Marine Life of North Carolina

Perch
They have two dorsal fins.  It weighs about 6 pounds.  They eat other fish's eggs, larvae, and small fish.  The female lays long strips of eggs in shallow water.  They grow up to be about 10 in long.

Sturgeon
They  grow up to be about 13 feet long.  They feed on plants and small animals.  They have no teeth in their mouth.  They live in rivers and seas of the Northern Region.  They can weigh up to 500 pounds.

Catfish
Catfish live at the bottom in shallow water.  The biggest catfish ever caught weighed 650 pounds.  It was 13 feet long.  They have fins that look like cat whiskers around their mouth.

Flounder
It is a flat fish.  It can grow up to be 3 feet long and weighs about 15 pounds.  It eats shrimp, crabs, and small fish.

Rays
Rays include eagle rays, manta rays, skates, sting rays, and electric rays.  Most of them live on the sea floor.  They eat things like oysters and clams.  Rays  look like  wings in the water.

Alligators
Alligators eat fish, frogs, snakes, turtles, birds and small mammals.  They can grow to be 8 feet long.  In 1967 it was named an endangered species.


Horse Shoe Crabs
Horse Shoe Crabs are also called King Crabs.  It can be as long as  24 inches. It eats small invertebrates.


Logger Head Turtle
Logger Heads live mostly in warm waters.  They are a type of sea turtle.  Female turtles bury their eggs.  Most sea turtles are endangered.