OCE 3008 (Fi) Ch.14 - Animals of the Pelagic Environment

True

(T or F): Animals are denser than seawater. So, they tend to sink.

gas (containers)

Deep sea animals utilize ____ containers in their bodies, which allow them to adjust their buoyancy in the water.

Gas Containers

These are internal bladders in fishes that allow them to maintain neutral buoyancy.

These organs use air in the body to regulate density and control depth in the water column.

Physostomes

These are types of fish that feature a pneumatic duct directly connecting its esophagus to its swim bladder.

With this specific feature- there is a rapid exchange of gas.

Physoclists (Physoclisti)

These are types of fish that lack a pneumatic duct.

They instead have a gas "gland". With that being said they have a very slow gas exchange.

Zooplankton

This is a type of plankton that is known to be the 2nd largest biomass in the ocean.

To avoid sinking and being able to float they have soft gelatinous bodies that allow them to do so. They even have certain adaptations that allow them to increase their own surface area.

Some are swimmers, but other produce low density fats/oils to maintain that natural buoyancy.

tests

Microscopic Zooplankton have shells or __________. These are mineralized outer coverings for protection.

Radiolarians

This is a type of microzooplankton that have silica composed tests.

They are produced intricately ornamented mineral skeletons with spikes on them that protect them from predators.

These spikes increase that surface area of the organism- which overall increases frictional resistance therefore decreasing the chances of sinking.

Foraminifers

This is a type of microzooplankton that are very small, single celled protozoans.

They have calcium carbonate tests that are chambered.

They are mostly comprised of the deep sea and are found above the lysocline.

Copepods

This is a type of microzooplankton that is very shrimplike, but they are most of the ocean's zooplankton.

They contain a hard exoskeleton, segmented bodies, jointed legs, and have many forked tails and antennae.

Some can be herbivores, some carnivores, and some parasites.

Many also have a specialized feeding apparatus.

False (All copepods lay eggs)

(T or F): Some copepods lay eggs, but not all.

True

(T or F): Tropical and temperate copepod species differ in degree of ornamentation.

krill, cnidarians

Two key groups of macroscopic plankton are __________ and ______________.

Krill

These are small shrimp like crustaceans classified as macroscopic zooplankton.

They do not grow any longer than 5 cm and are abundant near Antarctica.

They are critical links in the Antarctic food chain.

Cnidaria

These are a type of macroscopic zooplankton that have soft bodies made of more than 95% of water and also has stinging tentacles.

Hydrozoan

These are a class of cnidarians that include jellyfish-like organisms that utilize gas-filled floats knowns as pneumatophores.

Scyphozoan

These are a class of cnidarians that are classified as the true jellyfish.

They are soft and have low density. Though, there tentacles are very long about 60 meters in length.

Nekton

These are a type of organism in the ocean that are capable of swimming.

They can maintain their position in a water column just by actively swimming.

Examples include sharks, squids, fish, sea turtles and many other marine mammals.

stabilizers, steering

When it comes to fins, paired vertical fins act as _________________. While paired pelvic and pectoral fins are used for ______________ and balance.

Myomeres

These are muscle blocks arranged along fish which allow them to move through water.

These muscles on each side alternately contract and relax allow the fish to propel.

Rounded Caudal Fins (Good for Flexibility)

Truncate Fins

Forked Fins (Usually on faster fish)

Lunate Fins

Heterocercal Fins

What are the five caudal fin designs?:

Lunate Fins

A specific type of caudal fin design that is very rigid and excellent for generating thrust, yet there is low maneuverability.

These types of fins are efficient for propulsion and fast swimmers/cruisers.

Heterocercal Fins

A specific type of caudal fin design that is asymmetrical with the majority of the mass/surface area being on the upper fin (shark).

These types of caudal fins produce lift for buoyancy.

Sharks, who have this type of caudal fin, tend to sink when actively not swimming

Lungers

A type of pelagic predator that usually sits and waits for their prey.

