Fauna of the Indian Ocean. What kind of fish is found in the Indian Ocean Is fish from the Indian Ocean useful?

The Indian Ocean is an integral part of the world's oceans. Its maximum depth is 7729 m (Sunda Trench), and its average depth is just over 3700 m, which is the second best after the depths of the Pacific Ocean. The size of the Indian Ocean is 76.174 million km2. This is 20% of the world's oceans. The volume of water is about 290 million km3 (together with all the seas).

The waters of the Indian Ocean are light blue and have good transparency. This is due to the fact that very few freshwater rivers flow into it, which are the main “troublemakers”. By the way, due to this, the water in the Indian Ocean is much saltier compared to the salinity of other oceans.

Location of the Indian Ocean

Most of the Indian Ocean is located in the Southern Hemisphere. In the north, it borders Asia, in the south with Antarctica, in the east with Australia and in the west with the African continent. In addition, in the southeast, its waters are connected with the waters of the Pacific Ocean, and in the southwest with the Atlantic Ocean.

Seas and bays of the Indian Ocean

The Indian Ocean does not have as many seas as other oceans. For example, in comparison with the Atlantic Ocean, there are 3 times less of them. Most of the seas are located in its northern part. In the tropical zone there are: Red (the saltiest sea on Earth), Lakkadiv, Arabian, Arafur, Timor and Andaman seas. The Antarctic zone contains the D'Urville, Commonwealth, Davis, Riiser-Larsen, and Cosmonauts seas.

The largest bays of the Indian Ocean are Persian, Bengal, Oman, Aden, Prudse and the Great Australian.

Indian Ocean islands

The Indian Ocean is not distinguished by an abundance of islands. The largest islands of mainland origin are Madagascar, Sumatra, Sri Lanka, Java, Tasmania, Timor. Also, there are volcanic islands such as Mauritius, Renyon, Kerguelen, and coral ones - Chagos, Maldives, Andaman, etc.

Underwater world of the Indian Ocean

Since more than half of the Indian Ocean is located in tropical and subtropical zones, its underwater world is very rich and diverse in terms of species. The coastal zone in the tropics abounds in numerous colonies of crabs and unique fish - mudskippers. Corals live in shallow waters, and various algae grow in temperate waters - calcareous, brown, red.

The Indian Ocean is home to dozens of species of crustaceans, molluscs and jellyfish. A fairly large number of sea snakes also live in the ocean waters, among which there are also poisonous species.

The special pride of the Indian Ocean is sharks. Its waters are plowed by many species of these predators, namely tiger, mako, gray, blue, great white shark, etc.

Mammals are represented by killer whales and dolphins. Several species of pinnipeds (fur seals, dugongs, seals) and whales live in the southern part of the ocean.

Despite all the wealth of the underwater world, the seafood fishery in the Indian Ocean is rather poorly developed - only 5% of the world catch. Sardines, tuna, shrimp, lobsters, rays and lobsters are mined in the ocean.

1. The ancient name of the Indian Ocean is Eastern.

2. In the Indian Ocean ships are regularly found in good condition, but without a crew. Where he disappears is a mystery. Over the past 100 years, there were 3 such ships - "Tarbon", "Houston Market" (tankers) and the ship "Cab Cruiser".

3. Many species of the underwater world of the Indian Ocean have a unique property - they can glow. This is what explains the appearance of glowing circles in the ocean.

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The fish world of the Indian Ocean is rich and varied due to its location.

It is located in the southern and tropical zones. The climate here is different, which affected the number of fish species living in the ocean.

Fauna of the Indian Ocean

Such fish live in the shelf areas of the ocean:

• anchovy;
• mackerel;
• sardanella;
• rock and reef perch;
• horse mackerel;

The mackerel family is represented by wet and tuna. There are numerous groups of anchovies, flying fish and sailfish.

It is impossible to list all the species, since scientists count several hundreds of them in the ocean.

Here are just a few of them:

• australian bonito;
• white sarg;
• sixgill shark;
• longfin tuna;
• indian lionfish;
• bluefish and others.

For lovers of extreme types of fishing, there is also something to do here. There are different types of sharks in the ocean. It is also home to sea snakes and swordfish.

The fauna of the ocean is represented by shrimps and lobsters. There are many squid and cuttlefish here.

Fish found in the temperate zone

This area of \u200b\u200bthe ocean is characterized by large individuals, such as:

• sea \u200b\u200bElephant;
• dugong;
• blue and toothless whale;
• seal.

There is enough plankton in the ocean, which serves as excellent food for the huge representatives of the reservoir.

Dangerous inhabitants

The underwater world of the ocean is not only interesting but also dangerous. Here you can see a killer whale or a whale.

The bite of a predatory moray eel is equivalent to a bulldog bite. Coral reefs reliably shelter fish - zebra or lionfish.

Fish-stone lives in shallow water. She looks unsightly, her body is covered with growths, and there are more than ten poisonous needles on her back.

We must pay tribute: she never takes the initiative first and does not attack a person.

But if you just touch it, then the reaction, despite its external clumsiness, will be instant.

The sea urchin is distinguished by its species diversity. There are about six hundred of them.

They are located in the tropical and subtropical regions of the Indian Ocean.

