A salt water tank might be added next year.
A salt water tank might be added next year.
Thers is more ocean water in the Southern
Hemisphere than in the Northern Hemishpere.
The Pacific, Atlantic, Indian and Arctic Oceans vary
in temperature and sea life. The Southern Ocean, or Antarctic Oceans, encircles
the Antarctia. There are large water currents in each ocean that carry
hot and cold water around the globe. This affects weather pattern
on a world-wide scale. Have you heard of El Nino?
In the ocean there are hundreds and
hundreds of different kinds of fish, invertebrates and anthropods.
They all have their own areas and sea "levels" where they live.
Fish are called "pelagic". They live
in the open sea, away from the bottom in mid-water. Tuna and mackerel
are examples. Sea snakes are also part of this group. All sea
snakes are venomous and eat fish.
Invertebrates (animals without a backbone)
include some very strang sea creatures: the jellyfish, corals, anemones,
sponges, and Portuguese man-of-war.
Anthropods are sea insects.
They are called crutaceans (cru-STA-shuns): lobsters, crabs, crayfish and
shrimp are examples. So are barnacles. There are over 25,000
species of crustaceans.
Saltwater habitat areas can
be divided into about 4 groups: Ocean, Brackish, Mud Flat and Red Mangrove.
Some of the birds who habitat this mud flat areas are:
flamingos, ibisis, and gulls. There are also shellfish in the mud flats.
Clams and mussels live here as well as crayfish, crabs and shrimp.