marine life is cool

When Scientists Get Accidentally Artsy

T-T-T-TIGER SHARKS TIME!!!

The tiger shark (Galeocerdo cuvier) is a species of requiem shark and the only member of the genus Galeocerdo. Commonly known as the “Sea Tiger”, the tiger shark is a relatively large macropredator, capable of attaining a length over 5 m (16 ft).[3] It is found in many tropical and temperate waters, and it is especially common around central Pacific islands. Its name derives from the dark stripes down its body which resemble a tiger’s pattern, which fade as the shark matures.[4]

The tiger shark is a solitary, mostly nocturnal hunter, and is notable for having the widest food spectrum of all sharks, consuming a variety of prey ranging from crustaceans, fish, seals, birds, squid, turtles, and sea snakes to dolphins and even other smaller sharks. The tiger shark has been known to eat inedible manmade objects that linger in its stomach, and it has a reputation as a “garbage eater”.[4] The tiger shark is considered a near threatened species due to finning and fishing by humans.[2]

4/26/17 - CA140 Emma with ~35-year old male CA137.

WOO AT LAST!! Been working on this one for a little while.

Orcas are such facinating animals. They are the second most-widely distributed mammal on the planet (after humans), and they fill an ecological niche similar to our own. Not only do they vary widely in diet, dialects, and cultural behaviors, but in appearances as well. Again, much like humans :)

We often look at dorsal fins and saddle patches for telling individuals and populations apart. But there’s a TON of variation in rostrum shape, eyepatch size, and ventral markings as well. Just look at all these different orca faces!

When Scientists Get Accidentally Artsy

Black scorpionfish (Scorpaena porcus)

The black scorpionfish is a venomous Scorpionfish, common in marine subtropical waters. It is widespread in the Eastern Atlantic Ocean from the British Isles to the Azores and Canary Islands, near the coasts of Morocco, in the Mediterranean Sea and the Black Sea. The black scorpionfish has a maximum length of about 37 cm but a more normal adult length is around 15 cm.  The black scorpionfish is a benthic species and is usually found resting among seaweed and on rocks. It is usually solitary, and it feeds on small fishes, crustaceans and other bottom-dwelling invertebrates.