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The ocean is home to a wide variety of sea animals. In this article, you’ll find 82 sea animals’ names in English, each with a picture to help you identify them. The photos make it easy to match names with the animals, whether it’s a tiny crab or a large shark. Learning these names helps you understand more about the different creatures that live underwater. Seeing each sea animal in its habitat makes the names easier to remember and more fun to learn.
Sea Animals Names with Pictures
Sharks and Rays
Hammerhead Shark
Hammerhead sharks live in warm waters. They grow up to 20 feet long and eat fish and squid. They are vulnerable to extinction.
Thresher Shark
Thresher sharks live in temperate waters. They can reach 20 feet and use their long tails to hunt fish. They are vulnerable to overfishing.
Basking Shark
Basking sharks live in cold waters and can grow up to 40 feet long. They filter plankton for food and are endangered.
Whale Shark
Whale sharks are the largest fish, growing over 40 feet. They live in warm seas and eat plankton. They are vulnerable due to fishing.
Stingray
Stingrays live in shallow waters. They grow up to 6 feet and feed on small fish. They are not currently endangered.
Manta Ray
Manta rays live in warm oceans. They grow up to 23 feet and feed on plankton. Some species are vulnerable due to overfishing.
Large Bony Fish
Mola Mola
Also known as the ocean sunfish, this giant can weigh over 2,000 pounds. Mola Molas eat jellyfish and are vulnerable to extinction.
Sawfish
Also known as the ocean sunfish, this giant can weigh over 2,000 pounds. Mola Molas eat jellyfish and are vulnerable to extinction.
Swordfish
Swordfish live in warm oceans. They grow over 10 feet long and hunt fish. These fast swimmers are not endangered.
Grouper
Groupers live in tropical waters. They can grow over 8 feet and eat fish. Some species are endangered due to overfishing.
Halibut
Halibut live on the ocean floor. They grow up to 8 feet and eat fish. Some populations are vulnerable due to overfishing.
Dolphinfish
Dolphinfish live in tropical oceans. They grow up to 5 feet and eat fish. They are not endangered but are heavily fished.
Bony Fish (Small to Medium Fish)
Lionfish
Lionfish live in warm, tropical waters. They grow up to 15 inches long and eat small fish. These striking fish are invasive and harmful.
Pipefish
Pipefish are related to seahorses, found in shallow waters. They can grow up to 16 inches and eat small crustaceans. Not endangered.
Lanternfish
Lanternfish live in deep oceans and can produce light. They are small, up to 6 inches, and feed on plankton.
Parrotfish
Parrotfish live in coral reefs and can grow up to 4 feet. They eat algae and play a key role in reef health. Not endangered.
Triggerfish
Triggerfish live in tropical waters. They grow up to 3 feet long and eat crustaceans. Some species are vulnerable due to overfishing.
Flatfish
Flatfish live on ocean floors. They grow up to 3 feet and feed on small fish. Some species are overfished and endangered.
Snapper
Snappers live in tropical waters. They grow up to 3 feet and eat fish and crustaceans. Overfishing threatens some species.
Flying Fish
Flying fish live in warm oceans. They can grow up to 18 inches and leap out of the water to escape predators. Not endangered.
Eels and Electric Fish
Electric Eel
Found in the Amazon, electric eels can reach up to 8 feet long. They use electric shocks to stun prey like fish. Not endangered.
Eel
Eels live in both freshwater and marine environments. They can grow over 4 feet and feed on fish and crustaceans. Some species are endangered.
Moray Eel
Moray eels live in coral reefs. They grow up to 13 feet and eat fish. Some species are vulnerable due to habitat loss.
Coelacanth
Coelacanths live in deep waters. They can grow over 6 feet long and were once thought to be extinct but are now critically endangered.
Sea Animals: Marine Mammals
Dolphin
Dolphins live in oceans and coastal waters. They grow up to 12 feet and eat fish. Dolphins are intelligent, social animals and not endangered.
Whale
Whales inhabit oceans worldwide. They range from 30 to 90 feet, depending on species, and eat krill or fish. Some species are endangered.
Humpback Whale
Humpback whales migrate across oceans. They grow up to 60 feet long and eat small fish and krill. These whales are protected but still vulnerable.
Orca
Orcas, or killer whales, live in all oceans. They grow up to 30 feet and eat fish and seals. Some populations are endangered.
