“The more that you read, the more things you will know. The more that you learn, the more places you’ll go.”
“The ocean stirs the heart, inspires the imagination and brings eternal joy to the soul.”
– Wyland
- Dr. Seuss
“The sea, once it casts its spell, holds one in its net of wonder forever.”
“The oceans eserve our respect and care, but you have to know something before you can care about it.”
– Jacques Yves Cousteau
– Sylvia Earle
“The world’s finest wilderness lies beneath the waves …”
– Wyland
“Into the ocean went a world more fantastic than any imagination could inspire …”
– Wyland
To my bright, smart, funny and wonderful son! Thank you for inspiring me and giving me the strength and courage to pursue my dreams and goals. Thanks for all the hugs when I needed them most.You amaze my every day as you grow in leaps and bounds, and with all you have to teach and show me. Never give up on your dreams, you can make anything happen when you put your heart and soul into it! Your love,encouragement, understanding and support made the artwork you see in this book possible! You are a big part of it! I love you! ~Mom
Mommy, mommy, is it Thursday yet?” Clint asked impatiently as soon as he opened his eyes. “Yes, dear,” mother smiled. “Get ready!” Clint is very excited today. He has been waiting for this day the entire month. His teacher Ms. Neicy is taking her class on a field trip to the City Aquarium. “Don’t forget your lunch.”
Clint grabbed his lunch bag and soon he was on a bus to the Aquarium. As soon as Clint stepped through the doors he found himself in the underwater aquarium tunnel. The fish were darting everywhere around him. Little spots of color were swimming very fast from cave to cave, around the rocks, chasing each other playing tag. Clint was fascinated by their bright colors. Suddenly, he noticed a small maroon fish winking at him. “Hello,” he said to the pretty fish. You can imagine Clint’s surprise, when the little fish said, “Hello and what is your name?” “My name is Clint. My class is here on a field trip. What is your name?” “My name is Andy, the Anemone fish. Would you like me to take you on an adventure to see my neighborhood and meet my friends?” he bubbled. “Yes,” Clint was overjoyed. He never met a talking fish before.
People call me anemone fish because I live in anemone. It looks like an underwater flower but has hundreds of poisonous tentacles. “Ane-mo-ne fish,” Clint repeated slowly, “such a long name.” “You can call me Andy. I am a unique type of fish because I make my home among the poisonous tentacles of a sea anemone,” he said. “I know,” Clint replied. “We have anemone in our fish tank at home. Mommy says that I can’t touch it. It will sting me. Does it sting you too?”
Smart Kids Facts: The clown anemone fish lives to be six to ten years old. In captivity, they may live up to 18 years. There are 28 species of anemone fish. They live mostly in shallow waters in the Indian Ocean, the Red Sea, and the Western Pacific Ocean.
“No, it doesn’t sting me. I have a trick. When I meet my anemone for the first time, I swim a special dance around the poisonous tentacles until I build up immunity to the poison. When I see something scary, I dive right into my anemone. I have the best house in the entire ocean and the safest of all. Nobody can catch me there,” Andy smiled. “Let’s go and meet my next door neighbor. She is one of the most colorful fish in the entire ocean. Can you guess who it is?”
Smart Kids Facts: At night, butterfly fish settle into dark crevices and their brilliant colors and markings fade to blend with the reef background. There are about 114 species of butterfly fish.
“This is the house of Mrs. Barbara, the Butterfly fish and we need to be really quiet,” whispered Andy. “Why do I need to be quiet?” Clint asked surprised. “Mrs. Barbara swims really fast and can tuck herself into crevices in the coral. It’s a trick she learned to escape from large fish like sharks and eels. You need to sit quietly and wait until she comes by,” Andy explained. “Here she comes. Look at her long nose!” Clint pointed at the butterfly fish.
