**The Cute Cownose Ray**

The Cownose Ray!
I first met these creatures when I visited the Atlanta Aquarium in the winter of 2011.
They were in a touch pool and I thought they were just so adorable!

(picture taken by me! from the Atlanta Aquarium)

Scientific name is Rhinoptera bonasus

A fully frown Cownose ray can have about a 3 foot "wingspan" and can weigh up to 50 lbs. Although, the average weight is around 35 - 40 lbs.

(taken by me. again, from the Atlanta Aquarium)

Its average life span is thought to be 12 to 18 years.

They are found in the Atlantic ocean and Caribbean ocean, New England and the northern parts of South America and West Africa.
They live in bays, estuaries and river mouths, but they also live in the open ocean in waters as deep as 80 ft. So they are pelagic creatures as well.

These creatures reproduce slowly and a female gives birth to only one live pup around mid-summer. When the pup is born, it comes out of the mother tail first and is between 10 - 18 inches long.

Cownose rays feed on oysters, clams, crabs and snails.
They swim on the bottom, rustling up the sediment searching for food.
They have two modified fins near their mouth that sucks their prey in. Their food is then crushed open with "dental plates" that can break through shells.

(not taken by me. found through google images)

The cownose rays natural predators are the Great Hammerhead and the Bull shark.
                (Great Hammerhead)

(Bull Shark)

 (shark pictures not taken by me. found through google images)

The cownose ray is not in immediate danger, but they are Near Threatened, due to humans over fishing.

FUN FACTS!

1. The Cownose Ray has a stinger called a "spine" at the base of its tail that they use for self-defense when they feel threatened. This "spine" actually has teeth lining the sides which are coated with a light venom whose sting effect is about that of a wasp sting.

2. These species are known for traveling in LARGE groups called schools. Cownose ray schools have been known to reach 10,000.

 (picture not taken by me. google images)

3. Rays are closely related to sharks and skates. They're like cousins!

The Tropical Water's Gentle Giant; The Whale Shark

I decided to go big on this one! ;D

(this picture was taken by me when I went to visit the Georgia Aquarium)

Scientific name: Rhincodon typus

A fully grown adult can grow up to about 40 feet in length and can weigh up to 22 tons. But the average length of a whale shark is 25 feet and average weight is 15 tons. Like most species of sharks, the females are bigger than the males.

(picture found through google images. NOT taken by me.)

It is unknown as to how long a whale shark’s life span is, but some shark species are known to live up to 100 years of age, so for the whale shark, it is speculated that they can live to be 150 years old.


They are pelagic creatures, living in the open ocean and are found in all oceans of the world except the Southern, Arctic Oceans and the Mediterranean. So basically, in tropical waters near the equator.

Even though a whale shark is cold blooded, they are viviparous, meaning they give birth to live pups.

Whale sharks are sexually mature at the age of 30. So, this is the age where they are able to reproduce.

Whale sharks have 3,000 teeth in 300 rows that are no bigger than 1/12 of an inch (about the size of a match head). So it's teeth essentially serve no purpose. They are actually filter feeders. More specifically, Planktivores. They swim through the water with their mouths open, sucking in water and pumping that water over and then out of its gill slits.

Its gill slits have these bristly like structures called rakers, which act like a net or a sieve, straining plankton from the water it has sucked in.

A whale shark primarily eats plankton, but it will also eat sardines, anchovies, krill and mackerel. They filter about 1,500 gallons of water every hour.

The whale shark does not have any natural predators in the wild, but, humans are their biggest threat right now.

Whale sharks are hunted by humans in Taiwan, Indonesia and Singapore.

(got this picture from google images. NOT taken by me.)

Whale sharks aren't Endangered, but they are listed as Vulnerable in  the wild.

FUN FACTS!

1. Some people get confused, but Whale sharks are NOT whales. They are the Worlds largest fish.

2. They are very slow swimmers, swimming no faster than 3 mph.

3. The scientific part of its name "Rhincodon" is latin for "Rasp teeth".

Thanks for reading my second Sea Creature report!
Seajellys reports will be updated weekly, so be sure to check in again on the 30th of March for the next one.

Also, remember to check out my other blog!

bluemenpachi.blogspot.com

Much mahaloz readers!
:D

~The Magellanic Penguin~

As promised, MUCH later in the day. My first Creature Report!
I decided to blog about one of my favorite animals first; The Penguin!

To be specific I chose the Magellanic Penguin. It's scientific name is Spheniscus magellanicus.

An adult can grow up to 30 inches tall and will weigh in at about 13 pounds.

In the wild, they can live to about 25 years old, but in captivity, about 30 years old.

Magellanic penguins live at the bottom of South America in Patagonia, Argentina, The Falkland Islands and Chile.

In September, adults arrive at nesting sites to breed. In October, they then burrow to make their nests and begin their egg laying.

The female usually lays two eggs and might raise both babies. But sometimes only one baby penguin will hatch and survive. The baby usually hatches after 42 days.

When the baby hatches, it will remain in the burrow for about 5 more weeks. Mom and dad take turns caring for the baby in 10 - 15 day rotations.

After 30 days of being cared for, the baby will begin to moult and get its adult plumage (feathers).

When they are about 60 - 70 days old, the baby Magellanic penguin will begin to hunt on its own.

Magellanic penguins feed on cuttlefish, krill, sardines and squid and mostly hunt in groups.

Their predators are sea lions, leopard seals and orca. But chicks need to be wary of kelp gulls and giant petrel

They are not endangered, but they are Near Threatened. Over fishing by humans depletes their food supply and they get tangled in fish nets. Oil pollution is also a threat to them.

FUN FACTS!

1. Magellanic Penguins can swim up to 15 mph
2. They sexually mature at about 2 - 3 years of age
3. They are named after Ferdinand Magellan when he saw them on his first journey in 1519

( DISCLAIMER: I found all the pictures thru google images. None of them belong to me. Credit goes to their respective owners.)

Thanks for reading my first Sea Creature Report!
If possible, please read my other blog at bluemenpachi.blogspot.com

Much Mahaloz,
Seajelly Princess

~Introduction of The Sea Creature Report~

Hello Readers!

To further expand my knowledge of the creatures of the sea, I've decided to start this blog to give a report of what I have learned about the different creatures of the ocean.
I always thought that the best way to remember something is to teach others about it, so TA-DA!

Living in Maui, we have quite the variety of fish and ocean life. So naturally, I'll be writing about them. BUT! Because I want to expand, I'll be branching out to creatures across the globe. From creatures like the Pelican Eel, to the Big Red Jellyfish. Or from Plankton to Butterflyfish.

Due to work and home life... My first report shall begin later today!

Thank you for reading my intro to this blog! And feel free to leave comments if there's a creature you would like to see featured in this blog~

Much Mahaloz,
Seajelly Princess