The Indian Ocean has the smallest number of seas compared to other oceans. The largest seas are located in the northern part: the Mediterranean - the Red Sea and the Persian Gulf, the semi-enclosed Andaman Sea and the marginal Arabian Sea; in the eastern part - the Arafur and Timor seas.

There are relatively few islands. The largest of them are of continental origin and are located near the coast: Madagascar, Sri Lanka, Socotra. In the open part of the ocean, there are volcanic islands - Mascarensky, Crozet, Prince Edward, etc. In tropical latitudes, coral islands rise on volcanic cones - the Maldives, Lakkadiv, Chagos, Cocos, most of the Andaman, etc.

The banks to the northwest. and the East are indigenous, in the north-east. and the West is dominated by alluvial. The coastline is weakly indented, with the exception of the northern part of the Indian Ocean. Almost all seas and large bays (Aden, Oman, Bengal) are located here. In the southern part are the Gulf of Carpentaria, the Great Australian Bight and Spencer, St. Vincent, and others.

A narrow (up to 100 km) continental shelf (shelf) stretches along the coast, the outer edge of which has a depth of 50-200 m (only near Antarctica and northwestern Australia up to 300-500 m). The continental slope is a steep (up to 10-30 °) scarp, in places dissected by the underwater valleys of the Indus, Ganges, etc. In the northeastern part of the ocean, there is the Sunda island arc and the Sunda trench associated with it, to which the maximum depths (up to 7130 m). The Indian Ocean bed is divided by ridges, mountains and ramparts into a number of basins, the most significant of which are the Arabian Basin, the Western Australian Basin, and the African Antarctic Basin. The bottom of these basins is formed by accumulative and hilly plains; the former are located near the continents in areas with an abundant supply of sedimentary material, the latter - in the central part of the ocean. Among the numerous ridges of the bed, the meridional East Indian Ridge, which is connected in the south with the latitudinal West Australian Ridge, stands out with its straightness and length (about 5000 km); large meridional ridges stretch to the south of the Indian subcontinent and about. Madagascar. Volcanoes (Bardina, Shcherbakova, Lena, and others) are widely represented on the ocean floor, which in places form large massifs (north of Madagascar) and chains (east of the Cocos Islands). Mid-ocean ridges - a mountain system consisting of three branches, diverging from the central part of the ocean to the north (Arabian-Indian Ridge), southwest. (West Indian and African-Antarctic ridges) and Yu.-V. (Central Indian Ridge and Australo-Antarctic Rise). This system is 400-800 km wide, 2-3 km high and is most dissected by an axial (rift) zone with deep valleys and rift mountains bordering them; transverse faults are characteristic, along which horizontal displacements of the bottom are noted up to 400 km. The Australo-Antarctic uplift, in contrast to the middle ridges, is a flatter ridge 1 km high and up to 1500 km wide.

Bottom sediments of the Indian Ocean are most thick (up to 3-4 km) at the foot of the continental slopes; in the middle of the ocean - a low (about 100 m) thickness and in places of disseminated relief - discontinuous distribution. The most widely represented are foraminifera (on the continental slopes, ridges and at the bottom of most hollows at a depth of up to 4700 m), diatoms (south of 50 ° S), radiolarian (near the equator) and coral sediments. Polygenic sediments - red deep-water clays - are common south of the equator at a depth of 4.5-6 km or more. Terrigenous sediments - off the coast of continents. Chemogenic sediments are mainly represented by ferromanganese nodules, while riftogenic sediments are represented by the products of destruction of deep rocks. Outcrops of bedrock are most often found on continental slopes (sedimentary and metamorphic rocks), mountains (basalts) and mid-oceanic ridges, where, in addition to basalts, serpentinites and peridotites are found, which represent the slightly altered material of the Earth's upper mantle.

The Indian Ocean is characterized by the predominance of stable tectonic structures both on the bed (thalassocratons) and along the periphery (continental platforms); active developing structures - modern geosynclines (Sunda arc) and georiftogenals (mid-ocean ridge) - occupy smaller areas and find their continuation in the corresponding structures of Indochina and the rifts of East Africa. These basic macrostructures, sharply differing in morphology, structure of the earth's crust, seismic activity, volcanism, are subdivided into smaller structures: plates usually corresponding to the bottom of oceanic basins, blocky ridges, volcanic ridges, in places crowned with coral islands and banks (Chagos, Maldives, etc. .), trench-faults (Chagos, Ob, etc.), often confined to the foot of block ridges (East Indian, West Australian, Maldives, etc.), fault zones, tectonic scarps. Among the structures of the Indian Ocean bed, a special place (for the presence of continental rocks - granites of the Seychelles and the continental type of the earth's crust) is occupied by the northern part of the Mascarene ridge - a structure that is, apparently, part of the ancient continent of Gondwana.

Mineral resources: on the shelves - oil and gas (especially the Persian Gulf), monazite sands (coastal region of South-West India), etc .; in rift zones - ores of chromium, iron, manganese, copper, etc .; on the bed are huge accumulations of ferromanganese nodules.

