Reef Fact: Consumption of Barracuda may be more harmful to humans than any potential of attack by them in the water. People often become ill from ciguatera fish poisoning after ingesting barracudas, perhaps because the reef fish that barracudas eat themselves consume algae that may contain high levels of the toxin. Learn more at http://www.flmnh.ufl.edu/fish/gallery/descript/greatbarracuda/greatbarracuda.html
Coral Reef Fact: Every Whale Shark (Rhincodon typus) has a unique, pattern of light pigmented spots along the forward flanks which have proved to be effective in differentiating individual sharks, as have scars and injuries to the first dorsal fin. You can take part in the International Whale Shark Photo-Identification program. Learn more at http://www.whaleshark.org/index.jsp?langCode=en
Coral Reef Fact Mantis shrimp or stomatopods are marine crustaceans. Mantids have the strongest strike of any animal, relative to their size and the fastest of any animal. Their strike is so fast that they vaporize the water at the point of impact, causing a small implosion that stuns their prey. Watch (and hear!) a […]
Reef Fact: Sawfishes are actually a type of ray. They belong to a group of fishes called elasmobranchs that includes sharks, rays, and skates. Two species of sawfish are found in FL waters; largetooth sawfish (Pristis perotteti) and the smalltooth sawfish (Pristis pectinata) both species are officially endangered in the US. Learn more http://www.flmnh.ufl.edu/fish/sharks/sawfish Click […]
Reef Fact: The queen triggerfish (Balistes vetula) uses special tricks to get to its favorite food – the sea urchin – to avoid the prickly spines. The triggerfish will grasp a spine in its mouth, lift the urchin up off of the seafloor, and drop it so the vulnerable underside will be exposed. They, also, […]
Reef Fact: The Flying Gunard (Dactylopterus volitans) has prominent front sections of their “wing” that are shaped much like the foot of an amphibian, and can be found “walking” along the sea floor in search of food. Flying Gunard (video)
Reef Fact: The Longsnout seahorse (Hippocampus reidi) can be found in mangroves, seagrass beds and on gorgonians. During the night, this species stops feeding and swimming, wrapping its tail around a holdfast and remaining there until dawn. Learn more about them on the Florida Museum of Natural History Ichthyology Department homepage.
Reef Fact: The sponges (Phylum Porifera) are the most primitive of all animals and lack muscular, nervous, and circulatory systems.
Reef Fact: The recent Census of Marine Life revealed many new species including the Fathead sculpins—named for their large, globe-like heads and floppy skin—live in the Atlantic, Indian, and Pacific Oceans at depths of between about 330 feet (100 meters) and 9,200 feet (2,800 meters). Check out pics of others new species for this new […]
Reef Fact: In 1983-84 a region-wide die-off of the Long-spined sea urchin, Diadema antillarum, (a key herbivore on Florida’s coral reefs) resulted in a loss in coral cover. Please support Reef Relief’s work to protect coral reefs. www.reefrelief.org/donate