Beluga Whale
Beluga whales live in Arctic waters. They grow up to 15 feet and eat fish. They are vulnerable due to climate change.
Narwhal
Narwhals live in Arctic waters. They grow up to 16 feet and feed on fish. They are vulnerable due to climate change.
Seal
Seals live in cold waters and along coastlines. They grow up to 7 feet and eat fish. Some species are vulnerable due to hunting.
Sea Lion
Sea lions live along coasts. They grow up to 8 feet and eat fish. Most species are not endangered but face habitat threats.
Sea Otter
Sea otters live in coastal waters. They grow up to 5 feet and eat shellfish. They are endangered due to hunting and habitat loss.
Walrus
Walruses live in Arctic waters. They grow over 10 feet long and eat shellfish. They are vulnerable due to climate change.
Manatee
Manatees live in coastal waters and rivers. They grow up to 13 feet long and eat seagrass. They are vulnerable due to habitat loss.
Porpoise
Porpoises live in coastal waters. They grow up to 7 feet and eat fish. Some species are endangered due to fishing nets.
Sea Animals: Invertebrates
Crustaceans (Crabs, Lobsters, and Shrimp)
Spider Crab
Spider crabs live in deep waters and grow up to 12 feet wide. They eat dead plants and animals on the ocean floor.
Yeti Crab
These unusual crabs live near underwater volcanoes. They’re small, around 6 inches, and survive by eating bacteria.
Spiny Lobster
Spiny lobsters live in warm coastal waters and can grow up to 3 feet. They eat small fish and sometimes face overfishing.
Cleaner Shrimp
Cleaner shrimp live in coral reefs and clean parasites off fish. They’re tiny, only about 2 inches, and are not endangered.
Hermit Crab
Hermit crabs live in shallow waters, using empty shells as their homes. They eat small plants and animals.
Krill
Krill are tiny, just about 2 inches, and live in cold ocean waters. They’re essential food for many sea animals.
Cnidarians (Jellyfish and Related Species)
Box Jellyfish
These jellyfish live in coastal waters and can be as big as a basketball. Known for their venom, they can be dangerous.
Comb Jelly
Comb jellies are small, clear creatures that float in the ocean, feeding on plankton. They’re about 5 inches long.
Sea Anemone
Sea anemones attach to rocks or coral and catch small fish for food. They look like underwater flowers.
Portuguese Man O’ War
This strange sea creature floats in warm waters, has long stinging tentacles, and can cause painful stings.
Coral and Coral-Like Sea Animals
Fire Coral
Fire coral grows in reefs and looks like coral but can sting like jellyfish. It feeds on small organisms.
Coral
Coral forms reefs in warm, shallow waters and provides homes for many sea animals. Some corals are endangered.
Feather Star
Feather stars look like underwater plants but are animals. They live on reefs and use their feathery arms to catch food.
Basket Star
Basket stars are delicate, living deep in the ocean and feeding on plankton. They look like underwater fans or flowers.
Sea Animals: Reptiles
Leatherback Sea Turtle
Leatherbacks live in open oceans and are the largest sea turtles, reaching over 7 feet long. They are critically endangered.
Loggerhead Sea Turtle
Loggerheads are found in oceans worldwide. They grow up to 3 feet long and eat jellyfish. They are vulnerable due to habitat loss.
Green Sea Turtle
Green sea turtles live in tropical waters. They can grow over 4 feet long and eat seagrass. They are endangered.
Olive Ridley Sea Turtle
Olive Ridley turtles live in warm oceans. They grow up to 2 feet long and eat jellyfish. They are vulnerable due to poaching.
Sea Animals: Other Marine Species
Portuguese Man O’ War
This marine organism lives in warm seas. It has long tentacles and can deliver a painful sting. It’s not considered endangered.
Pufferfish
Pufferfish live in tropical seas. They grow up to 2 feet and inflate when threatened. Some species are vulnerable due to overfishing.
Stingray
Stingrays live in shallow waters. They grow up to 6 feet and feed on small fish. They are not currently endangered.
Manta Ray
Manta rays live in warm oceans. They grow up to 23 feet and feed on plankton. Some species are vulnerable due to overfishing.
Bluefin Tuna
Bluefin tuna live in open seas. They grow up to 10 feet and eat smaller fish. Overfishing has endangered many populations.
Sea Animals Infographics
Read More About Animals
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