The mantis shrimp who spear their prey typically eat softer creatures, such as worms, squid, and fish. The Great Barrier Reef is a refuge for many species of conservation concern. Mangroves grow behind the coral reefs so they can protect them. If you look closely, you will see why how this fish received its name…and why they made this list. if that isn’t cool then I don’t know what is. But those aren’t the only species to be wary of. If you want to catch a glimpse of tho massive mammal then I suggest spending some diving time in the northern waters of Australia, between Shark Bay and Moreton Bay where the Dugong likes to hang out. While they share a "last common ancestor" with modern elephants, dugongs are cousins to the manatee. Let’s just hope you are not on the menu during your dive. The Triggerfish is easy to identify with their bright colours and pouty mouth. How long does it take to get to the Great Barrier Reef from Cairns? They have powerful jaws and are capable of delivering a painful bite so be careful when observing them up close. In general, fish, reef sharks, sea turtles, dolphins, and even some whales can be seen among the reef. Don’t be fooled by the colour of this snake. The Great Barrier Reef is the jewel in Queensland's crown and one of the seven wonders of the natural world. These large, vaguely comical-looking mammals are strictly herbivorous, feeding on the numerous aquatic plants of the Great Barrier Reef. The Great Barrier Reef is home to thousands of plants and animals that all contribute to its rich diversity. Like all reptiles, sea snakes are equipped with lungs, but they can absorb a small amount of oxygen from water and have specialized glands that excrete excess salt. Mantis shrimp live in burrows, both in tropical and subtropical waters. Good thing too since the wild population is threatened. Next, for the plants in The Great Barrier Reef is sea grapes. The Great Barrier Reef is a playground for those who want to explore the creatures lurking, just below the surface of what would otherwise be seen as a tropical paradise. Australia's Great Barrier Reef is home to a tremendous array of endangered species, some found nowhere else in the world. White sharks, tiger sharks, and even hammerhead sharks live in this ecosystem. Unlike most turtles, the Flatback Sea Turtle has a flatter shell, hence the name. Although, they are typically a blue-grey colour throughout most of their range, they will have this amazing, ringed form when living on the reef. Animals that live in the Great Barrier Reef thrive in warmer water, and prefer the regions tropical temperatures. All of these turtles—like many animals of the reef—are currently classified as either vulnerable or endangered species. Great Barrier Reef Animals – The Great Barrier Reef, found off the coast of Queensland, Australia is the largest structure on earth, made from living specimens. Marine biologists believe this creature’s complex sensory array makes it one of only a handful of species on the planet to have a full 360° view of the world around it. The best place to spot them is where the reef begins to drop off into the deeper water. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); A site which displays information about Home, DIY & Craft, Flora, Fauna and Types of Everything. In exchange they provide the coral with needed nutrients. The Turtle-Headed Sea Snake has made a nice living feeding off of fish eggs and will move slowly throughout their range looking for egg clusters. In fact, this reef is visible from space. Some pretty crazy-looking critters inhabit the Great Barrier Reef off the coast of Queensland, Australia. As you might have guessed, this massive organism provides food and shelter to a large number of animals. Welcome to Animals That Live In The Great Barrier Reef! great barrier “Great Barrier” is the fourth episode of the fourth season of ”. Learn how your comment data is processed. Usually this plant will live adjacent the coral reef. The shallow waters that are around the Great Barrier Reef allow the water to warm up from 18-33 degrees Celsius. See also: Conservation of The Great Barrier Reef They eat coral polyps causing widespread damage to the reefs coral stocks and if left unchecked can destroy large reef areas in a matter of weeks. Seven species of sea turtles frequent the Great Barrier Reef: the green turtle, loggerhead turtle, hawksbill turtle, flatback turtle, Pacific ridley turtle, and leatherback turtle. Predating dinosaurs, Jellyfish are some of the Earth’s oldest creatures. The exception is the crown-of-thorns starfish, which feeds on the soft tissues of corals and can cause drastic declines in coral populations if left unchecked. Read more Information on these Bird Species Below: Sea Birds of … The great barrier reef first began to grow 18 million years ago but the present phase of reef growth is 6 - 8,000 years old. Apart from cetaceans, there are also other large marine animals: almost thirty sharks and stingray species. The Great Barrier Reef supports over 1500 species of fish, 400 species of coral and 4000 species of molluscs just to name a few! Once they find a nice, tasty egg cluster they will use a specialized