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Marine Biology
Field Guide
Mammals, Reptiles, and Aves
Until recently the most general taxons were the 5 kingdoms.
1)
2)
3)
4)
5)
Animalia
Plantae
Fungi
Protista (algae, slime molds, protozoan)
Monera (bacteria)
Due to the study of genetics (advances in DNA
technology/testing) scientists recognize the domain which is
even more general than the kingdom.
Table of Contents
All Life
Prokaryotes
Domain
Eubacteria
Kingdom
Monera
Eukaryotes
Domain
Archaea
Domain
Eukaryota
Kingdom
Fungi
*PROKARYOTES – NO nucleus!!!
Kingdom
Protista
Kingdom
Plantae
Kingdom
Animalia
Kingdom Animalia
• multicellular
•eukaryotic
• sexual reproduction (involves sperm and egg; internal OR
external fertilization)
• Life Cycle:
-adult always diploid (ie. human – 46 chromosomes...TWO
sets of chromosomes...one from
mom and one from dad)
- embryo undergoes stages of development
• heterotrophic
(“other”)(“one that feeds”)
• most mobile via muscle fiber
• grouped into about 30 various phyla
Animalia
(vertebrates)
Phylum
Chordata
Class
Mammalia
Class
Reptilia
Class
Aves
Class
Amphibia
Class
Osteichthyes
Class
Chondrichthyes
Class
Agnatha
Class Mammalia
• approximately 4,600 species
• endotherms and homeotherms (warm-blooded)
• skin has hair/fur
• viviparous – embryo receives food and oxygen through a
placenta, which connects it to the womb
• newborns are fed milk secreted by the mammary glands
• only a few, well-cared-for young are produced
• brain is larger in relation to body size and more
complex than other vertebrates
• they live anywhere there is food to eat and air to breathe
Description: Grows up to 6.5 feet and weighs from 120 to 370
pounds. Lengths of the males are generally longer
than females. They have a thick coat of short hair.
Their coloration varies, with spots ranging from offwhite to black or brown.
Habitat: Harbor seals bask and sleep on coastal islands, ledges,
Phoca
vitulina
and beaches & sandbars that are uncovered
at low
tide.
harbor
seal
They stay close enough to water to facilitate
feeding
and mating.
Range: Among the world's most wide-ranging seals, they inhabit
the coastal areas of the North Atlantic and North Pacific
oceans and are found in arctic, subarctic, and temperate
regions.
Phoca vitulina
harbor seal
Comments: Harbor seals are agile carnivores with streamlined
bodies and flipper-like limbs that enable them to swim
with great skill. Their food consists of crustaceans,
mollusks, squid, and a variety of fish. Harbor seals do
not chew their food; they either tear it into chunks or
swallow it whole. Their molars allow them to crush
hard objects like shells and crustaceans. Harbor seals
are usually solitary animals, with reproduction and
"haul outs" being the only exceptions.
Phoca vitulina
harbor seal
Description: Grows up to 12’ in length. Coloring varies from
albino to black. A distinct dark cape is often located
on the head and back. Old females often have spots
on their ventral side. The dorsal fin is broad based,
strongly curved, and located on the center of the
dorsal side.
Tursiops truncatus
bottlenose dolphin
Habitat: Inshore waters including estuaries, bays, waterways, and
freshwater rivers.
Range: In the Atlantic from Nova Scotia to Venezuela, including
the Gulf of Mexico. In the pacific from south California to
the tropics.
Tursiops truncatus
bottlenose dolphin
Comments:
These dolphins feed on fishes, shrimps, squids, crabs, and often
follow fishing boats to feed on discarded fish and organisms stirred
up by nets. They use echolocation to find prey. They often ride the
bow waves of boats and surf waves. They have also been known to
voluntarily approach people close enough to be touched. Dolphins
talk to each other as all cetaceans probably do.
Phocoena phocoena
harbor porpoise
Description:
Grows up to 6’ in length. Husky; the back is dark brown or
gray fading to light gray or brown on the sides. Belly is white
especially in front of the pectoral fins.
Habitat:
Subarctic and cold temperate waters. Often in bays, harbors,
estuaries, and at the mouth of rivers.