When read, they then pounce.

An example of this would be a grouper fish that uses truncate caudal fins for speed and maneuverability. \

These types usually use white muscle tissue.

Cruisers

A type of pelagic predator that actively forages or seeks for its prey.

An example of this would be tuna fish that use lunate or heterocercal caudal fins.

These types mainly use red muscle tissue

Red (Red Muscle Tissue)

This type of muscle tissue in marine animals is small than the other.

Cruisers typically have this type of muscle tissue.

This type of muscle tissue has higher concentrations of myoglobin. With that being said this tissues muscle fibers supply more oxygen.

It even supports higher metabolic rates for greater endurance.

True

(T or F): Lungers are more sedentary than cruisers, because of this they have little amounts of red tissue due to their lack of continuous movement.

False (Cruisers do have white tissue; but in small amounts- this allows them to engage in chasing, but only for a short period, though).

(T or F): Cruisers have no white tissue at all and are only composed of red tissue.

expending, gaining

Swimming speed for predators is a tradeoff between _______________ energy and ________________ energy.

slowly, fast

Generally, fish swim ___________ when cruising, and swim _______ to capture prey.

False (It actually does have everything to do with their size in proportion to their swimming speed).

(T or F): Swimming speed has nothing to do with the proportion of the animal's size. It depends on their caudal fin type.

Poikilothermic

These are fish that cold blooded. Their bodies are the same temperature as the environment.

They are not fast swimmers.

Homeothermic

These are fish that are warm blooded. They are usually found in warmer environments.

This feature alone, allows them to capture their prey easier.

True

(T or F): Higher body temperatures are generally associated with higher metabolic rates, faster muscle contraction, neurological response time, and faster swimming speed when it comes to marine animals.

detritus

Since the deep-sea environment is completely dark, the primary food source of deep seas fishes is ______________, which is dead or decaying organic matter. Or they feed on other deep-sea creatures.

Counterillumination

This is a camouflage strategy that marine animals use to hide from predators.

It involves use belly lights to match the light from above which creates an illusion from potential predators from below them.

Schooling

This refers to a group of the same fish species swimming together in a coordinated and synchronized manner.

This group is large in numbers and isn't just fish- it can be squid and shrimp as well.

This grouping makes finding a mate easier and increases the probability of spawning.

These groups can invade territories of larger species. This also decreases predation of any one individual thus increasing survival for that species.

confuse

The primary advantage of schooling is to protect each other from predators. The maneuvering techniques of schoolings allow them to ________________ the predator.

Symbiosis

This a close relationship between two species in which they interaction benefits one of the parties.

There are three main types: commensalism, mutualism, and parasitism

Commensalism

A type of symbiosis in which the less dominant organism benefits without harming the host.

The host provides subsistence or protection.

Mutualism

A type of symbiosis in which both organisms benefit.

An example would be clown fish and anemone (like in the movie Nemo lol). The anemone protects the clownfish and provides a habitat as well- while in return the clownfish cleans and protects the anemone.

Parasitism

This is a type of symbiosis in which the organism benefits at expense of the host.

An example would be a parasitic isopod on a fish. The isopod extracts nutrients from the fish making the fish lose energy.

True

(T or F): Prominent canine teeth are the defining characteristic of the order Carnivora.

Pinnipeds

These are a group of semi-aquatics, fin footed marine animals like seals, sea lions, and walruses.

They belong to the order Carnivora.

Sea Otters

This is an animal in the order Carnivora that has been hunted near extinction in the 1800s but has made a full recovery since.

They inhabit the kelp forests in coastal eastern part of the north Pacific Ocean.

They have extremely dense fur, eat many types of marine invertebrates and fish, and one of the smallest marine mammals.

Polar Bears

This is an animal in the order Carnivora that has been impacted by climate change because of the loss of sea ice in the Arctic.

They have thick white fur, massive, webbed paws making them excellent swimmers, and have teeth large enough to easily capture and kill prey.

