Salt Water Animals

Animals live in all possible habitats across the planet. Some live in rainforests, in arid deserts, in savannahs, in the arctic, in freshwater and some in salt water. Like man, these animals must withstand the test of environment such as scarcity in food or water, natural calamities and other external barriers to peaceful living. Often, people can only see what goes on with terrestrial animals. This is because people also live on land and they sometimes live with some of them. What people do not know is how water creatures face each day with a struggle to breathe and eat.

            There are many different creatures of the sea. People often hear about fishes which fill attractive aquariums, but there are more species out in the wild. Aside from the familiar goldfish, angel fish and rainbow fish, there are also groupers, mackerel, cod, red fish, sea trout, snapper, tuna, dolphin, sharks, stripped bass and Hickory shads. Fish also have friendly companions like the sea anemones, sea urchins, squids, octopus and zooplanktons. There are a million more species which occupy the vast seas of the world. Some are edible while others are poisonous. Some are friendly while others are deadly. Still, some inhabit the shallow zones of the ocean while some seem to hide in the dark, unreachable sea beds. Some are very small, even microscopic while some are very big, even beyond the size of a throng of elephants.

            All salt water animals have to live with several things that terrestrial animals do not. Everyday, they struggle over regulating salt intake, getting enough oxygen, adjusting to water pressure, living with waves and wind and changing water temperature and obtaining sufficient light. Marine animals can drink salt water. Their bodies can deal with the hypertonicity of water which can harm land animal cells. This salt water gets out of their bodies through their gills. Meanwhile, oxygen can be obtained through their gills or skin. For whales, their blowholes permit them to breathe even when staying deep within the water. Since oxygen is dissolved in water, polluted ones can be detrimental to their existence. Contaminants such as chemicals or other toxins can kill them without fail. As such, EPA has created rules/standards to prevent this from happening. In the ocean, pressure increases 15 pounds per square inch for each 33 feet of water. Some animals do not change depths very often but whales can do this because of their collapsible lungs and rib cages. Wind and waves can wash off the animals from their grip, but their strong shells and impressive ability to cling on rocks allow them to survive. Temperature changes can be adjusted on because most are cold-blooded. For mammals, the insulating layer of blubber does the trick. Lastly, for animals requiring light, their habitat on shallow and clear waters can enable them to live.