Ocean Neritic Zone Animals
The neritic zone refers to a section of the ocean that has a depth of about 660 feet, which is a height just slightly above the edge of the continental shelf. In marine biology, this zone offers a stable environment with sufficient sunlight for marine life such as fish, corals, and plankton. Also known as the sublittoral zone, coastal waters, or the coastal ocean, the neritic zone offers the most conducive habitat for marine life. From the point of view of physical oceanography, the neritic zone is the region of the ocean where there is a significant tidal flow as well as energy dissipation. Similar to marine biology, this zone also begins from the continental shelf’s edge. Most people who enjoy scuba diving or snorkeling usually do so in the neritic zone, which is not far off from the beach.
The zone’s major characteristic is that it is close to the shore and is full of marine life. This zone is able to support life due to the abundance of food and nutrients that can support a complete food web. Another trait of the zone is that it is full of dissolved oxygen as well as carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. Plants also release oxygen into the water. Living organisms such as fish depend on the oxygen for survival while photosynthetic plants cannot make food without carbon dioxide. All these gases are available within the entire zone due to the proximity of the waters to the atmosphere. The zone also has a lower pressure and has a much more stable benthic zone (the ocean floor) compared to other zones.
Plankton is one of the most common life forms in this zone. Plankton, which is usually seen with some form of visual aid, include the common phytoplankton and zooplankton. The former are plants while the latter are categorized as animals. On a larger scale, phytoplankton is the leading source of photosynthesis and utilizes minerals in the ocean in a way that is similar to terrestrial plants.
I. The Pelagic Zone A. Begins At The Low Tide Mark And Includes The Oceanic Water Column. B. Two Zones: Neritic And Oceanic.
Seaweeds are also common, especially in the Atlantic Ocean’s neritic zone. Some of the most common seaweeds are known Sargassum fluitans and Sargassum natans. In some parts of the zone, seaweeds are so dominant that they have created tiny ecosystems of their own. In addition to the seaweed, the coral reef supports the growth of mangroves. The roots of the mangroves are usually in the soil while their leaves sprout up above the water level.
Aside from the above, the zone supports a wide range of fish species including bluefin tuna, herring, capelin, mackerel, and many more species. The plankton attracts smaller fish, which attract larger fish who complete the web. Larger species include blue whales, humpback whales, whale sharks, and others. Whale sharks, which are the largest fish species on earth, only eat plankton.
These animals have adapted to life in the zone in several ways. For example, they have different colors for reasons including camouflage and warning off of other creatures. Others have adapted to life in saltwater some creatures migrate between freshwater and saltwater environments.This zone has the depth of about 200 meters (656 feet) below the ocean surface. Microscopic plants called phytoplanktons are present in this zone. Sunlight penetrates this zone which facilitates the process of photosynthesis.
Understanding Human Threats To The Earth's Largest Habitat—the Deep Sea • Mbari
Supported Animal Species: Bigeye tuna, dolphin, orcas, blue whales, sharks, jellyfish, sea turtles. The two main type of fish in this zone are forage and predator fish. Predator as well as forage fish are mostly spindle-shaped, having large mouths, smooth bodies, and bifurcated tail. Most of the fish in this zone have a sleek body.
The Epipelagic Zone informally known as the Sunglight Zone, is from the surface of the water to about 200 meters. It has the most visbile light, and the most heat of all the layers of the ocean. It ranges from 27 to 207 degrees Fahrenheit. This is the only zone that has enough light for photosynthesis. Therefore this is the only zone that has plants.
Some organisms in the Sunlight Zone are sharks. Sharks have no bones, just cartilage. They range from 7 inches long to 50 feet long and most sharks have streamlined bodies that can help them easily go through the water. Bottom-dwelling sharks have flat bodies that help them hide in the sand. Sharks can have up to 3, 000 teeth at one time with 5 rows of teeth. They need all these teeth because they’re carnivores.
Ocean Ecosystems: Open Ocean
Another type of fish in the Sunlight Zone is the Angelfish. There are about 70 different species. They are all brightly covered and live in reefs in warm waters. They range froom 12-15 inches long. They are carnivores.