Phocoena phocoena
harbor porpoise
Range:
In the Atlantic from the Davis Straights and
S.E. Greenland to North Carolina. In the
Pacific from the Gulf of Alaska and the E.
Aleutian chain to S. California.
Comments:
The Harbor porpoise is not known to ride bow waves or go close
to vessels. They swim quietly at the surface. They are known to
feed on octopi, squid, and fishes, including herrings. They are
preyed upon by large sharks and killer whales. Each female
produces a single offspring about once every year.
Humpback whale
Megaptera novaeangliae
Description:
Grows up to 53’ in length. Body narrows rapidly to the tail. They
are mostly black with a belly that is sometimes white. The flippers
and underside of the fluke is nearly all white. Fleshy knobs or
protuberances are randomly distributed on the top of the head and
on the jaw.
Habitat:
Along the coast, usually on the continental shelf or on island
banks.
Range:
These mammals are migratory. They are found in the Atlantic from
N. Iceland & W. Greenland South to the W. Indies, including the
Gulf of Mexico. They are found in the Pacific from the Bering Sea
to S. Mexico.
Humpback whale
Megaptera novaeangliae
Comments:
Humpback whales migrate seasonally and feed on krill and
small schooling fishes. They are known to concentrate food by
swimming in circles and forming a bubble curtain. They are
known to sing population specific songs with repeated
phrases. Humpbacks sometimes leap clear out of the water
and may be seen flapping their flukes or a flipper at the
surface.
Class Reptilia
• approximately 7,000 species
• Reptiles include lizards, snakes, turtles, and crocodiles.
• ectotherms (cold-blooded)
• Metabolic rate and therefore, activity level, varies with
temperature.
• Skin is covered with scales to prevent water loss.
• Eggs have a leathery shell to prevent water loss so they can be
laid on land.
• There are few reptiles that live in the marine environment.
Caretta caretta
(loggerhead sea turtle)
Description:
Loggerheads are the largest hard shelled turtle in the world. They
grow to a weight from 170-500 pounds (77-227 kilograms) and
are nearly four feet (1.2 meters) in total length. Loggerheads have
a characteristic large head, with more massive jaws and muscles
than other sea turtles.
Habitat:
Loggerheads feed in the waters of the continental shelves, often in
water only 30 or less meters deep. Hatchlings and young juveniles
do not dive, staying near the surface, often in association with mats
of floating seaweed. Loggerheads are frequently found in bays and
estuaries, and may enter river mouths.
Caretta caretta
(loggerhead sea turtle)
Range:
Found as far north as Alaska, eastern Russia, and Norway,
and as far south as Australia and South Africa.
Caretta caretta
(loggerhead sea turtle)
Comments:
• Females nest on the same sandy beaches year after year.
• In North America nests are known to be on the Atlantic
Coast from New Jersey south to Florida and west to Texas
and south to Tabasco.
• These sea turtles reach sexual maturity when their shells
are no longer than 50 cm.
• The eggs, which are 40-42 mm in diameter, are laid during
spring tides.
The eggs are placed in a nest, which is usually chosen in an undisturbed area of
well-drained dunes or grassy vegetation, just above the average high tide line.
The female comes ashore and climbs up to the high tide line she then excavates
a hole with her flippers. Once the hole is dug and the eggs are laid, the nest is
then covered by the turtle using her hind flippers.
Incubation lasts for a period of 31-65 days. There is usually 120 eggs per clutch,
and the female lays two clutches at an interval of thirteen days.
The females come ashore to nest only at night in the spring and summer. The
females usually nest every other year with 3-4 nests per season. The eggs in the
nest usually hatch around the same time, and the babies quickly move together
to the water leaving behind their only terrestrial life stage.
Dermochelys coriacea
leatherback turtle
Description:
The leatherback sea turtle is the largest of living turtles. They grow
to a weight of 2,000 lbs. and a length of about 7 feet. They have a
span of 8.5 feet from the tip of one front flipper to the tip of the
other. The leatherback has no visible shell. The shell is present but it
consists of bones that are buried into its dark brown or black skin. It
has seven pronounced ridges in its back and five on the underside.
Habitat:
Very little is known about this pelagic species. Foods are
primarily jellyfish, but crustaceans, squid, octopus, and small fish
are also eaten. One of the world's deepest diving air-breathing
animals, this species has been recorded at depths over 1,000 m
(3,300 ft). It is believed that these deep dives are made in search
of species of jellyfish that live at these depths.
