The oceans are home to several million species of astonishing sea creatures. Considering this enormous biodiversity, it comes as no surprise that these sea residents come in all possible shapes, colors, and sizes. Some of them, such as these terrifying deep sea creatures, look scary and nasty, but others might be breathtakingly beautiful. In today’s post, we will show you the latter as we take a closer look at some of the most spectacular marine animals. From anemones and sea spiders to coral fish and sea stars, these are 25 Most Astonishing Sea Creatures.
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Mandarin Fish
Source: http://animaldiversity.org Found in tropical waters of the western Pacific, the mandarin fish is a small, up to 6 cm (2.4 in) long coral fish famous for its unusual shape and beautiful, intense coloration.
Tube Anemone
Source: http://animal-world.com Native to various locations within subtropical waters, the tube anemone comes in many different fluorescent hues and combinations of colors, which makes it a popular aquarium pet.
Flamingo Tongue Snail
Source: http://ocean.nationalgeographic.com Common on many Caribbean and Atlantic coral reefs, the flamingo tongue snail is a strikingly colored mollusk that feeds on toxic sea fans. It incorporates the fans’ venom and becomes toxic itself.
Blue Tang
Source: nature.org One of over 70 species of surgeonfish, the blue tang lives in coastal waters, coral reefs and inshore rocky or grassy areas in waters from New York to Brazil and as far east as the remote Ascension Island. It is famous for the sharp spines on its tail, which are said to resemble surgeon’s scalpels.
Mantis Shrimp
Source: aqua.org Found in warm waters of the Indian and Pacific Oceans, the mantis shrimp is one of the most captivating and colorful creatures in the sea. These beautiful crustaceans have the most complex eyes in the animal kingdom, containing millions of light-sensitive cells.
Photo: 25. I, Luc Viatour, Synchiropus splendidus 2 Luc Viatour, CC BY-SA 3.0, 24. Bernard Dupont via flickr, CC BY-SA 2.0, 23. Laszlo Ilyes via flickr, CC BY 2.0, 22. Tewy, Blue tang (Paracanthurus hepatus) 02, CC BY-SA 3.0, 21. prilfish via flickr, CC BY 2.0, 20. Brain Gratwicke via flickr, CC BY 2.0, 19. lecates via flickr, CC BY-SA 2.0, 18. Sylke Rohrlach via flickr, CC BY-SA 2.0, 17. Chris Favero via flickr, CC BY-SA 2.0, 16. Bernard Dupont via flickr, CC BY-SA 2.0, 15 Bernard Dupont via flickr, CC BY-SA 2.0, 14. Brian Gratwicke via flickr, CC BY 2.0, 13. Ritiks, Clown fish in the Andaman Coral Reef, CC BY-SA 3.0, 12. Chad Ordelheide, Harlequin Shrimp 1, CC BY-SA 3.0, 11. Sylke Rohrlach via flickr, CC BY-SA 2.0, 10. Biotopica, criadero de peces disco, Biotópica, breeding discus fish Penang Eruption, CC BY-SA 4.0, 9. NOAA Photo Library via flickr, CC BY 2.0, 6. Alexander Vasenin, Common lionfish near Dunraven wreck, CC BY-SA 3.0, 5. © Hans Hillewaert, Hippocampus hippocampus (on Ascophyllum nodosum), CC BY-SA 4.0, 3. Brocken Inaglory, Total internal reflection of Chelonia mydas, CC BY-SA 4.0s, 2. Nhobgood Nick Hobgood, Phyllidia babai (Nudibranch), CC BY-SA 3.0, 1. Jon Hanson via flickr, CC BY-SA 2.0