The North Indian Ocean has a monsoon climate; in the summer, when an area of \u200b\u200blow pressure develops over Asia, the southwestern currents of equatorial air dominate here, in winter - the northeastern currents of tropical air. South 8-10 ° S. sh. atmospheric circulation is much more constant; here in tropical (summer and subtropical) latitudes, stable southeastern trade winds prevail, and in temperate latitudes - extratropical cyclones moving from West to East. In tropical latitudes in the western part, hurricanes occur in summer and autumn. The average air temperature in the northern part of the ocean in summer is 25-27 ° С, off the coast of Africa - up to 23 ° С. In the southern part, it decreases in summer to 20-25 ° C at 30 ° S. sh., up to 5-6 ° C at 50 ° S. sh. and below 0 ° C south of 60 ° S. sh. In winter, the air temperature varies from 27.5 ° C at the equator to 20 ° C in the northern part, to 15 ° C at 30 ° S. sh., up to 0-5 ° C at 50 ° S. sh. and below 0 ° С south of 55-60 ° S. sh. At the same time, in the southern subtropical latitudes all year round, the temperature in the West, under the influence of the warm Madagascar Current, is 3-6 ° C higher than in the East, where there is a cold West Australian Current. Cloudiness in the monsoon northern part of the Indian Ocean in winter is 10-30%, in summer up to 60-70%. In summer, the greatest amount of precipitation is observed here. The average annual precipitation in the east of the Arabian Sea and the Bay of Bengal is more than 3000 mm, at the equator 2000-3000 mm, in the West of the Arabian Sea up to 100 mm. In the southern part of the ocean, the average annual cloudiness is 40-50%, south of 40 ° S. sh. - up to 80%. The average annual precipitation in the subtropics is 500 mm in the east, 1000 mm in the west, in temperate latitudes more than 1000 mm, near Antarctica it drops to 250 mm.

The circulation of surface waters in the northern part of the Indian Ocean has a monsoon character: in summer - northeast and east currents, in winter - southwest and west currents. In the winter months between 3 ° and 8 ° S. sh. the inter-trade (equatorial) countercurrent develops. In the southern part of the Indian Ocean, the water circulation forms an anticyclonic circulation, which is formed from warm currents - the South Passat in the north, Madagascar and Igolny in the West, and cold - the currents of the Western Winds in the South and the Western Australian in the East to the South of 55 ° S. sh. several weak cyclonic water cycles develop, close to the coast of Antarctica with an eastern current.

The heat balance is dominated by a positive component: between 10 ° and 20 ° N. sh. 3.7-6.5 GJ / (m2 × year); between 0 ° and 10 ° S sh. 1.0-1.8 GJ / (m2 × year); between 30 ° and 40 ° S sh. - 0.67-0.38 GJ / (m2 × year) [from - 16 to 9 kcal / (cm2 × year)]; between 40 ° and 50 ° S sh. 2.34-3.3 GJ / (m2 × year); south of 50 ° S sh. -1.0 to -3.6 GJ / (m2 x year) [-24 to -86 kcal / (cm2 x year)]. In the expenditure part of the heat balance north of 50 ° S. sh. the main role belongs to the consumption of heat for evaporation, and south of 50 ° S. sh. - heat exchange between the ocean and the atmosphere.

The surface water temperature reaches a maximum (over 29 ° C) in May in the northern part of the ocean. In the summer of the Northern Hemisphere, it is here 27-28 ° C and only off the coast of Africa decreases to 22-23 ° C under the influence of the emergence of cold waters from the depths. At the equator, the temperature is 26-28 ° C and decreases to 16-20 ° C at 30 ° S. sh., up to 3-5 ° C at 50 ° S. sh. and below -1 ° С south of 55 ° S. sh. In the winter of the Northern Hemisphere, the temperature in the north is 23-25 \u200b\u200b° C, at the equator 28 ° C, at 30 ° S. sh. 21-25 ° C, at 50 ° S sh. from 5 to 9 ° С, south of 60 ° S. sh. temperatures are negative. In subtropical latitudes, all year round in the West, the water temperature is 3-5 ° C higher than in the East.

The salinity of water depends on the water balance, which is formed on average for the surface of the Indian Ocean from evaporation (-1380 mm / year), precipitation (1000 mm / year) and continental runoff (70 cm / year). The main flow of fresh water is provided by the rivers of South Asia (Ganges, Brahmaputra, etc.) and Africa (Zambezi, Limpopo). The highest salinity is noted in the Persian Gulf (37-39 ‰), in the Red Sea (41 ‰) and in the Arabian Sea (over 36.5 ‰). In the Bay of Bengal and the Andaman Sea, it decreases to 32.0-33.0 ‰, in the southern tropics - to 34.0-34.5 ‰. In the southern subtropical latitudes salinity exceeds 35.5 ‰ (maximum 36.5 ‰ in summer, 36.0 ‰ in winter), and south of 40 ° S. sh. decreases to 33.0-34.3 ‰. The highest water density (1027) is observed in Antarctic latitudes, the lowest (1018, 1022) - in the northeastern part of the ocean and in the Bay of Bengal. In the northwestern part of the Indian Ocean, the water density is 1024-1024.5. The oxygen content in the surface layer of water increases from 4.5 ml / l in the northern part of the Indian Ocean to 7-8 ml / l south of 50 ° S. sh. At depths of 200-400 m, the oxygen content is significantly lower in absolute value and varies from 0.21-0.76 in the north to 2-4 ml / l in the South, at great depths it gradually increases again and in the bottom layer is 4.03 -4.68 ml / l. The color of the water is predominantly blue, in Antarctic latitudes it is blue, in places with greenish tints.