Range:
The Leatherback is the most widely distributed reptile species in
the world, it occurs in the tropical and temperate waters of the
Atlantic, Pacific, and Indian oceans, as well as lesser seas. It is
seasonally distributed in far northern and southern waters, where
it can feed on coldwater jellyfish.
Dermochelys coriacea
leatherback turtle
Dermochelys coriacea
leatherback turtle
Comments:
• The only recorded observation of mating in this turtle was in
the month of April.
• Females return to nest only every 2 - 4 years.
• They come ashore at night and dig a flask-shaped cavity in
moist sand, into which they lay an average of 80 - 90 eggs.
• The eggs generally hatch within 60 - 65 days and the young
emerge from the nest at night to make their way to the sea.
• Leatherbacks nest from April to July in the western Atlantic,
nesting on beaches of Central and South America, islands of
the Caribbean in the Gulf of Mexico and as far north as
Georgia along the Atlantic Ocean.
Class Aves
• approximately 10,000 species
• birds
• endotherms (more specifically homeotherms /warm-blooded)
• horny beak
• hollow bones for flight
• feathers
• large yolked, hard-shelled eggs; the parent bird provides
extensive care of the young until it is grown, or gets some other
bird to look after the young
• marine birds are covered with waterproof feathers, nest on
land, have webbed feet, and feed on fish, squid, and benthic
invertebrates
Larus argentatus
herring gulls
Description:
This familiar gull can be distinguished from other gulls by its large
size and grey upperparts. Adult reach a height of 22- 26 inches and
a weight of 28- 44 ounces. During summer, adults have white heads,
but in autumn they become streaked with brown. They have bright
yellow bills with a red tip, and pink legs. Juveniles are grayishbrown; the grey upperparts do not develop until after the second
winter. A number of vocalizations are produced, including the wellknown raucous 'laughing' call.
Larus argentatus
herring gulls
Habitat:
This versatile species breeds in a range of habitats, including cliffs,
beaches, small islands, inland sites and even buildings. They also
exploit rubbish dumps, particularly during winter.
Range:
Larus argentatus
Summer Range
Breeds across Alaska and northern Canada, southward to the Great
Lakes and along the Atlantic Coast to North Carolina. Herring Gull
or closely related species breed across Eurasia.
Winter Range
Winters from southern Alaska southward to Mexico, and from the
Great Lakes and Massachusetts southward into the Caribbean and
Central America.
Comments:
Feed on fish and marine invertebrates, insects, birds, eggs, carrion,
garbage. Captures prey while walking or swimming, dips food
from surface of water. Steals food from other birds. Drops large,
hard food items on rock or sand to break them open. Nest is a
scrape in sand or dirt. Lined with vegetation, feathers, plastic, or
nothing. Eggs are light olive with dark brown speckles.
Larus argentatus
herring gulls
Pandion haliaetus
osprey
Description:
Ospreys are large birds of prey (55 to 58 cm long), with a
wingspan ranging from 145 to 170 cm. Their long wings have a
characteristic bend at the carpal ("wrist") joints. They are
bright white underneath, with dark brown patches at the carpal
joints and a mottled dark brown necklace. Other identifying
markings include a dark stripe through each eye, and a dark
brown back.
Habitat:
Anywhere where there are
safe nest sites and shallow
water with abundant fish.
Nests are generally found
within 3 to 5 km of a water
body such as a salt marsh,
mangrove swamp, cypress
swamp, lake, bog, reservoir
or river.
Range:
Ospreys have a worldwide
distribution, wintering or
breeding on every continent
except Antarctica.
Pandion haliaetus
osprey
Pandion haliaetus
osprey
Pandion haliaetus
osprey
Comments:
With the introduction and widespread use of the pesticide DDT
(dichloro-diphenyl-trichloroethane), osprey populations in many
areas declined sharply from the 1950’s through the 1970’s.
During this period, 90% of breeding pairs disappeared from the
Atlantic coast between New York City and Boston. DDT was
banned in the U.S. around 1970, but continues to be used in some
countries that serve as wintering grounds for ospreys. Populations
of ospreys largely rebounded after the banning of DDT and are
now reaching historic levels. Installation of artificial nest
structures, hacking projects and new habitat created by reservoirs
have allowed osprey populations to increase and expand their
range.