scraper, found on their upper jaw, to scrape the “caviar” off of the branch or ocean floor. We can’t have a list highlighting the 10 coolest animals of the Great Barrier Reef without discussing the animal often called “the most poisonous animal in the world” also known as the Box Jellyfish. How long does it take to get from Cairns to the Great Barrier Reef . Here's a rundown of indigenous creatures—including fish, corals, mollusks, echinoderms, jellyfish, sea snakes, marine turtles, sponges, whales, dolphins, seabirds, and shorebirds—that inhabit one of the world's most complex ecosystems. Today, about 15 sea snakes are endemic to the Great Barrier Reef, including the large olive sea snake and the banded sea krait. Their natural predators are sharks and also saltwater crocodiles that venture into the region only occasionally—but often with bloody consequences. A plethora of coral thrives here, along with a sweep of parrotfish, surgeonfish, barracuda, and sharks. In fact, these characteristics make them one of the most recognizable fish on the world famous reef. The largest coral reef in the world, the Great Barrier Reef off the northeastern coast of Australia, consists of more than 2,900 coral reefs, 600 continental islands, 300 coral cays, and thousands of animal species. The only reliable remedy is maintaining populations of the crown-of-thorn's natural predators, including the giant triton snail and the starry puffer fish. Unlike true jellyfish that just float around waiting for food to come to them, the Box Jellyfish will actively hunt their meals. We can’t have a list highlighting the 10 coolest animals of the Great Barrier Reef without discussing the animal often called “the most poisonous animal in the world” also known as the Box Jellyfish. While jellyfish lack brains or hearts, some, including the box jellyfish, can see. This ecosystem is also notable for zig-zag oysters, octopuses, squid, cowries (the shells of which were once used as money by Australia's indigenous tribes), bivalves, and sea slugs. The bright colours and shallow water habitat make this beautiful fish very easy to spot while snorkelling the Great Barrier Reef. Mantis shrimp who club their prey eat harder creatures, such as clams, snails, and smaller crustaceans. Meanwhile, there are some sponge species that help recycle calcium carbonate from dying corals. The relatively warm waters of the Great Barrier Reef make it a favored destination for about 30 species of dolphins and whales. For the record, given the diversity of animals, this will not be an easy task. Michaelmas Cay off Cairns is home to over 30,000 sooty terns, and is one of the most popular and accessible rookeries on the GBR. It totals 960 km² in area, including Glover’s Reef Marine Reserve, the great Blue Hole , Halfmoon Caye Natural Monument, and … Please share it along to friends you if this site is useful for many people. Renowned for its beautiful corals and water clarity, the reef was listed by UNESCO as a World Heritage Area in 1981. Actually you find just as much above the ocean as there is below! The Great Barrier Reef's 600 or so species of echinoderms—the order that includes starfish, sea stars, and sea cucumbers—are mostly good citizens, constituting an essential link in the food chain and helping maintain the reef's overall ecology. What Animals Live In The Great Barrier Reef. The Great Barrier Reef consists of about 3,000 individual reefs of coral, and the biodiversity they contain is remarkable. Narrated by National Geographic Explorer-in-Residence Sylvia Earle. When in captivity, these animals are extremely friendly and inquisitive, with some fish being described as having different personalities and levels of cheekiness. Also known as stony corals, hard corals congregate in shallow tropical waters and help build coral reefs, growing in various aggregations including mounds, plates, and branches. The Hammerhead Shark (possibly one of the coolest sharks in the world) is different than most other sharks as they prefer the company of other Hammerheads. That’s right, they are known to travel in groups. The Great Barrier Reef is home to about 360 species of hard coral, including bottlebrush coral, bubble coral, brain coral, mushroom coral, staghorn coral, tabletop coral, and needle coral. This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Heron Island to the south is home to up to 75,000 black noddies during the breeding season. Some of these marine mammals ply the waters virtually year-round, others swim to the region to give birth and raise young, while others simply pass through during their annual migrations. The largest living structure, the Great Barrier Reef spans more than 1,200 miles (2,000 kilometers) of islands and submerged reefs. These swarms devour far too much of the reef and endanger it. The Triggerfish is known for being incredibly aggressive and will attack divers if they feel threatened. The Great Barrier Reef in Danger. While these colourful Sea Slugs can be found in many parts of the world and at just about any ocean depth, they are most abundant in the shallow waters surrounding the Great Barrier Reef. The Great Barrier Reef, just off the continent of Australia, has one of the largest amounts of animal diversity in any marine habitat. 