The tides in the Indian Ocean, as a rule, are small (at the shores of the open ocean and on the islands from 0.5 to 1.6 m), only at the tops of some bays do they reach 5-7 m; in the Bay of Cambay 11.9 m. The tides are predominantly semidiurnal.

Ice forms in high latitudes and is carried away by winds and currents along with icebergs in a northern direction (up to 55 ° S lat. In August and up to 65-68 ° S in February).

The deep circulation and vertical structure of the Indian Ocean is formed by waters plunging into subtropical (subsurface waters) and Antarctic (intermediate waters) convergence zones and along the continental slope of Antarctica (bottom waters), as well as from the Red Sea and Atlantic Ocean (deep waters). Subsurface waters at a depth of 100-150 m to 400-500 m have a temperature of 10-18 ° C, salinity 35.0-35.7 ‰, intermediate waters occupy a depth of 400-500 m to 1000-1500 m, have a temperature of 4 to 10 ° C, salinity 34.2-34.6 ‰; deep waters at a depth of 1000-1500 m to 3500 m have a temperature of 1.6 to 2.8 ° C, salinity 34.68-34.78 ‰; bottom waters below 3500 m in the South have temperatures from -0.07 to -0.24 ° C, salinity 34.67-34.69 ‰, in the north - about 0.5 ° C and 34.69-34.77 ‰ respectively.

Flora and fauna

The entire water area of \u200b\u200bthe Indian Ocean lies within the tropical and southern temperate zones. The shallow waters of the tropical belt are characterized by numerous 6- and 8-ray corals, hydrocorals, capable of creating islands and atolls together with calcareous red algae. Among the powerful coral buildings, there is a rich fauna of various invertebrates (sponges, worms, crabs, molluscs, sea urchins, ophiura and starfish), small but brightly colored coral fish. Most of the coasts are occupied by mangrove thickets, in which the muddy jumper stands out - a fish that can exist for a long time in the air. The fauna and flora of the beaches and rocks drying out at low tide are quantitatively depleted as a result of the oppressive effect of sunlight. In the temperate zone, life on such coastal areas is much richer; here dense thickets of red and brown algae (kelp, fucus, macrocystis reaching huge sizes) develop, a variety of invertebrates are abundant. The open spaces of the Indian Ocean, especially the surface layer of the water column (up to 100m), are also characterized by rich flora. Of the unicellular planktonic algae, several species of anterior and diatom algae prevail, and in the Arabian Sea - blue-green algae, which often cause the so-called water bloom during mass development.

The bulk of ocean animals are copepod crustaceans (more than 100 species), followed by pteropods, jellyfish, siphonophores, and other invertebrates. Of unicellular organisms, radiolarians are characteristic; squid are numerous. Of the fish, several species of flying fish are the most abundant, luminous anchovies - myctophids, coriphenes, large and small tuna, sailfish and various sharks, poisonous sea snakes. Sea turtles and large marine mammals (dugongs, toothed and toothless whales, pinnipeds) are widespread. Among the birds, the most common are albatrosses and frigates, as well as several species of penguins that inhabit the coasts of South Africa, Antarctica and islands in the temperate zone of the ocean.

Indian Ocean - the warmest ocean on our planet. Occupying a fifth of the Earth's surface, the Indian Ocean is not the largest ocean, but at the same time it has a rich flora and fauna, as well as many other advantages.

Indian Ocean

Indian Ocean occupies 20% of the entire globe. This ocean is characterized by a rich and varied natural life.
shows huge territories and a large number of interesting islands for explorers and tourists. If you do not yet know where you are Indian Ocean, map will tell you.

Indian Ocean Currents Map

Underwater world of the Indian Ocean

Rich and varied underwater world of the Indian Ocean... In it you can find both very small aquatic inhabitants, and large and dangerous representatives of the aquatic world.

Since ancient times, man has been trying to subjugate the ocean and its inhabitants. In all centuries, the inhabitants of the underwater world of the Indian Ocean were hunted.

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There are even those who are capable of causing trouble for a person. For example, these are sea anemones living in almost all seas and oceans of our planet. Sea anemones can be found not only in the depths, but also in the shallow waters of the Indian Ocean. They almost always feel hungry, so they sit hiding with tentacles widely spaced. Predatory representatives of this species are poisonous. Their shot can hit small organisms and also cause burns in humans. In the waters of the Indian Ocean, sea urchins, seals, and the most exotic species of fish live. The flora is diverse, which makes diving truly exciting.

Fish in the Indian Ocean

Original taken from billfish561 в Beautiful but dangerous inhabitants of the seas and oceans.

Quite a lot of creatures live in the sea and ocean waters, a meeting with which can cause a person trouble in the form of injury or even lead to disability or death.

Here I have tried to describe the most common inhabitants of the sea, which should be wary of when meeting in the water, relaxing and swimming on the beach of a resort or diving.
If you ask any person "... Which inhabitant of the seas and oceans is the most dangerous?", then almost always we will hear the answer "... shark... ". But is this so? Who is more dangerous, a shark or an outwardly completely harmless shell?