Double Crested Cormorant
Phalacrocorax auritus
Description:
Cormorants grow up to 90 cm (35 in.) in
length, 2.5 kg (5.5 lb) with dark brown or
black plumage that has a dull greenish or
bronze sheen. They have lean bodies,
long necks and relatively short wings.
They have long beaks with a hooked
upper mandible and bright orange-yellow
skin that covers the face, throat and base
of the bill. Their black feet are webbed
feet and found on short legs, and their
tails are wedge-shaped. Two crests appear
on top of their heads when looking for a
mate.
Habitat: Found in a variety of marine and inland aquatic habitats.
They require water for feeding and nearby perches, such as rocks,
sandbars, pilings, shipwrecks, wires, trees or docks for resting on and
drying out during the day. (Hatch and Weseloh, 1999)
Range: Double-crested cormorants breed across North America, as
far north as southern Alaska. They winter in North America as far
south as Sinaloa, Mexico, and are common on marine and inland
waters throughout their range.
Comments: Double-crested cormorants feed primarily on fish,
but also eat insects, crustaceans and amphibians. They generally
feed in shallow water (less than 8 m deep) within 5 km of shore,
diving underwater to catch their prey. They may swallow small
fish while underwater, but bring larger prey up to the surface to
shake, clean or hammer on the water before consuming them.
After diving, cormorants look for an elevated spot to perch with
their wings outspread. This is most likely done to dry out the
feathers.
Great Egret
Ardea alba
Great Egret
Ardea alba
Description: Great Egrets grow up to 1 meter tall, have a wingspan of 1.5 meters, and
weigh about 912 to 1140 g. On average, males are larger than females. They are
completely white with a long yellow bill and dark gray legs.
Habitat: Great Egrets will live near any form of water. Streams, lakes, ponds, mud
flats, saltwater and freshwater marshes are inhabited by this beautiful bird. Wooded
swamps and wetlands are the preferred location for Great Egrets.
Range: Found as far south as Texas, the Gulf coast states, and Florida up the
Atlantic coast to Maine and southern Canada, and west to the Great Lakes.
Comments: As opportunistic predators, great egrets usually feed on smaller aquatic
and terrestrial insects and vertebrates and are considered to be heterotrophs. Wading
slowly through the water, they are extremely successful at striking and catching
fish or insects. Both male and female great egrets participate in incubating and
feeding the semi-altricial young. Nestlings are initially fed by regurgitation, followed
by bill-grabbing, where the parent holds prey over the nestling to grab at as it eats.
(Connecticut Department of Environmental Protection, 2000; Illinois Department
of Natural Resources, 1998)
Physical Features:
Piping Plover
Charadrius
melodus
DESCRIPTION
 The piping plover is a small shorebird about 7 inches
long with a wingspan of about 15 inches.
 They weigh on average from1.5 to 1.7 ounces.
 Adult piping plovers have sand-colored backs and white
undersides. In mating season, piping plovers have a dark
band around their neck during the breeding season and a
black band across the forehead from eye to eye.
 Piping plovers can be distinguished from other similar
species by their bright orange legs.
Habitat:
 Piping Plovers usually live most of their life on open
sandy beaches or rocky shores, away from the water in
dry sandy areas. A Piping Plover living anywhere
outside of sand in beaches or rocky shores is very rare
to see, unless it is migrating.
Piping plovers are only
found in North America
in three geographic
regions: the Atlantic
Coast, the Northern
Great Plains, and the
Great Lakes. In the
winter piping plovers
from all three
populations migrate to
the South Atlantic, Gulf
Coast, and Caribbean
beaches.
RANGE
Comments
 The eggs of piping plovers and plovers themselves act as
a camouflage, blending in very well with the sand as a
protective mechanism against predators. In many areas,
they are endangered. Males court females by diving to the
ground and flying over them. Females usually lay four
eggs, which hatch in about 25 days. Instead of being fed
by the parents, the chicks must exit the nest and find food
for themselves. If a predator threatens a chick, the parent
may pretend to have a broken wing, as a method to lure
the predator away.