“Yes, the nose is helping her to find food. Butterfly fish spends her days pecking at corals and rocks searching for food. Do you know why she is called butterfly fish?” asked Andy. “Is it because she is so colorful?” “Yes, butterfly fish are named for their brightly-colored bodies which can be shades of red, blue, white, black, orange and yellow.” “Let’s go and meet another neighbor. She is green, has a big mouth with lots of teeth and a long, long tail. Who do you think it is?”
Mrs. Carla Crocodile, Mrs. Carla Crocodile,” Andy yelled. “Where are you?” “Oh, please, be quiet! Hush, hush, here I am,” whispered Mrs. Crocodile. “See my eggs, my babies are inside. They will hatch soon.” “Your babies come from eggs?” “I’m a reptile and most reptiles lay eggs. I can live on the land and in the water. When I’m in the water most of my body is hidden but you can still see my eyes. Crocodiles can float for hours in the water.”
Smart Kids Facts: Crocodiles have been around for some 200 million years and have changed very little since the time of the dinosaurs.The saltwater crocodile is the largest reptile in the world, and perhaps the most dangerous.
“With such a big mouth and large teeth what do you eat?” Clint asked Carla. “Oh, I eat almost anything, I’m not picky but I like meat best. Fruit and vegetables are not on my favorite food list.” “My mom says that vegetables and fruits are very good for you so I eat them but some times I hold my nose,” Clint laughs. “Thank you, Mrs. Carla Crocodile, for an interesting story. Who are we going to visit next, Andy?”
Smart Kids Facts: Dolphins are mammals; this means that they nurse their babies with milk from the mothers. The average lifespan of a dolphin ranges from about 17 years to about 25 years. Some dolphins can live to be 50 years old.
“Some of my best friends live here and we can play tag all day long. Dolphins live in groups or families called pods. Female dolphins are called cows, males are called bulls and young dolphins are called calves.” “I love dolphins. Do they ever sleep?” Clint wondered. “Yes but dolphins don’t sleep like we do. They sleep by resting only one half of their brain at a time and one eye is always open so they remember to take air in, otherwise they would drown.” “Drown, can’t they breathe under water?”
“No, they don’t have gills like other fish. Dolphins breathe air through their blowhole on top of their heads. Some dolphins rise to the surface to breathe every 20 to 30 seconds while others can hold their breath as long as 30 minutes.” “Amazing! Can they talk?” Andy surprised him and said, “Yes, they can make a lot of different noises. They talk to each other and to people by clicking, whistling and other sounds.” “Our next neighbors look like small snakes and live in sand. Can you guess who they are?”
This is a home of Mr. and Mrs. Edge, the Garden Eels,” said Andy. “Oh, they do look like snakes,” Clint squirmed. “Yes, if you see a fish that looks like a snake underwater, it’s probably an eel,” Andy explained. “Do they always stay in these holes?” “Yes. Mostly because they are shy. Garden eels burrow themselves
Smart Kids Facts: These species are most often seen in dense colonies of up to several hundred individuals with only about one-quarter of their 16- to 24-inch bodies extending above the surface of the sand. They quickly retreat below the surface of the sand at the approach of a predator.
into the sandy bottom of the ocean. All garden eels in a colony will face into the current so they can pick food out of the passing water.” “When will they come out of their home so I can see how long they are?” “As soon as they see some food floating by you will see them come out and catch it,” Andy continued. “At night, the garden eels completely disappear into their burrows.” “Our next neighbor is one of the most fascinating fish in the entire ocean. Sometime you can see it fly! Do you know who it is?”
“Can this fish really fly like a bird?” “No not really. Flying Fish do not really fly but leap out of the water when they get scared,” Andy smiled. “Why do they do this, can they live out of the water?” Clint looked puzzled. “No, they can’t live out of the water. They know a trick. Predators can’t see them once they are in the air.”
Smart Kids Facts: Flying fish are found in all of the major oceans. Their most striking feature is their pectoral fins, which are unusually large, and enable the fish to take short gliding flights through air, above the surface of the water, in order to escape from predators. Their glides are typically around 164ft, but they can use updrafts at the leading edge of waves to cover distances of at least 1300ft.
