Mighty Water Week: Day #3

Greetings everybody. In today's article we are going to continue with the theme of oceans from the Might Water Week: Day #1 post.

Southern Ocean

Image Source.

Also known as the Antarctic Ocean, South Polar Ocean, Great Southern Ocean and Austral Ocean is the newest of all the world's oceans as it was derived from the southernmost waters of the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans in 2000. It is the fourth largest ocean of the world's five oceans.
Being similar to the world's other oceans the southern ocean shares borders with both continents (Antarctica) and marginal seas (Weddell Sea, the King Haakon VII Sea, the Lazarev Sea, the Riiser-Larsen Sea, the Cosmonaut Sea, the Cooperation Sea, the Davis Sea, the Mawson Sea, the D'Urville Sea, the Somov Sea, the Ross Sea, the Amundsen Sea, and the Bellingshausen Sea).

Blackfin Ice-fish (Chaenocephalus aceratus)

Image Source. With the spoon shaped lower jaw and large toothy mouths, no wonder this specie is also known as the crocodile fish.

Conservation Status: Not yet been assessed 
Habitat: Cold waters of the Southern ocean 

This thought-provoking fish species has blood that lacks the oxygen binding pigment (haemoglobin), as blood containing haemoglobin would freeze at temperatures held by the waters where Blackfin Ice-fish are found. So instead, they have adapted natural "antifreeze" proteins to ensure their survival in these conditions resulting in pale blood rather than the typical red blood.

Southern Elephant Seal

Image Source. They take their name from their trunk like inflatable snouts.

Conservation Status: Least Concern
Habitat: Coastal & intertidal zones, shallow seas and the open ocean of the Southern Ocean 
Southern Elephant Seals are largest of all seals and males can weigh 8-10 times heavier than females, resulting in the biggest weight difference of any mammal. Additionally they are exceptional divers with some dives being deeper than 2000 meters.

Emperor Penguin (Aptenodytes forsteri)

Image Source. Emperor penguins have feathers that provide 80-90% of its insulation.

Conservation Status: Near Threatened  
Habitat: Coastal cliffs, Shallow seas, open ocean and polar regions of the Southern Ocean. 
In the penguin world, Emperor Penguin is the striking creature known to be the tallest, largest and heaviest of all. They are known for the well-known arrays of journeys made by the adults annually in order to mate and feed their offspring. The female penguin lays a single egg, which is incubated by the male, while the female returns to the sea to feed; parents subsequently take turns foraging at sea, caring and protecting their chick in the colony. As there are no immovable nesting sites female/male parents are heavily dependent on vocalization to locate their own partner or chick when returning from foraging for marine food.

Leopard Seal (Hydrurga leptonyx), also referred to as the sea leopard.

Image Source. Leopard seals are named after their spotty coats and for being fearsome hunters.

Conservation Status: Least Concern 
Habitat: Shallow seas, open ocean and polar regions of the Southern Ocean. 
Leopard Seals are one of the primary predators of Antarctica, and are prey to Orcas (Killer Whales). Female Leopard Seals are slightly larger than the males. Like leopards, the seals are solitary creatures and only come together in small groups when it is mating season. Additionally leopard seals attack and eat other seals, penguins and fish, however about half their diet consists of krill. 

Adélie Penguin (Pygoscelis adeliae)

Adélie Penguin was named after Jules Dumont d'Urville's (French explorer) wife, Adélie.

Conservation Status: Near Threatened 
Habitat: Coastal cliffs and shallow seas of the Southern Ocean. 
The Adélie Penguin is quite social, and parents take turns at taking care of their young and forage at sea. However they build rough nests and line them with stones. Their tails are slightly lengthier than other penguins and appears to be considerably like a tuxedo. 

Indian Ocean

Image Source

The third largest ocean on earth covering around 14% of the earth's surface and 20% of the earth's main water surface. It derives its name from India! It is the warmest ocean in the world which resists the growth of phytoplankton except for minor sections scattered here and there over the water. The Indian Ocean is bounded between Africa, Asia and Australia. Around 40% of the world's offshore oil production comes from the Indian Ocean. The climate north of the equator is affected by a monsoon climate and allows the Indian Ocean to change course twice a year.


Clownfish (Amphiprion Ocellaris), also known as the Anemonefish.

Image Source

Conservation Status: Least Concerned.
Habitat: Warm and shallow waters of the Indian and Pacific Ocean.
Clown-fishes form a symbiotic mutualisms with sea anemones (water-dwelling predatory animals). They perform an elaborate dance with an anemone before taking up residence, gently fondling its tentacles with different parts of their bodies until they are accustomed to their host. A mucus layer on the clown fish's skin makes it invulnerable to the fish-eating anemone's lethal sting. In exchange for safety from predators and food scarp, the clownfish defends the anemone from its predators and parasites.


Blue Damselfish (Chrysiptera Cyanea) also known as Blue Devil, Cornflower Sergeant-Major, Red Tail Australian Damsel, and Sky Blue Damsel.

Image Source.

Conservation Status: Not yet assessed.
Habitat: Rubble and corals in lagoons and reef flats of the Indian and Western Pacific Oceans.
Blue Damselfish has bright blue body, males have a yellow snout and tail and females lack yellow instead have the black spot at the base of the back edge of the dorsal fin. When frightened they hide inside a hole and alter their color to become completely black.


Indo-Pacific Bottle Dolphin (Tursiops Aduncus)

Image Source.  Females typically reach sexual maturity at between 7 and 12 years of age, with peak mating and calving season occurring in spring and summer.

Conservation Status: Not yet assessed.
Habitat: Estuaries, shallow seas, open ocean, reefs of the Indian and Western Pacific Ocean.
Indo-Pacific Bottle Dolphins are a specie of Bottlenose Dolphin, they live in groups usually consisting of five to fifteen dolphins. Their diet involves a wide array of fish and squid. Their bodies are very long, slender and sleek compared to the common bottlenose dolphins.

Coelacanths 

Image Source. The body is covered in cosmoid scales that acts as an armor.

Conservation Status: Critically Endangered.
Habitat: Shallow seas of the Indian Ocean.
Coelacanth is an order of fish thought to be long extinct with the dinosaurs 65 million years ago until a specimen was caught in 1938 making it a "living fossil". They follow the oldest known living lineage of Sarcopterygii (Lobe-Finned Fish and Tetra Pods), which means they are more closely related to lungfish, reptiles and mammals than other common ray-finned fishes. The word coelacanth is derived from the Greek for “hollow spine”, because of its unique hollow caudal fin rays.

We hope you enjoyed today's article, if you have any interesting facts about oceans and marine life leave a comment down below.Or if you have any questions, feel free to ask. Do come back tomorrow for the remaining oceans!

Bio Bunch.

Over and out.