When the Ugly Animal Preservation Society was in need of a new mascot, they decided to let the people select one for them. In September 2013, over 3000 online votes were cast for the "World's Ugliest Animal," with the blobfish racking up 795 of them. It bested the proboscis monkey, the aquatic scrotum frog, and pubic lice for the top honor. According to the Ugly Animal Preservation Society, the blobfish gives a voice to the "mingers who always get forgotten."
Ghost crabs are commonly found on tropical and subtropical sandy shores across the world. There are over 20 species of Ocypode around the world. Ghost crabs are the fastest runners of all crustaceans reaching 3.4 m/sec and move more than 300 m a day when feeding. This has earned them the nickname "el carretero" or the "cart-driver" crab in Peru.
Irukandji jellyfish eat non-insect arthropods and other marine invertebrates. Irukandji jellyfishes diet shifts from invertebrates to vertebrates as they mature. To paralyze their victims, box jellyfish use venom. This venom is released into the prey as soon as the prey triggers one of the jellyfishes stinging cells (nematocysts). When the stinging cell is activated, a harpoon-like coil is released, which stings the prey, and the jellyfish venom then flows through the prey via the harpoon. The tentacle will then retract back into the jellyfish, dragging the prey in.
Zebra sharks are born dark brown with yellowish stripes. As they reach adulthood, zebra sharks' stripes are replaced by small black dots against a tan body. (To make it even more confusing, sometimes zebra shark is used as the common name for the tiger shark, Galeocerdo cuvier.)
The common limpet is a herbivorous marine snail that lives along the rocky shores of Western Europe. As they live in the intertidal zone (the area along the shore between the high tide and low tide sea levels), these limpets are extremely well adapted to an amphibious life. The thick, conical shell and strong, muscular foot combine to offer the common limpet a formidable defense against predators both in and out of the water. Large crabs and sea stars are potential predators underwater and birds are a primary threat above. However, the shell is shaped in such a way that it is difficult to grasp and it is thick enough to be difficult to break. It also perfectly covers the entire soft part of the body.
Fireworks should never be detonated in the water since the concussion effect could kill nearby fish or other aquatic life. A common chemical that is released in fireworks is ammonium perchlorate, which is known to contaminate ground and surface waters, and can cause harm to aquatic creatures residing in the lake.
Despite global disapproval of the killing of seals, and numerous scenes of conflict between hunters and humane activists, hundreds of thousands are still killed annually. A recent EU ban on the importation of skins from harp seals is however a welcomed step forward in seal protection which should decrease the number killed each year.
Smaller mackerel behave like herrings, and are captured in similar ways. Fish species like these, which school near the surface, can be caught efficiently by purse seining. Huge purse seiner vessels use spotter planes to locate the schooling fish. Then they close in using sophisticated sonar to track the shape of the shoal. Entire schools are then encircled with fast auxiliary boats which deploy purse seine nets as they speed around the school.
A clown triggerfish possesses a poisonous dorsal spine that locks in place when this aggressive fish feels threatened. It is unlocked by pressing the second spine, which is called the trigger, giving the fish its name.
Despite protection from their strong, conch are still victims of predation by various species. For example, other sea snail species are predatory and use powerful enzymes and a drill-like appendage to bore a hole in the shell of others. Conch are common victims to several of these large species of sea snails. Also, various species of octopus will attack the conch, removing it from its shell with its tentacles and hard beak. Various crustaceans, fish, and sea turtles will also feed on conches, especially when they are younger and their shells are softer and less developed. Finally, nurse sharks will also feed on conches. Given so many predators in its natural environment, it is easy to see why it has evolved such a hard, thick shell for as much protection as is possible.