in this. Their method of tasting water to find sources of food acts in the same way that our olfactory sense does when we smell something tasty. Dolphins are highly intelligent and social creatures and have a strong altruistic sense which allows them to help injured creatures other than their own species. This includes sometimes helping guide stranded whales back into deeper waters. Oh my goodness, they also possess the ability to use tools as well. And their sexual behaviour is almost human like in its various forms. Alas, dolphins can also be eaten by man, but usually only by a small minority of Japanese population.
Difficulty: Easy.

 

Mumps, Measles, Whooping cough

The giant tiger prawn is consumed by humans around the world and this species alone was worth more than $3 billion in 2009. The incorrect answers (Indian prawn, Atlantic white shrimp and whiteleg shrimp) belong to the same family, Penaeidae, as the giant tiger prawn and are also sold for human consumption. Difficulty: Average.

 

Indian prawn, Atlantic white shrimp, Whiteleg shrimp