“What are predators, Andy?” Clint looked confused. “Predators are large fish like sharks and eels that eat other small fish.” “Do flying fish have wings?” Clint asked while pointing at the flying fish. “Their fins look like wings. They are very thin and transparent and in flight the flying fish looks like a giant dragonfly,” Andy said. “Our next neighbor has a pretty golden color and lives in freshwater, not saltwater. Can you guess who it is?”
Smart Kids Facts: Fish can hear.You may not know this as they might ignore you when they shout. That’s because they don’t care about anything else but food. If you call them regularly just before you feed them, they will soon learn that the call means a word no other than food.
“This house belongs to my friend Mrs. Gala, the Goldfish,” Andy said. “Freshwater, means not the ocean. I live in saltwater in the ocean and Goldfish live in lakes and ponds.” “Some of my friends have Goldfish tanks in their home,” Clint said thoughtfully. “That’s because Goldfish are the most popular pet fish to keep in homes. Artists like to draw and paint Goldfish inside a tiny bowl,” Andy continued sadly. “Goldfish like
large spaces to swim. Please, Clint, tell all your friends who want to keep a goldfish, it likes a big aquarium with plenty of room to swim.” “I will tell everybody in school” Clint promised. “Why is she called a Goldfish? Is it because she is a pretty golden color?” “Yes,” Andy nodded, “but goldfish can be also be pink and bronze.”
“Look at that huge animal,” Clint exclaimed with her eyes wide open. “This is Holly, the Hippopotamus and her baby hippo. She is very large. In fact, hippos are the third largest animal on land. Only elephants and some rhinos are larger,” Andy explained. “That’s amazing! Can she swim?” “Hippos are excellent swimmers and can hold their breath for about five minutes. They can even walk along the bottom of rivers and lakes. Hippos spend a lot of time in the water. Even baby hippos are born underwater. They can swim almost from the moment they’re born.”
Smart Kids Facts: Hippopotamus comes from two Greek words that means river horse When a hippo sinks completely underwater, its nose and ears automatically close so that no water seeps in.
“Baby Hippo’s can swim too? Why do they spend so much time sitting in the water? Do they get sick? My daddy says I will get sick if I stay in the water too long,” Clint said. “Hippo’s spend most of the day in the water but they don’t get sick. Staying in the water helps a hippo stay cool in the hot, tropical climate where they live.”
“Clint, look at this beautiful fish!” Andy said. They are my friends - the Imperator Angelfish. “Wow, they are so colorful!” “They are the most colorful of all reef fishes and are very shy. They live in pairs among a colorful garden, called coral reef,” Andy said. “That’s their trick that they learned long ago. Their bright colored body helps them to blend in with the colorful garden. The big hungry fish can’t see them as they swim by.” “Is coral reef a garden?” Clint wondered.
Smart Kids Facts: Young queen angelfish will set up a cleaning station and pick parasites off the skin of bigger fish like hammerhead sharks. The Imperator is named for it regal color palette consisting of electric royal blues and bright yellows. They can grow up to 18 inches.
“Yes, a coral reef is a beautiful ocean garden and has hundreds of different beautiful brightly colored coral animals living in the garden. Corals can be different shapes. Some are soft and look like mushrooms; others are hard and look like tree branches. That’s where tropical fish sleep, eat, play games and hide from predators.” “Wait till you see our next neighbors. They have very long poison tentacles but it is not anemone. Can you guess who these neighbors are?”
Smart Kids Facts: Jellyfish have existed for more than 650 million years and happen to be the oldest living creatures on the planet. They have existed before the dinosaurs and have survived longer than the dinosaurs Jellyfish are among the most intimidating and intriguing creatures of the marine world.
