Creatures of the Sea Trivia Quiz

Answer: Sea otter

All otters are part of the Mustelidae family, which includes stoats and weasels, in the sub-family Lutrinae, reflected in the scientific name for the sea otter. Enhyrda refers to 'in water' while lutris comes from the Latin name for the otter.

Sea otters live in the Pacific Ocean and are found in coastal waters of Alaska, British Columbia, Washington, with some as far south as California. They are known for the thickness of their fur, the densest in the animal kingdom, and their dexterity, using rocks as tools and even catching fish in their paws.

Answer: Sea lion

The scientific name might have given you the clue needed to identify the California sea lion, which actually lives along the whole of the Pacific west coast of America. They can be found as far north as Alaska, along the Canadian coast and extending south into Mexico.

These sea lions can be taught tricks and are the ones you often see at aquariums juggling balls for the reward of fish. They are normally sociable animals, apart from the breeding season when males guard their territories. Females will also battle each other if they feel their pups are threatened.

Sea lions can be seen basking on beaches, where they raise their young, and will also make use of man-made structures like piers and jetties to rest out of the water.

Answer: Sea urchin

Also known as the common sea urchin or the European edible sea urchin, this creature is found in many parts of west Europe, including around the coasts of Great Britain and Ireland. They are also seen as far south as Spain and Portugal, in Iceland, Scandinavia and all countries in between. The second part of their scientific name actually means edible or food.

This sea urchin looks like a pink ball with white spines, known as tubercules. They feed on worms, algae and barnacles among other sea creatures.

Answer: Seahorse

This scientific name refers specifically to the short-snouted seahorse, found in countries bordering the Atlantic Ocean and in the Mediterranean Sea. Their preferred habitat is muddy, shallow waters and some colonies have even been found in the River Thames in London.

The shape of their bodies has a resemblance to a horse, with a curved tail, and their scientific name reflects this - hippo means horse-like in Greek. The tail is used to provide anchorage, usually in seaweed, where they lie in wait for passing prey - small crustaceans in particular. There are many varieties in the Hippocampus genus.

Answer: Sea anemone

The magnificent sea anemone, as it is commonly known, is tropical, living in the warm waters around the Indo-Pacific region and the Northern Territory of Australia. It is a carnivore, eating small fish, shrimps, sea urchins and plankton which it captures via its stinging tentacles.

Sea anemones provide homes and hiding places for clownfish, which are unaffected by their stings. The relationship works both ways, as the fish chase away predators and their waste products provide chemicals needed by the sea anemone for growth.

Answer: Green sea turtle

The scientific name means 'tortoise' (Chelona) and 'wetness' (mydas), which are both derived from Greek. Green sea turtles have fat which is tinged with green, giving them their common name. One of the largest sea turtles, this breed likes tropical or sub tropical water, with Cyprus and Turkey favoured breeding grounds as well as Libya, Israel and surrounding countries.

They are migratory and tracking has found them around 40 degrees north and south of the equator. Classed as omnivorous, sea turtles eat plankton, marine invertebrates and plankton.

Answer: Common sea star

The common sea star is also called the common starfish or sugar starfish and is the one you are most likely to visualise when you hear the name. It is found in much of Europe, including around Britain, Scandinavia, Portugal and parts of Africa, although not normally in the Mediterranean Sea. On the other side of the Atlantic, it is seen from the Gulf of Mexico and up to Canada.

They feed on molluscs and barnacles. The scientific name refers to the star shape, as in other common words like astronomy and the aster flower, while rubens means red, although starfish are more often a brownish orange colour.

Answer: Sea krait

The Laticauda genus contains several species of sea krait, a type of venomous sea snake. The one named in the question is the blue-lipped variety, with other species being yellow-lipped and black banded, while others are named for their location, such as the Niue sea krait.

Although they have toxic venom, sea kraits are active at night, which reduces the risk to humans. They also avoid contact, preferring to evade humans, and bites are rare and usually caused by people interfering with the snake by handling it.

Answer: Sea wasp

Of all the creatures in the quiz, the sea wasp is the one you never want to meet as it's the common name of a deadly box jellyfish. It is also known as the Australian box jelly as it is found off the coast of northern Australia, although also near Vietnam and the Philippines and regions in between.

The sea wasp can deliver an extremely painful, and venomous, sting, which can prove fatal by causing a cardiac arrest. One sea wasp can contain enough venom to kill over fifty people, let alone one person.

Answer: Sea cow

The dugong, or sea cow, is a member of the Sirenia order, meaning it is related to the similar looking manatees. They are herbivores, eating sea grasses, and prefer the warmer waters near the coasts, particularly favouring bays. Australia is home to the biggest group, with dugongs found from Western Australia, along the south coast and into Queensland, where the Great Barrier Reef provides food for a population in the thousands.

Other areas which have resident dugongs are the Persian Gulf, southern parts of Asia and the eastern coasts of Africa. The nickname of sea cow derives from their consumption of grass.