Moray eels

It reaches a length of 3 m and a weight of up to 10 kg, but as a rule there are individuals about a meter long. The skin of the fish is bare, without scales. Found in the Atlantic and Indian Oceans, widespread in the Mediterranean and Red Sea. Moray eels live in the bottom layer of water, one might say at the bottom. During the day, moray eels sit in crevices of rocks or corals, sticking their heads out and usually moving them from side to side, looking out for the passing prey, at night they get out of the shelters to hunt. Usually moray eels feed on fish, but they attack both crustaceans and octopuses, which are caught from an ambush.

Moray eel meat after processing can be eaten. It was especially appreciated by the ancient Romans.

Moray eel is potentially dangerous to humans. A diver who has become a victim of a moray eel attack always somehow provokes this attack - he sticks his hand or leg into the crevice where the moray eel is hiding, or pursues it. A moray eel, attacking a person, inflicts a wound that looks like a bite mark of a barracuda, but unlike a barracuda, moray eels do not immediately float away, but hangs on their victim, like a bulldog. She can grab onto the arm with a bulldog death grip, from which the diver cannot free himself, and then he can die.

It is not poisonous, but since moray eels do not disdain carrion, the wounds are very painful, do not heal for a long time and often become inflamed. It hides among underwater rocks and coral reefs in crevices and caves.

When moray eels begin to feel hunger, they jump out of their shelters with an arrow and grab the victim floating by. Very gluttonous. Very strong jaws and sharp teeth.

Moray eels are not too cute in appearance. But they do not attack scuba divers, as some believe, they do not differ in aggressiveness. Isolated cases occur only when moray eels have a mating season. If moray eels mistake a person for a food source or he invades its territory, then it can still attack.

Barracuda

All barracudas live in tropical and subtropical waters of the World Ocean near the surface. There are 8 species in the Red Sea, including a large barracuda. There are not so many species in the Mediterranean Sea - only 4, of which 2 got there from the Red Sea along the Suez Canal. The so-called "malita", which has settled in the Mediterranean Sea, provides the bulk of the entire Israeli catch of barracudas. The most ominous feature of barracudas is a powerful lower jaw that protrudes far beyond the upper one. The jaws are equipped with formidable teeth: a row of small, razor-sharp teeth dot the outside of the jaw, and inside is a row of large dagger-like teeth.

The maximum recorded size of a barracuda is 200 cm and a weight of 50 kg, but usually the length of a barracuda does not exceed 1-2 m.

She is aggressive, impetuous. Barracudas are also called "living torpedoes" because they attack their prey with great speed.

Despite such a formidable name and fierce appearance, these predators are practically harmless to humans. It should be remembered that all attacks on people happened in muddy or dark water, where the moving arms or legs of the swimmer were mistaken by the barracuda for swimming fish (It was in such a situation that the author of the blog got into in February 2014, when he was vacationing in Egypt, the Oriental Bay Resort Marsa Alam 4 + * (now called Aurora Oriental Bay Marsa Alam Resort 5 *) Marsa Gabel el Rosas Bay ... Small barracuda, 60-70cm, practically bit off the 1st falang the index finger on the right hand. A piece of a finger dangled on a 5mm piece of skin (diving gloves saved from complete amputation). At the Marsa Alam clinic, the surgeon put 4 stitches and saved the finger, but the rest was completely ruined ). In Cuba, the reason for the attack on a person was shiny objects such as watches, jewelry, knives. It will not be superfluous if the shiny parts of the equipment are painted dark.

Sharp barracuda teeth can damage the arteries and veins of the limbs; in this case, the bleeding must be stopped immediately, as blood loss can be significant. In the Antilles, barracudas are more feared than sharks.

Jellyfish

Every year, millions of people are "burned" from contact with jellyfish while swimming.

There are no particularly dangerous jellyfish in the waters of the seas washing the Russian shores, the main thing is to prevent contact of these jellyfish with mucous membranes. In the Black Sea, the easiest way to meet jellyfish such as Aurelia and Cornerot. They are not very dangerous, and their "burns" are not very strong.

Aurelia "butterflies" (Aurelia aurita)

Jellyfish cornerot (Rhizostoma pulmo)

Only in the Far Eastern seas is there enough jellyfish dangerous for humans "krestovichok", the poison of which can even lead to the death of a person. This small jellyfish with a pattern in the form of a cross on an umbrella causes severe burns at the point of contact with it, and after a while it causes other disorders in the human body - difficulty breathing, numbness of the limbs.

Medusa-cross (Gonionemus vertens)

the consequences of a jellyfish-cross burn

The further south you go, the more dangerous the jellyfish. In the coastal waters of the Canary Islands unwary bathers are waited by a pirate - "Portuguese boat" - a very beautiful jellyfish with a red crest and a multicolored bubble sail.

Portuguese boat (Physalia physalis)

This is how the "Portuguese boat" looks so harmless and beautiful at sea ...

And this is how the leg looks after contact with the "Portuguese ship" ....

Many jellyfish live in the coastal waters of Thailand.