“Andy, look at that floating jello. What is it? ” Clint asked. “Oh, you cannot touch that. That is a jellyfish,” Andy warned. “This is a sea creature with a soft body and long tentacles that are poisonous.” “Are they like anemones?” Clint guessed. “They are close to anemones,” Andy nodded, “Jellyfish use their tentacles to catch food. Some jellyfish are clear and can
look like a plastic bag in the water. Others are vibrant colors such as pink, yellow and blue.” “I don’t see their eyes?” “Oh,” said Andy, “Jellyfish have no eyes, no heart, and no brain either.” “Then, how do they know where to go?” “Jellyfish can detect light and dark. As soon as they feel a dark spot, they start swimming away from it avoiding predators and grasses where their long tentacles can get tangled.”
“Next up, say hello to Mr. and Mrs. Kale, the Koi fish. They are my freshwater friends. They live in lakes and ponds like Goldfish. People love them because they are very friendly. They can even come up and take food right from your hand.” “Hello, Mr. and Mrs. Kale,” Andy said as he waved to his friends. “I am giving Clint a tour of our Aquarium.” “Hello! Welcome to my home. I am very happy to see you,” Mrs. Kale waved back. “Mrs. Kale, can you tell us how old are you,” asked Clint.
Fun Facts Koi are cold-water fish, but benefit from being kept in the 59-77 degrees F range and do not react well to long cold winter temperatures, their immune system ‘turns off’ below 59 degrees F. The Koi hobby today boasts over 100 amazing color varieties. Every Koi is unique, and the patterns that are seen on a specific Koi can never be exactly repeated.
Freshwater
Saltwater
“I am 100 years old!” “Really? I have never seen a fish that old!” “Yes, we are among the longest-living fishes, with some Koi living over 200 years.” “I like your golden shiny color,” Clint smiled. “Thank you! Koi can be white, black, red, yellow, blue, and cream.” “Thank you Mr. and Mrs. Kale. We have to be going now,” Andy waved goodbye. “My next neighbor has five legs. Can you guess who she is?”
“This is a home of my neighbor Linda, the Linckia Blue Starfish. She lives in a reef nearby.” “Is it a blue fish with arms?” Clint asked surprised. “No, they call her a starfish, but she is not really a fish,” Andy chuckled. “Starfish cannot swim and she does not use gills to breathe.” “Wow! Does she have a trick?” Clint asked. “Yes, she does. Do you see how many arms she has?” “One, two, three, four, five. Five arms.” Clint counted. “That’s right; our starfish has five arms, and guess what? If one of the arms gets damaged,
Smart Kids Facts: Very important: - starfish dry out VERY fast if out of the water. So, if you find a starfish lying out on the beach, get it into the water quickly. Starfish arms are covered in little tube feet and use them to eat, hunt and move. The feet are made of suction cups. The smallest starfish is only 1-2 inches wide. The largest are more than 24 inches wide!
it will grow back. Starfish don’t always have 5 arms. Some have four, six and even more! They are very slow moving but can move in any direction.” “Does she have eyes?” Clint wondered. “She does, and where do you think they are located?” “It’s a trick question,” Clint replied, “where would they be?” “Starfish have microscopic eyes at the end of each arm. They can’t see much detail but they can tell the difference between dark and light.” “Our next neighbor looks like a large snake. Can you guess who is he?”
““Hello guests! My name is Marty, the Moray Eel. I am resting in my cave during the day,” Marty said as he slowly wriggled halfway out of his cave. “Oh,” Clint exclaimed! You are a snake like the Garden Eel!” “He is my cousin. I am also an eel. I look like a snake but I am actually a fish,” Marty replied. “Marty, I was wondering, why do you keep your mouth constantly open? It can be frightening to all the children,” Clint asked cautiously hiding behind the rock. “Don’t be afraid,” Marty said. “For me, opening and closing my mouth is just like breathing
Smart Kids Facts: There are around 200 different species of moray eel than can range in size from just 4 inches long to nearly 7 feet in length. Despite their varying size and color all moray eels are fairly similar in appearance with an elongated body, slightly flattened towards the tail. Moray eels also have large eyes and mouths which contain large teeth.
in and out. Fish need oxygen to survive. The water flows inside my body and it takes the oxygen it needs from the water.” “I see,” Clint’s face brightened. “Can you change colors?” “I can’t change colors but by body is matched to the color of the rocks where I live. This is a trick called camouflage. It works so well, that no one can find me.” “Thank you, Marty,” said Andy. “It’s time to go and see who lives in the next home.”
