10 Underwater Creature Facts We Bet You Don't Know

The underwater world amazes us as photographers. Part of being a good underwater photographer is being able to identify the fish and other creatures you're looking at. Knowing where to likely find their habitat, how creatures interact with each other and whether their behavior is unusual or not could be the difference between a good shot and a great shot. Sea creatures have some amazing adaptions for survival. Here are 10 Underwater Creatures Facts We Bet You Didn't Know...

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1.  Many bony fish have more than just one set of nostrils.

 The nostrils of fish also do not open into the back of the mouth like those of mammals, and are not, therefore, for breathing. They lead into organs of smell, which are very sensitive in order for fish to detect the presence of food in the water at considerable distances. More nostrils = more smelling!

2.  Not all Hermit Crabs use discarded seashells as their portable shelters.

 In the Sea of Cortez some hermit crabs use living, growing Hydrocoral and others, in the Indo-Pacific region, live in the fixed wormholes left by marine worms.

3.  Sharks are covered with tiny little teeth called dermal denticles.

 That’s why their skin feels like sandpaper.

4.  Damselfish are farmers growing little algae gardens.

 The next time they attack you’ll just know that they are saying: “Stay off my land, yah hear!”

5.  Moray Eels open and close their mouths, not as an aggressive behavior but as part of their respiration process.

 They’re just breathing!

6.  At night Parrotfish enclose themselves in a bubble of their own mucus to avoid being smelled by predators.

7.  Nudibranchs can absorb nematocysts (stinging cells) from the prey they eat and later use them as part of their defensive system.

8.  Boxfish do not have a conventional bony skeleton like most vertebrate.

 They literally have a bone box that only the eyes, mouth and fins stick out of.

9.  Many species of fish are hermaphrodites.

 They will start their lives as females and then if a male is needed the lead female will become a male.

10.  Barnacles are actually crustaceans related to crabs and lobsters.

 Since they are fixed to the substrate the male barnacle must use a very long reproductive part to be able to reach his mate!

Want to see more Crazy Underwater Creatures?

Check out some of our other underwater creature and bizarre animal articles:

• 5 Creatures You Must See in the Indo-Pacific

• Fascinating Creatures of the Pacific Northwest
  

• The Ultimate Guide to Sea Turtles

• A Complete Guide to Manta Rays

• 10 EPIC Shark Dive Destinations