But the real scourge for bathers is the Australian "sea wasp". She kills with a light touch of many-meter tentacles, which, by the way, can wander by themselves, without losing their murderous qualities. You can pay for acquaintance with the "sea wasp" at best with severe "burns" and lacerations, at worst - with life. More people died from the sea wasp jellyfish than from sharks. This jellyfish lives in the warm waters of the Indian and Pacific Oceans, and is especially numerous off the coast of Northern Australia. The diameter of its umbrella is only 20-25 mm, but the tentacles reach a length of 7-8 m and they contain a poison similar in composition to that of a cobra, but much stronger. A person who is touched by the "sea wasp" with its tentacles, as a rule, dies within 5 minutes.

australian cubic (boxed) jellyfish or "sea wasp" (Chironex fleckeri)

burn from jellyfish "sea wasp"

In the Mediterranean and other waters of the Atlantic, aggressive jellyfish also live - the "burns" caused by them are stronger than the "burns" of the Black Sea jellyfish, and they cause allergic reactions more often. These include cyanea ("hairy jellyfish"), pelagia ("little lilac sting"), chryzaora ("sea nettle") and some others.

jellyfish atlantic cyanea (Cyanea capillata)

Pelagia (Noctiluca), known in Europe as "purple sting"

Pacific sea nettle (Chrysaora fuscescens)

Medusa "Compass" (Coronatae)
Jellyfish "Compass" chose the coastal waters of the Mediterranean Sea and one of the oceans - the Atlantic as their place of residence. They live off the coast of Turkey and the United Kingdom. These are quite large jellyfish, their diameter reaches thirty centimeters. They have twenty-four tentacles, which are arranged in groups of three in each. The body color is yellowish-white with a brown tint, and its shape resembles a bell-saucer, in which thirty-two lobes are determined, which are painted brown along the edges.
The upper surface of the bell has sixteen brown V-shaped rays. The lower part of the bell is the location of the mouth opening, surrounded by four tentacles. These jellyfish are poisonous. Their venom is potent and often leads to the formation of wounds that are very painful and take a long time to heal..
And yet the most dangerous jellyfish live in Australia and the waters adjacent to it. Box jellyfish and "Portuguese boat" burns are very serious and often fatal.

Stingrays

Stingrays and electric rays can be a nuisance. It should be noted that the stingrays themselves do not attack a person, you can get injured if you step on him when this fish is hiding at the bottom.

stingray (Dasyatidae)

Electric Stingray (Torpediniformes)

Stingrays live in almost all seas and oceans. In our (Russian) waters you can find a stingray, or otherwise it is called a sea cat. It is found in the Black Sea and in the seas of the Pacific coast. If you step on a slope buried in the sand or resting at the bottom, it can inflict a serious wound on the offender, and, among other things, inject poison into it. He has a thorn on his tail, or rather a real sword - up to 20 centimeters in length. Its edges are very sharp, and, moreover, serrated, along the blade, on the underside there is a groove in which a dark poison from the poisonous gland on the tail is visible. If you touch a stingray lying at the bottom, it will hit with its tail like a whip; however, it protrudes its thorn and can inflict a deep chopped wound. A wound from a stingray strike is treated like any other.

The sea fox Raja clavata also lives in the Black Sea - large, it can be up to one and a half meters from the tip of the nose to the tip of the tail, it is harmless to humans - unless, of course, you try to grab it by the tail covered with long sharp spines. Electric rays are not found in the waters of the seas of Russia.

Sea anemones (sea anemones)

Sea anemones inhabit almost all the seas of the world, but like other coral polyps, they are especially numerous and diverse in warm waters. Most species live in coastal shallow waters, but they are often found at the maximum depths of the World Ocean. Anemones Usually hungry anemones sit quite calmly, with widely spaced tentacles. At the slightest changes occurring in the water, the tentacles begin to vibrate, not only they stretch out to prey, but the whole body of the anemone often tilts. Grabbing the victim, the tentacles contract and bend towards the mouth.

Anemones are well armed. Stinging cells are especially numerous in carnivorous species. A volley of fired stinging cells kills small organisms, often causing severe burns in larger animals, even in humans. They can cause burns, just like some types of jellyfish.

Octopus

Octopuses (Octopoda) are the most famous representatives of cephalopods. "Typical" octopuses are representatives of the suborder Incirrina, benthic animals. But some representatives of this suborder and all species of the second suborder, Cirrina are pelagic animals that live in the water column, and many of them are found only at great depths.

They live in all tropical and subtropical seas and oceans, from shallow waters to a depth of 100-150 m. They prefer rocky coastal zones, looking for caves and crevices in the rocks. In the waters of the seas of Russia they live only in the Pacific region.

The common octopus has the ability to change color to adapt to its environment. This is due to the presence in his skin of cells with various pigments, which, under the influence of impulses from the central nervous system, are able to stretch or contract, depending on the perception of the sense organs. The usual color is brown. If the octopus is scared, it turns white; if it is angry, it blushes.

When enemies approach (including divers or scuba divers), they flee, hiding in crevices of rocks and under stones.

A real danger is the octopus bite if handled carelessly. The secret of poisonous salivary glands can be introduced into the wound. In this case, there is acute pain and itching in the area of \u200b\u200bthe bite.
When a common octopus bites, a local inflammatory reaction occurs. Heavy bleeding indicates a slowdown in the blood clotting process. Usually, after two or three days, recovery occurs. However, there are cases of severe poisoning in which symptoms of damage to the central nervous system occur. Wounds inflicted by octopuses are treated in the same way as injections of poisonous fish.

Blue-ringed octopus (Blue-ringed Octopus)

One of the contenders for the title of the most dangerous marine animal for humans is the octopus Octopus maculosus, which is found along the coast of the Australian province of Queensland and near Sydney, found in the Indian Ocean and, sometimes, in the Far East. Although this octopus rarely exceeds 10 cm in size, it contains enough poison to kill ten people.