Smart Kids Facts: Their scientific name, Nudibranchia, means naked gills, and describes the feathery gills and horns that most wear on their backs. Nudibranchs can’t see their own rainbow colors. That’s because their tiny eyes can only see white, black, and shades of gray. They also lack a nose, ears, and tongue. Instead, they use two tentacles, called rhinophores to smell, feel, and taste things around them.
“Andy, this neighbor looks like a piece of moving candy!” Clint smiled. “This creature is called Nudibranch and she does look like a piece of candy. Nudibranch’s are as colorful as a candy store. One can have pink polka dots and flashy red gills while another can be royal blue with yellow and black stripes. If you imagine a shape and color, there is probably a Nudibranch to match,” said Andy. “But you really can’t eat it, she is a sea slug.” “What’s that?” Clint was curious. “It is a snail without a shell. Most are about the size of your finger though some can
grow as long as a computer keyboard,” Andy explained. “How do they get these amazing colors?” “It’s a very interesting trick they learned so they could hide from their predators. Nudibranch get their colors from the foods they eat. For example, when she eats an orange sponge, she absorbs the sponge’s color and becomes tinges of orange. Eating a red sponge can turn a slug red—and so on,” said Andy. “Let’s go and meet our next neighbor who has eight legs. Can you guess who that could be?”
“Olivia, Olivia are you here?” Andy yelled next to a small cave. “Olivia, the Octopus lives in this cave between the rocks.” “I’m here. Who is calling for me,” Olivia asked while peeking out of her cave. “It’s me, Andy the clownfish and my friend Clint.” “Welcome to my home. My name is Olivia the Octopus because I have eight arms.” “Eight arms? Why do you need so many arms?” Clint asked. “Having eight arms is very useful for me. I pick up toys, shells and things others
Smart Kids Facts: An interesting octopus fact is that these sea creatures have three hearts. Two hearts pump blood through the gills whereas the third one pumps blood through rest of the body. Octopuses can change the color of their body to merge with the surrounding that helps them to stay invisible from prey or predators. Octopuses are known to eject a cloud of black ink when attacked by a predator.
loose. Everyone comes to me if they lose something. I also can build a fortress from those shells around my home.” “How convenient! Do you know any other interesting tricks?” “I do know a very unique trick. If a predator is chasing me I spray a black inky substance in their face and that makes predators’ lose their vision and sense of smell and helps me to get away,” Olivia smiled. “Thank you Olivia! We have to be going now. Our next friend is a unique fish that can puff. Can you guess who that would be?”
Smart Kids Facts: Pufferfish puff up when they get scared. It is very interesting to watch but the behavior should never be encouraged because it puts a tremendous amount of stress on the fish’s body... pufferfish can puff up to 2 or 3 times their normal size! Fish keepers who keep puffer fish are encouraged not to take them out of water when transferring them because puffing up with air instead of water can be especially dangerous.
“Oh no, what happened to this fish, Andy? Why is he soooo round? Is he sick?” Clint pointed at a round ball that was floating in the middle between the corals. “This is Paul the Pufferfish,” said Andy. “He is not an ordinary fish. He can puff.” “What do you mean, puff? “It means he can drink so much water that he turns into a ball several times his normal size.” “Why would he want to drink so much?”
“I’m sure you noticed almost every sea animal has a trick. This is a trick that Paul uses. He is a very slow swimmer so if a predator is chasing him and he can’t get away he fills himself with water or air and large fish cannot eat him,” Andy explained. “It’s good he knows when to stop or he could blow up,” Clint laughed. “What does Paul like to eat?” “He loves vegetables. In the ocean we call them algae.” “Our next neighbor has a beautiful spiral house. Can you guess who lives there?”