2. This complex maze of habitats provides refuge for an astounding variety of marine life, plants and animals – from ancient sea turtles, reef fish and 134 species of sharks and rays, to 400 different hard and soft corals and a plethora of seaweeds. Holding the world's largest collection of corals (more than 400 different kinds), coral sponges, molluscs, rays, dolphins, over 1500 species of tropical fish, more than 200 types of birds, around 20 types of reptiles including sea turtles and giant clams over 120 years old. The Cardinal Fish is a nocturnal creature who buries themselves deep in the coral reef during the day. Bob Strauss is a science writer and the author of several books, including "The Big Book of What, How and Why" and "A Field Guide to the Dinosaurs of North America. Measuring a mere cubic centimeter (about the same size as a green pea, pencil eraser tip, or a chocolate chip), the Irukandji jellyfish, is one of the world’s tiniest—and most venomous jellyfish species. Marine turtles are partial to feeding on several of the Great Barrier Reef's indigenous jellyfish species, while some smaller fish use them as protection, swimming in tandem with them and hiding in the tangle of their tentacles to ward off predators. Australia has its very own unique wildlife that exists know where else on this Earth and everywhere you walk or travel if you keep you eyes peeled you will see something very new. In fact, they are one of the few tropical fish that are bred extensively in captivity. Creatures that look like flora and fauna too can be in reality tiny animals that can sting and bite as well. Cuttlefish (Sepia latimanus) The cuttlefish is a … ... while females rarely exceed 3 feet. Among the other marine animals you may find squid and octopus (like the blue-ringed octopus or cuttlefish), reptiles like sea turtles, or different species of whales and sharks. In general, sponges are near the bottom of the food chain, providing nutrients for more complex animals. The most spectacular and entertaining cetacean of the Great Barrier Reef is the humpbacked whale. Of course, jellyfish aren’t fish at all, but rather a gelatinous form of invertebrate zooplankton (Cnidaria), whose bodies are comprised of as much as 98% water. We start this list off with a fish that is popular amongst aquarium enthusiasts as a result of their small size, simple (but classy) colouring and their hardy disposition. Live worksheets > English. The Great Barrier Reef supports a vast array of life forms. This Top 10 list will capture ten of the coolest (in my opinion) animals found on the Great Barrier Reef. The box jellyfish has 24 “eyes” (visual sensors) two of which are capable of interpreting and differentiating color. The Dugong is the only marine mammal that feeds solely on vegetation (the Manatee could be another but they spend some time in the freshwater so they get disqualified). Thank you. These poisonous (but beautiful) fish can typically be found on the edges of the reef and they seem to prefer the turbid inshore areas (great… this means you can’t actually see the dangerous fish). These unusual turtles will typically lay fewer but larger eggs along the same beach that they hatched from roughly 30 years earlier (now that is a good memory). Sea grapes can live until 100 m depth and usually live in the muddy areas. When it comest to playing nice with others, the Lionfish fails miserably. Nine most dangerous creatures also play here, jellyfish, sharks, crocodiles, stingrays. As coral colonies die, new ones grow atop the limestone skeletons of their predecessors, creating the reef's three-dimensional architecture. Coral reef adapt to the Great Barrier Reef because zooxanthellae lives inside the polyps in the coral. The Great Barrier Reef - Animals Eating Animals read and carefully answer questions about the great barrier reef. Marine biologists believe there are at least 5,000 and possibly as many as 10,000 species of mollusks inhabiting the Great Barrier Reef, the most visible being the giant clam, which can weigh up to 500 pounds. Considering how poisonous they are (human fatalities in children and the weak have been reported), it is never a good idea to cross their path. This is just a taste of the variations of marine life lingering among the reef. These species of conservation concern include inshore dolphins, whales, dugongs, sawfish, sea snakes, marine turtles and some fish and sharks. The freed calcium carbonate, in turn, ends up being incorporated into the bodies of mollusks and diatoms. Organism 2 About 30 million years ago, a population of terrestrial Australian snakes ventured toward the sea. There are large numbers of colonies that are made up of individual polyps linked by tissue. Sure, you may be asking how can a Sea Slug take the number one spot for Great Barrier Reef animals. There are also venomous sea snakes, brightly colored worms, and large algae. ", Crown-Of-Thorns Starfish Are Gorgeous Killers, How the Sixth Mass Extinction Affects the U.S. Economy, Animals Most Endangered by Global Warming.
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