Spawning Fireworms

雪儿 · 发表于: 2011-6-22 18:49:07

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Lion’s Mane Jellyfish

Photograph by Paul Nicklen, National Geographic

The world’s largest creatures reside in the ocean, and its depths are home to unusual species whose surprising proportions are unknown on land.

Here, an underwater view captures the billowing tentacles of a lion’s mane jellyfish. The most potent species of jellyfish, the lion’s mane can reach a diameter of 6.6 feet (2 meters) with tentacles topping 49 feet (15 meters).

雪儿 · 发表于: 2011-6-22 18:49:25

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Whale Shark

Photograph by Brian J. Skerry

The largest fish in the sea, the whale shark can reach lengths of 40 feet (12 meters) or more. The gentle giants are filter feeders, swimming with their wide mouths open to collect plankton and small fish.

雪儿 · 发表于: 2011-6-22 18:49:48

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Giant-Spined Sea Stars

Photograph by Chuck Davis, Riser/Getty Images

Rows of large spines cover giant-spined sea stars off the coast of California. Sea stars (also known as starfish) can regenerate limbs, and in some cases, entire bodies.

雪儿 · 发表于: 2011-6-22 18:50:00

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Giant Spider Crab

Photograph by Emory Kristof

A giant spider crab is illuminated by the lights of a submersible. Protected from some predators by its hard exoskeleton, the creature—which can grow to ten feet (three meters) wide—can also blend in with the ocean floor. Under deeper cover, it can disappear beneath the sponges and other marine life it uses to adorn its shell.

雪儿 · 发表于: 2011-6-22 18:50:12

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Blue Whale

Photograph by Flip Nicklin

Even as a baby, a blue whale can make a grown man look like a minnow. The largest creature ever to live, the blue whale averages 25 feet (7.6 meters) long at birth and weighs about three tons. As an adult, it can easily stretch to the length of a city bus and weigh close to 200 tons.

雪儿 · 发表于: 2011-6-22 18:50:29

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Portuguese Man-of-War

Photograph by Jennifer Kiewit, Your Shot

Often mistaken for a jellyfish, the Portuguese man-of-war is actually made up of a colony of organisms working together. Its tentacles can extend 165 feet (50 meters) below the surface, although 30 feet (10 meters) is more the average.

雪儿 · 发表于: 2011-6-22 18:50:52

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Fin Whale

Photograph by Daisy Gilardini/Getty Images

The fin whale is the second largest creature on Earth, reaching maximum lengths of 82 feet (25 meters) for males and 89 feet (27 meters) for females. Fins are baleen whales: They use the fringelike baleen in their mouths to strain krill and tiny fish from the massive amounts of water they ingest as they feed.

雪儿 · 发表于: 2011-6-22 18:51:05

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Giant Isopod

Photograph by David Schrichte/Seapics.com

Related to shrimp and crabs, the giant isopod is a deep-sea crustacean that makes its home on the ocean floor. It is the largest of the known isopods, which on land includes the relatively tiny pill bug.

雪儿 · 发表于: 2011-6-22 18:51:17

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Great White Shark

Photograph by Mauricio Handler

A great white shark swims in the clear waters off Guadalupe Island. The largest predatory fish on Earth, great whites grow to an average of 15 feet (4.6 meters) in length, though larger specimens have been recorded. They prey mainly on sea lions, seals, and small toothed whales.

雪儿 · 发表于: 2011-6-22 18:51:29

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Giant Clams

Photograph by Sami Sarkis/Getty Images

The largest mollusks on Earth, adult giant clams permanently affix themselves to surfaces such as sand or coral reef rubble. The behemoths are capable of reaching 4 feet (1.2 meters) long and weighing more than 500 pounds (227 kilograms). They can live a hundred years or more in the wild.

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