Smart Kids Facts: Queen Conchs achieve full size at about 3-5 years of age, growing to a maximum of about 12 inches (30.4 cm) long and weighing about 5 pounds (2.3 kg).
“Welcome to the house of Mrs. Quenna, the Queen Conch,” said Andy. “Does anybody live here? I don’t see anybody.” Clint said curiously looking around. “Look closely at this interesting house,” Andy pointed to the huge seashell. “It looks like a giant pink and orange seashell and so pretty,” Clint marveled. “It’s a Seashell of a Queen Conch, a large mollusk, similar to a snail but lives in a very beautiful spiral shaped house.”
“How does she build her house?” “Mrs. Quenna Conch uses minerals from the ocean water to make her shell. She always stays in her house that protects her from predators.” “Is it hard to swim with that big shell Andy?” “Mrs. Quenna Conch cannot swim. She lives on the bottom of the ocean in a sea grass, coral reefs and in sand.”
“Oh, look, Andy, here is a creature that looks like an underwater bird.” “This is Mr. Richard Ray, the Stingray. Stingrays are fascinating creatures. He can float and fly through the ocean. His fins look like bird wings but the majority of his time he spends buried in the sand.” “Why would he do that? Is it another trick?” Clint guessed. “Yes, you are right!” Andy nodded. “This is another trick that Mr. Richard Ray learned. He uses the sand as camouflage waiting for a fish to swim by and then the can catch and eat it.” “What an interesting trick!”
Smart Kids Facts: Stingrays are related to sharks (some folks call them “flattened sharks”), unfortunately while sharks may be family, they are also the biggest predators of stingrays. Stingrays are usually docile and harmless, though they will use their barbed tails in defense (usually if they are stepped on). Stingray mamas give birth to two to ten stingray “pups” per year.
“Do you know how old Mr. Richard Ray is?” “He is fifteen years old. Some stingrays can live to be 25 years old. Do you know what else is interesting?” Andy continued. “Stingrays can live in saltwater or brackish water.” “Brackish water? What is that?” “Brackish water is where seawater and fresh water meet.” “Let’s go, I will show you the most important place in the ocean! Can you guess what kind of place that would be? The doctor’s office, of course.”
“This is a doctor’s office? I don’t see any doctors here but I see a shrimp.” “This is not an ordinary shrimp,“ Andy smiled. “This is Mr. Sam the Cleaner Shrimp. He has set up a cleaning spot here. Every fish in the ocean comes here when they are not feeling well to get help. Mr. Sam will clean your gills from parasites and itch. He is a very brave little doctor. He even cleans large fish like eels and sharks.” “Wow, he really is brave. Does he know any other tricks?” Clint asked.
Smart Kids Facts: The cleaner shrimp is a very interesting creature, since it exhibits a bizarre behavior that gives it its name. The cleaner shrimp will bravely approach large fish and even moray eels in order to clean their skin and gills of small parasites and food matter. Most fish seem to enjoy this service and will allow the shrimp to crawl all over them while they remain stationary.
“He can molt. When shrimp grow bigger their skin becomes too tight for them so they grow a new skin and lose the old one. This process is called molting.” “Wow! Loses his skin? You do have the most fascinating neighbors I have ever known about,” Clint smiled. “Wait until you see me next neighbor. She is the oldest in the entire ocean. Can you guess who that would be?”
Smart Kids Facts: Turtles have been alive for more than 200 million years. They have been alive longer than mammals, birds, crocodiles, snakes and lizards. Turtles have been on the earth for more than 215 million years. Sea turtles are the biggest kind of turtle. Adult sea turtles can weigh from 150 – 1000 pounds! The shell of a turtle is made up of 60 different bones all connected together.