Oysters also live in the Sunlight Zone. They ahve a soft body between two hard shells that are attached by a muscle. The largest oysters are three feet long. However, they can be as small as only a few inches long. They actually change genders. They begin as males and turn into females.
This zone extends from epipelagic zone at about 200 meters (656 feet) to a depth of about 1000 meters (3, 280 feet). Sunlight penetrates to a very little extent, which makes the process of photosynthesis impossible.
List Of Hadal Zone Animals
Supported Animal Species: Squid, crab, cuttlefish, lancetfish, chain catshark, swordfish, wolf eels, bigeye tuna, calm, gastropods, krill. Most of the fish in this zone are highly mobile with scaled, muscular bodies and rigid bones. They have big kidneys and hearts. Their gills (respiratory organ) are well-developed.
The Mesopelagic Zone, also known as the Twilight, or Midwater Zone, is the second ocean zone. It is from 200 meters down to 1000 meters down. There is not much light, but there is enough to see during the day. Many of the animals in this zone have bioluminescence. This is when a fish has a certain chemical that creates light to help them see. There is not enough light for photosynthesis so the organisms have to eat food that is filtered down from above. There are filter feeders, grazers, and predators.
One type of fish that lives in the Twilight Zone is the viperfish. It has a large mouth with teeth that don’t fit in it’s mouth. It’s mouth is hinged so they can open it as wide as they want. It uses bioluminescence. It is about 11 to 12 inches long. They are dark, silvery blue. They are eaten by sharks and some dolphins.
Ocean Zonation. Pelagic Zone Water Environment Divided Into The Neritic Zone And Oceanic Zone.
There are about 45 different species of the hatchet fish. Ther range from 1 to 6 inches long. Most types have silvery scales. Most of these fish do not live for more than a year.
The eel is a boney fish with a snake-like body. Some live in salt water, and others live in fresh water. They hatch from eggs that are laid by their mother. They migrate to breed and eat.
The cuttle fish has a soft body with eight arms. They have two tentacles. Their skin color and pattern changes. They only live for about 18 months. Cuttlefish are about one foot long and eat small mollusks, worms, crabs, and shrimp. They are eaten by sharks, fish and other cuttlefish.
Four Major Oceanic Zones
This zone extends from mesopelagic zone at about 1000 meters (3, 280 feet) to a depth of about 4000 meters (13, 123 feet). Sunlight doesn’t penetrate in this zone. This region is very low on nutrient levels.
Supported Animal Species: Squid, sea stars , large whale, octopus, viperfish, frill shark, echinoids. Most of the fish have low metabolism rate as the zone lacks in nutrients. The fish have tiny eyes, fragile skin, faint muscles, and a slimy body.
The Bathypelagic Zone, informally known as the Midnight Zone, is 1, 000-4, 000 meters deep, resulting in a total absence of sunlight. Bioluminescence, light produced by organisms, is the only source of light. Food is scarce. Only 5% of food from the Epipelagic Zone reaches the Bathypelagic Zone. Most organisms of the Midnight Zone either are “sit and wait” predators or attract their prey with their bioluminescent lights, such as the female angler fish, who injest their prey in the inrush into the angler’s mouth when the angler fish opens its mouth. Many Deep-Sea organisms will eat anything that comes their way. These organisms tend to be black, red, or transparent, which makes them almost invisible in the total darkness. Bathypelagic Organisms include
Ocean Habitats And Zones By Science Lessons That Rock
Bristlemouths, Deep-Sea Angler Fish, Slickheads, Gulper Eels, Humpback Anglefish, and Phantom Anglefish. Bathypelagic fish tend to have huge mouths and long jaws to help them swallow anything and everything that comes their way. In addition, they have many teeth.
Some Bathypelagic fish are hermaphroditic, so that an encounter with any fish will produce results. Most of these organisms use bioluminescence to attract each other. Female angler fish release pheromones for the male anglers to hone in on. The male bites into the female tissue and never lets go. The male’s circulatory system joins the female’s and the male’s body degenerates until he is only a sack of testes.
The Abyss, also called the Abyssopelagic or Abyssal Zone lies in perpetual darkness. The name is Greek-based and means “bottomless”. It is from
Posting Komentar untuk "Ocean Neritic Zone Animals"