Marine Animals

Marine Animals

Giant Pacific octopus

This ocean titan has 9 brains, hunts sharks at night and can grow as long as a school bus

The largest specimen ever found reportedly measured 9.75m long and weighed 272kg. Here's everything you need to know about the giant Pacific octopus.
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Yellow-morph green turtle, Chelonia mydas, in the Galápagos Islands

A group of sea turtles were tagged in the Galápagos. When experts looked at the data, they noticed something odd

Satellite tags reveal ‘homebody’ nature of some Galápagos sea turtles.
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An octopus rests on the seafloor 1150 meters deep, in the Bellingshausen Sea off Antarctica

When a colossal iceberg broke free in Antarctica, scientists found something astounding beneath it

With the help of a remotely operated vehicle, the researchers discovered a breathtaking world hidden under the ice for centuries.
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Giant isopod

It looks like a woodlouse, but is the size of a pet cat and has an impressive 14 legs – and can take on a shark if desperate…

Nick Baker takes a look at the super-sized crustacean that lives in the deepest, darkest ocean: the giant isopod
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Bobbit worm

It's a terrifying, ruthless, 3-metre long, deep-sea predator that can slice its prey in half – and its venom can cause permanent numbness in humans

The Bobbit worm is a fearsome marine predator that burrows into the sand and waits for unsuspecting prey. Stuart Blackman explains all you need to know about this terrifying marine worm
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Researchers tagging narwhals

Scientists tag 6 ‘unicorns of the sea’ and follow them 1,500m into the deep – to places humans can’t go

Narwhals recorded Arctic ocean data which will be used to help inform climate research in the region
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False catshark

Large animal with cat-like eyes filmed at bottom of Caribbean Sea

The false catshark, which can grow up to 3m long, was one of many remarkable species observed during a recent expedition to explore the waters around the island nation of Trinidad and Tobago.
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blue-ringed octopus

"It can fit in the palm of your hand, could kill you in minutes with a venom a thousand times stronger than cyanide – and there's no antidote"

Discover all you need to know about one of the world's deadliest animals
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Scorpaena escorpora scorpionfish

“It causes excruciating ‘whole-body’ pain that lasts for weeks in humans.” 9 dangerous animals armed with deadly venomous spines

From pus-filled stab wounds to paralysis and cardiac arrest, it’s best to steer clear of some of the world’s most venomous spined creatures
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Common dolphin caught in midair while breaching

Why don't whales and dolphins suffer from the bends like humans do?

John Arnott takes a look at why cetaceans don't suffer from the bends
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Why dolphins like to follow boats and surf the bow waves

Why do dolphins like to follow boats and surf the bow waves?

Dolphins often follow boats and bow-ride as it's not only fun, but also an efficient way to travel
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southern elephant seal

Despite weighing a massive 4 tonnes, this mammal can dive 2000 metres down, hold its breath for an incredible 2 hours and even control its heart rate

A whale shark swimming in Sogod bay, Southern Leyte, Philippines. © Steve De Neef/VW Pics/Universal Images Group/Getty

It can be as long as a cricket pitch, weighs a mighty 30 tonnes (that's three-times the weight of a T-rex) and can live for a century

The whale shark is the world's largest shark and fish species, with a maximum age estimated to be 100 years and it's thought they can reach up to 20 metres in length.
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Snapping shrimp

“It’s effectively ripping apart the water.” It's only an inch long but this creature creates shockwaves of over 200 decibels

Despite its size, the pistol shrimp boasts one of the best (and loudest) weapons in the ocean.
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Bluntnose sixgill shark

Deep-sea scientists were filming at the bottom of the Pacific Ocean, when this giant cow shark appeared

The elusive animal was filmed swimming over the seafloor near the Phoenix Islands in the Southern Pacific Ocean.
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Storm clouds and rain moving over the Seven Sisters Cliffs

"They can whip up their tail to plunge its venomous barb into your flesh..." 7 deadly creatures roaming the English Channel

The animals living in UK waters aren’t typically as deadly as those found in other regions, such as the Indo-Pacific, but there are some species to watch out for, from venomous fish lurking in the sand waiting to strike to boisterous dolphins.
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Whitemargin Stargazer buried in the Lembeh Strait, Indonesia

It has a rather grotesque face, electric organs, venomous spines and can swallow prey whole thanks to its huge mouth, which can suck them right in

These ambush predators can also create a vacuum that sucks prey right into their mouths.
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Paul Souders/ Getty Images

"Once they've caught their prey it may be shaken violently to ‘deglove’ and they then tear the carcass into pieces small enough to swallow"

The leopard seals sit close to the top of Antarctica's food chain. Here's why
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Dumbo octopus

It can swallow prey whole, reproduce at any time and is named after a Disney character – meet the elusive deep-sea animal

This animal's population is also unknown, as specimens are rarely found intact by scientists
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Striped Pyjama Squid

It spends all day in bed and looks like it's wearing striped pyjamas – but its cuteness conceals a toxic side

Yes this is a real animal - be it a rather sleepy and weird one...
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<em>© Douglas Klug. A Pacific angel shark on the ocean floor at Anacapa Island in the Channel Islands National Park, US</em>

"Buried on ocean’s floor lies a flat, pancake-like lethal predator that's bigger than a king-sized bed and perfectly designed for deadly, ambush attacks"

Our guide to the strange looking angelshark, once common in British waters.
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Wave breaking over a ship in Drake Passage

It’s 600 miles wide, takes two days to cross and has claimed the lives of sailors

To reach Antarctica, intrepid adventurers must cross one of the most treacherous parts of the ocean: Drake’s Passage
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"It is highly territorial and if one of their 192 tentacles come into contact with neighbouring individuals they become extremely hostile…"

Discover seven fascinating facts about the beadlet anemone in our expert guide by Buglife.
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B-25 WWII Airplane, Kwajalein Atoll, Marshall Islands

Scuba divers went to an airplane graveyard in the Pacific and found souls hidden among the wrecks

Around 150 World War II aircrafts were sunk at Kwajalein Atoll in the middle of the Pacific Ocean – here's what it looks like 80 years on.
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