“Andy, what is going on here?” Clint exclaimed pointing at a sea turtle. “Why are all these fish eating a turtle?” “They are not eating a turtle,” Andy giggled. “This is another cleaning station. Ms. Tavia, the Green Sea Turtle comes here to get her shell cleaned. These small fish are called Yellow Tangs and they love to eat small plants that grow on a turtle’s shell.” “So, Ms. Tavia lives in the ocean, right?” Clint asked thoughtfully. “Can she breathe underwater like a fish?”
“The answer is No. Turtles can’t breathe in the water. Mrs. Green Sea Turtle has to swim to the surface to get air. She is a reptile.” “A reptile? Like Mrs. Crocodile?” Clint guessed. “Yes, baby turtles come from eggs. Turtles make nests in the sand on the beach. When babies are born, they crawl fast to the water.” Andy said. “Turtles are excellent swimmers.” “How old is Ms. Tavia?” “She is 55 years old. Some turtles can live to be over a hundred years of age.”
“Andy, who is this creature that looks like a hedgehog?” Clint pointed at a ball of needles. “This is Sea Urchin. He is a very strange animal. Do you see his spines?” “Yes, I guess we shouldn’t be playing with him,” Clint hid his arms behind his back. “These spines are very sharp and protect Urchin from anybody who wants to eat him,” warned Andy. “I am curious, how does he swim?”
Smart Kids Facts: The word “urchin” refers to the old term that means round spiny hedgehogs that actually look like it. Sea urchins are marine animals that originated roughly 450 million years ago. Urchins are easily overlooked in the ocean because they don’t have arms, claws, fins or eyes but are made of small, globular, spiny shells only 3-10cm across.
“Urchins don’t swim. They move very slowly across the bottom of the ocean. He actually has hundreds of tiny feet underneath his body. That’s how he moves,” Andy said. “What does he eat? I can’t really see his mouth?” “He has a tiny mouth with teeth. To eat, they crawl over a seaweed and tear away at it using his mouth. Urchins eat practically anything from algae stuck to rocks, to seaweed.” “Are they always black or can he be a different color?” “Yes, he can be red, black, light green, brown, olive and even purple.”
“Andy, look, it’s a crab!” “It is not an ordinary crab. It is a velvet crab. It is the largest swimming crab.” “If he can swim why does he have a shell and those arms?” Clint asked curiously. “Well, the shell protects him from anybody who wants to eat him. The arms are called claws. He has two claws and uses them to tear off food
Smart Kids Facts: Marine crabs breathe underwater using gills… land crabs have two cavities that act like lungs and allow them to breathe air. Crabs are invertebrates (animals without a backbone)…their exoskeleton protects them from predators and provides support for their bodies.
and protect himself.” “What happens to his shell when the crab grows? Does it grow with the crab?” “When the crab grows too big for its shell, the shell splits and the crab climbs out of it. The crab then grows a new shell. A crab’s shell matches the color of the rocks, plants or sand where it lives,” Andy smiled. “Our next neighbor is the largest animal in the ocean. Who could that be?”
“Shhhh, can you hear that song,” Andy whispered, “Listen.” “Yes, I hear,” Clint nodded, “who is it singing?” “This is Willy, The Whale. Whales love to sing! They use this as a way to communicate.” “Oh look, Andy, Willy is huge!” “Yes, dear, the blue whale is the largest creature in the world. Even more, it is the largest animal that has ever existed, even larger than the largest dinosaur ever found.” “Wow!” Clint exclaimed. “He probably needs a lot of food to survive. What does he eat?” “Willy can eat a ton of food a day! He eats small fish and krill,” Andy explained.
Smart Kids Facts: A baby whale is called a calf. Whales form groups to look after calves and feed together. These groups are often made up of all female or all male whales. Whales are mammals, so they feed milk to their babies and breathe air. When whale quickly blows air out of its blowhole, she can make a fountain of watery mist, called a “blow.”