Lionfish

The lionfish (Pterois) of the Scorpaenidae family are of great danger to humans. They are easily recognizable by their rich and bright colors, which warns of effective remedies for these fish. Even marine predators prefer to leave this fish alone. The fins of this fish look like brightly colored feathers. Physical contact with such fish can be fatal.

Lionfish (Pterois)

Despite the name, it cannot fly. The fish got this nickname because of its large pectoral fins, a bit like wings. Other names for lionfish are zebra fish or lion fish. She received the first because of the wide gray, brown and red stripes located all over the body, and the second owes to the long fins, which make her look like a predatory lion.

The lionfish belongs to the scorpion family. The body length reaches 30 cm, and the weight is 1 kg. The color is bright, which makes the lionfish noticeable even at great depths. The main decoration of the lionfish is long ribbons of dorsal and pectoral fins, and it is they that resemble a lion's mane. These luxurious fins contain sharp poisonous needles that make the lionfish one of the most dangerous inhabitants of the seas.

The lionfish is widespread in the tropical parts of the Indian and Pacific Oceans off the coast of China, Japan and Australia. It lives mainly among coral reefs. lionfish Since it lives in the surface waters of the reef, it is therefore a great danger to bathers who can step on it and injure themselves on sharp poisonous needles. The excruciating pain that occurs in this case is accompanied by the formation of a tumor, difficulty breathing, and in some cases, injury is fatal.

The fish itself is very voracious and eats all kinds of crustaceans and small fish during the night hunting. The most dangerous are blowfish, boxfish, sea dragon, hedgehog fish, ball fish, etc. You need to remember only one rule: the more colorful the coloring of the fish and the more unusual its shape, the more poisonous it is.

In the Black Sea, there are relatives of the lionfish - noticeable scorpion fish (Scorpaena notata), it is not more than 15 centimeters in length, and Black Sea scorpion fish (Scorpaena porcus) - up to half a meter - but such large fish are found deeper, further from the coast. The main difference between the Black Sea scorpionfish is long, rag-like flaps, supraorbital tentacles. In a scorpion fish, these outgrowths are short.

scorpion fish noticeable (Scorpaena notata)

black sea scorpion (Scorpaena porcus)

The body of these fish is covered with thorns and growths, the thorns are covered with poisonous mucus. And although the venom of the scorpionfish is not as dangerous as the venom of the lionfish, it is better not to disturb it.

Among the dangerous Black Sea fish, the sea dragon (Trachinus draco) should be noted. Elongated, snake-like, with an angular large head, bottom fish. Like other bottom-dwelling predators, the dragon has bulging eyes on the top of its head and a huge, greedy mouth.

sea \u200b\u200bdragon (Trachinus draco)

The consequences of a poisonous prick from a dragon are much more serious than in the case of a scorpion fish, but not fatal.

Wounds from scorpion or dragon thorns cause burning pain, the area around the injections turns red and swells, then general malaise, fever, and your rest for a day or two is interrupted. If you have suffered from ruff thorns, see a doctor. Wounds should be treated like normal scratches.

The "fish stone" or wart (Synanceia verrucosa) also belongs to the order of scorpion fish - no less, and in some cases, more dangerous than lionfish.

"fish stone" or wart (Synanceia verrucosa)

Sea urchins

There is often a risk of stepping on the sea urchin in shallow waters.

Sea urchins are one of the most common and very dangerous inhabitants of coral reefs for humans. The body of a hedgehog, the size of an apple, is studded with 30-centimeter needles sticking out in all directions, similar to knitting needles. They are very mobile, sensitive and instantly react to irritation.

If a shadow suddenly falls on the hedgehog, he immediately directs the needles in the direction of danger and puts them together in several pieces in a sharp, hard lance. Even gloves and wetsuits do not guarantee complete protection against the sea urchin's formidable rush. The needles are so sharp and fragile that, having penetrated deep into the skin, they immediately break off and it is extremely difficult to remove them from the wound. In addition to needles, hedgehogs are armed with small grasping organs - pedicillaria, scattered at the base of the needles.

The poison of sea urchins is not dangerous, but it causes burning pain at the injection site, shortness of breath, heart palpitations, and paralysis. And soon redness, swelling appear, sometimes loss of sensitivity and secondary infection are observed. The wound needs to be cleaned of needles, disinfected, to neutralize the poison, hold the damaged part of the body in very hot water for 30-90 minutes or apply a pressure bandage.

After meeting with a black "long-spined" sea urchin, black dots may remain on the skin - this is a trace of pigment, it is harmless, but it can make it difficult to find needles stuck in you. Seek medical attention after first aid.

Shells (molluscs)

Often on the reef, among the corals, there are wavy valves of bright blue color.

clam tridacna (Tridacna gigas)

According to some reports, divers sometimes get caught between its valves, like in a trap, which leads to their death. The danger of tridacna, however, is greatly exaggerated. These molluscs live in areas of shallow reefs in clear tropical waters, so they are easy to spot due to their large size, brightly colored mantle and their ability to spray water at low tide. A diver captured by the sink can easily free himself, he just needs to stick a knife between the valves and cut the two muscles compressing the valves.