Their primary prey is seals. They capture them at air holes.

Walruses

This is an animal in the order Carnivora that is a pinniped and has a very large body

The adults of these animals have ivory tusks that grown to 1m in length. These tusks allow them to defend territories and get them out of water onto ice.

Seals lack prominent ear flaps.

Seals have smaller front flippers.

Seals have fore flipper claws.

What are three differences in anatomy/physiology between the Sea Lion/Fur Seal and Seals?:

rear, fore(flippers)

In terms of locomotion, seals move their ________ flippers back and forth. Sea lions/fur seals use large ______flippers.

False (The animal order, Sirenia's greatest threat is actually habitat loss, e.g. boat strikes).

(T or F): When it comes to the Order Sirenia, the primary threat they face is predation.

Order Cetacea (Cetacea)

This is an order that refers to the scientific classification of a group of aquatic mammals that includes whales, dolphins, and porpoises.

This order is characterized by their streamlined body shape, their amazing adaptations to increase their swimming speed, and their ability to adapt to deep sea dive.

Alveoli

These are tiny air chambers in the lungs of cetaceans that reduce oxygen required for noncritical organs.

This then maximizes the blood flow to their heart and brain.

Nitrogen Narcosis

This is a condition that affects an organism if they were to dive too deep.

Nitrogen is absorbed into the tissues under pressure and induces a drunkenness-like behavior.

Decompression Sickness (aka the bends)

This is a condition caused by nitrogen bubbles forming in the blood if an individual would resurface too quickly.

It can cause bone damage, excruciating pain, and lead to death.

suborder Odontoceti

This is a suborder belonging to the order Cetacea that includes toothed cetaceans.

Animals include dolphins, porpoises, killer whales, and sperm whales which all have a blowhole.

These animals use echolocation to determine the distance and direction to objects.

Porpoises

An animal belonging to the order Cetacea, specifically the suborder Odontoceti that is smaller than a dolphin and has a more stout body shape.

Its fins are triangular has a blunt snout and blunt flat teeth.

Dolphins

An animal belonging to the order Cetacea, specifically the suborder Odontoceti that is larger and more streamline in shape.

Its rostrum is rather large, and its dorsal fin is hooked, it is falcate.

These animals also have pointy teeth like killer whales.

Echolocation

This is a biological process in which an animal emits sound and analyzes the returning echoes to determine the location/distance of objects.

Dolphins and Porpoises emit the sound from their phonic lips.

The key organ that allows dolphins/porpoises to do this are known as the melon.

museau de singe, spermaceti organ, (the) junk

When it comes to echolocation with whales- they will force air through their nasal passages to the _______________ __ _____________ also known as monkey lips. The click then passes through the __________________ ____________, and is then reflected forward through the ________ and amplified outward.

True

(T or F): When it comes to marine animals, the large brains are relative to body size. Sperm Whales have the largest brain of any animal. Their brain is highly complex.

Gray Whale

This is a type of baleen whale belonging to the suborder Mysticeti of the order Cetacea.

It is short in size and is a coarse baleen whale.

It has no dorsal fin and is a bottom feeder.

Right Whales

This is a type of baleen whale belonging to the suborder Mysticeti of the order Cetacea.

This type of baleen whale is very long, and fine.

It has no dorsal fin and is located in the North Atlantic and Pacific.

They are the most critically endangered whales in the world.

Rorqual Whales

This is a type of baleen whale belonging to the suborder Mysticeti of the order Cetacea.

These are a more humpback baleen whale that feed at the surface creating a bubblenet.

They fill their mouths with body weight of water and prey.

Mysticeti

This is a suborder of the order Cetacea that includes baleen whales:

Blue Whale

Right Whale

Finback Whale

Humpback Whale

Gray Whale

Right Whale

They feed low on the food web where biomass is the highest.

They have 2 blowholes and have fibrous plates of baleen which allow these whales to filter feed.