“Fish,” Clint was surprised” “How can he catch fish? Fish can swim so fast.” “That’s an excellent question,” Andy said. “Remember I told you every sea creature has a trick. Well, this is a very interesting trick that Willy has.” “Another trick?” Clint asked excitedly. “I love tricks.” Andy continued, “when a Whale is hungry he dives under a big group of fish, then he slowly swims in circles and makes a lot bubbles around them by blowing air out his blowhole. This makes fish very confused and they can’t get away,” explained Andy as they moved to the next house.
Andy, look, I can see though this fish?” Clint exclaimed. “This is my freshwater friend, Xavier, the X-Ray Fish.” “He looks strange. I think I can see his bones,” Clint frowned. “Yes, he does look a bit strange. He is not exactly transparent but his bones are clearly visible,” Andy pointed out. “X-Ray fish are very social and friendly. Xavier likes to live in a large school of
Fun Facts The X-Ray Fish is also known as (or known better as) the Pristella Tetra. They are freshwater fish that are tiny in size and can often be used as pets for home aquariums. Pristellas like to be active in schools of fish and work and play well with others. They tend to be graceful in a good community of fish and like to swim in all depths of a generic aquarium.
Coral Reef
Amazon Blackwater
fish. They play all day long. X-Ray Fish are omnivorous and that means they like to eat both meat and vegetables and that includes eating tiny shrimp and worms.” “Our next neighbors live in a large group of fish and they love to clean a turtle’s shell. Can you remember their name from our visit to the sea turtle?” Andy asked as they moved to the next house.
““Wow! I think it’s a Yellow Tang!” Clint exclaimed. “Yes, a yellow tang who looks like a small sun, because it has a very bright yellow color. His name is Tommy, the Yellow Tang.” “Tell me, tell me Andy, do they have a trick?” “Tangs do have a very interesting trick. During the night their color fades so that large fish cannot spot them while they are sleeping. Their beautiful color returns rapidly when the fish wakes up.”
Smart Kids Facts: Tang Fish are herbivores and their diet consists mainly of zooplankton and algae such as caulerpa and gracilias. Even in an aquarium setting their diet needs to be mainly algae. Another name for the Tang Fish is the Surgeonfish The Tang Fish family has over 75 different varieties
“Where do they sleep?” Clint wondered. “They sleep between corals and rocks in small crevices. If you look closely at the tangs, you will see small white stripes next to their tales. These are sharp spines. Tangs use them to anchor themselves to the rocks while sleeping. “Let’s go and meet our next neighbor. It is a large fish with red and white stripes and long spines. Can you imagine who that would be?”
“This creature looks like a flying zebra Andy.” “This is Larry, the Lionfish. Doesn’t he look attractive with his red and white strips?” “Yes!” Clint nodded. “This is the most interesting-looking fish I have ever seen. Can I pet him?” “Oh, no! He is a very beautiful fish but these spines are poisonous. They are sharp as needles.” “Why does he have these spines and these colors?” Clint wondered. “Well,” Andy started, “this is a trick he has. Lionfish swim very slowly and cannot run away from large fish. Instead, he uses his bright colors to remind hungry predators that he is poisonous.”
Smart Kids Facts: A lionfish’s mouth is large enough to swallow animals nearly as large as its own body. Unlike many of its relatives, the lionfish doesn’t rely on camouflage to hide from predators. The lionfish is considered as one of the most poisonous fish in the world. An injection of venom from a lionfish can be deadly and will always make you very sick.
“Oh, listen, Clint, Ms. Neicy is calling for you.” “Yes, it’s probably time to get back,” Clint agreed sadly. “Please don’t be sad. There are at least a thousand more animals that live in my neighborhood. That means I can tell you a thousand more stories!” Andy smiled. “Ok, I will come back to see you soon. Thank you for a very interesting tour.” “Goodbye, Andy!” Clint turned to wave goodbye and saw little clownfish wriggle his tale swimming back across the beautiful coral reef garden.