Poisonous Clam Cone (Conidae)
Beautiful shells (especially large ones) should not be touched. Here it is worth remembering one rule: all mollusks with a long, thin and pointed ovipositor are poisonous. These are representatives of the genus Cone of the class of gastropods, having a brightly colored conical shell. Its length in most species does not exceed 15-20 cm. The cone delivers a prick with a sharp, like a needle, a thorn protruding from the narrow end of the shell. Inside the thorn is a duct of the poisonous gland, through which a very strong poison is injected into the wound.

Various species of the genus cone are distributed on coastal shoals and coral reefs of warm seas.

At the time of the injection, a sharp pain is felt. At the site of the thorn insertion, a reddish dot is noticeable against the background of pale skin.

The local inflammatory response is minor. There is a sensation of acute pain or burning, numbness of the affected limb may occur. In severe cases, speech difficulty is noted, flaccid paralysis rapidly develops, knee reflexes disappear. Death may occur in a few hours.

With mild poisoning, all symptoms disappear within a day.

First aid is to remove thorn fragments from the skin. The site of the lesion is wiped with alcohol. The affected limb is immobilized. A patient in a supine position is taken to a medical center.

Coral

Corals, both living and dead, can cause painful cuts (be careful when walking on coral islands). And the so-called "fire" corals are armed with poisonous needles that bite into the human body in case of physical contact with them.

The basis of the coral is made up of polyps - marine invertebrates 1-1.5 mm in size or slightly larger (depending on the species).

Barely born, the baby polyp begins to build a house-cell, in which he spends his entire life. Microdomes of polyps are grouped into colonies from which the coral reef eventually appears.

When hungry, the polyp sticks out tentacles with many stinging cells from the "house". The smallest animals that make up plankton bump into the tentacles of the polyp, which paralyzes the victim and sends it into the mouth opening. Despite their microscopic size, the stinging cells of polyps have a very complex structure. Inside the cell is a capsule filled with poison. The outer end of the capsule is concave and looks like a thin spiral wound tube called stinging thread. This tube, covered with tiny spines directed backwards, resembles a miniature harpoon. When touched, the stinging thread straightens, the "harpoon" pierces the victim's body, and the poison passing through it paralyzes the prey.

Poisoned coral "harpoons" can also injure humans. Among the dangerous is, for example, fire coral. Its colonies in the form of "trees" made of thin plates have chosen the shallow waters of the tropical seas.

The most dangerous stinging corals of the Millepore clan are so beautiful that scuba divers cannot resist the temptation to break off a piece as a keepsake. This can be done without "burns" and cuts only with canvas or leather gloves.

Fire coral (Millepora dichotoma)

Talking about passive animals such as coral polyps, it is worth mentioning another interesting type of marine animals - sponges. Usually, sponges are not classified as dangerous inhabitants of the sea, however, in the waters of the Caribbean there are some species that can cause severe irritation to the skin of a swimmer upon contact with them. It is believed that pain can be relieved with a mild vinegar solution, but the unpleasant effects of contact with a sponge can last for several days. These primitive animals belong to the genus Fibula, often called touch-up sponges.

Sea snakes (Hydrophidae)

Little is known about sea snakes. This is strange, since they live in all the seas of the Pacific and Indian oceans and are not among the rare inhabitants of the deep sea. Maybe it's because people just don't want to mess with them.

And there are serious reasons for this. After all, sea snakes are dangerous and unpredictable.

There are about 48 species of sea snakes. This family once left the land and completely switched to the aquatic lifestyle. Because of this, sea snakes have acquired some features in the structure of the body, and outwardly they are somewhat different from their terrestrial counterparts. The body is flattened laterally, the tail is in the form of a flat ribbon (in flat-tailed representatives) or slightly elongated (in dove-tails). The nostrils are located not on the sides, but at the top, so it is more convenient for them to breathe, sticking the tip of the muzzle out of the water. The lung stretches throughout the body, but these snakes absorb up to a third of all oxygen from the water with the help of the skin, which is densely penetrated by blood capillaries. A sea snake can stay under water for more than an hour.

The venom of the sea snake is dangerous to humans. Their venom is dominated by an enzyme that paralyzes the nervous system. When attacking, the snake quickly strikes with two short teeth, slightly bent back. The bite is practically painless, there is no swelling or hemorrhage.

But after a while weakness appears, coordination is disturbed, convulsions begin. From paralysis of the lungs, death occurs in a few hours.

The high toxicity of the venom of these snakes is a direct result of aquatic habitat: so that the prey does not escape, it must be instantly paralyzed. True, the venom of sea snakes is not as dangerous as the venom of the snakes that live with us on land. With a bite of flat-tails, 1 mg of poison is released, and with a bite of a dovetail - 16 mg. So, a person has a chance to survive. Of 10 people bitten by sea snakes, 7 people remain alive, of course, if they receive medical assistance on time.

True, there is no guarantee that you will be among the latter.

Among other dangerous aquatic animals, especially dangerous freshwater inhabitants should be mentioned - crocodiles living in the tropics and subtropics, piranha fish living in the Amazon River basin, freshwater electric rays, as well as fish whose meat or some organs are poisonous and can cause acute poisoning.

If you are interested in more detailed information about dangerous species of jellyfish and corals, you can find it at http://medusy.ru/