The Walter and Suzanne Scott Kingdoms of the Seas Aquarium features realistic displays of aquatic habitats from polar regions, temperate oceans, coral reefs and the Amazon. Visitors can wind their way through a 70 foot long, zigzag acrylic tunnel that features sharks, rays, sea turtles, and an array of aquatic life.
Symbiosis
Symbiosis is a close association between two different types of organisms in a community who depend on each other. Sea anemones and clownfish have a special symbiotic relationship where they benefit from each other. Clownfish have a slimy mucus covering that protects them from sea anemone stings. Clownfish live within the anemone’s tentacles, for protection from predators and provide scraps of food for the anemone.
Seashells of the World
What is a shell?
Most shells are the protective coverings of animals called mollusks. Though the term mollusk means “soft bodied,” many are protected by a hard shell. This shell is of great importance to these animals as it provides them protection from predators.
Location, Location, Location!
Beaches aren’t the only places you can find shells. Though most mollusks are found in the water, on land they can be discovered on plants, inside trees, under rocks, and buried in loose dirt. In the ocean, they live in many environments. They can be found on algae, coral reefs, and they can bury themselves in the sandy, muddy bottoms. Some mollusks can even float throughout their entire lives on a mass of bubbles.
What’s in a name?
Plants and animals get their scientific name by using “System Natuae” which was developed by Swedish naturalist Karl Linne. A two part Latinized name involving genus and species is given to each species from that system. A genus name appears first and is always capitalized and is like a person’s surname. The species name, listed second, is never capitalized and is like a person’s first name. Scientists use the scientific name so that there is no confusion when discussing specimens. Common names, by contrast, can vary in language and description from region to region. The common name of a shell is different in each region and mostly in honor of a person, place or explanation of the shell.
Classes of Mollusks
Aplacophora—This group consists of 250 species. They are marine, wormlike mollusks that feed upon cnidarians, anemones, and relatives. They have no shell, eyes or tentacles. Some are also waste feeders, others are predators.
Bivalvia—Clams, mussles, and oysters are in this class. They are laterally compressed (or flattened) animals with two valves joined by a hinge. Most are suspension feeders, filtering small organisms and organic particles from the water. There are about 10,000 living species in marine and freshwater habitats worldwide.
Cephalopoda—This class includes octopus, squid, and cuttlefish. Often streamlined, and quicker than other classes of mollusks. Only a few of the several dozen families produce a chalky shell. All 600 to 650 species are scavengers or marine predators.
Gastropoda—These animals have a single-valved shell which is usually coiled in a spiral. The shelled forms are called “snails” and forms without a shell are called “slugs.” They are one of the few groups of organisms will-represented in marine, freshwater, and terrestrial habitats. There are about 40,000 species.
Monoplacophora—There are only about a dozen living species. They have a single cap-like shell so they resemble land mines. They graze on algae and microorganisms on hard bottoms.
Polyplacophora—These are known as chitons, and there are approximately 600 species worldwide. They have one shell with eight overlapping plates. All of them are marine and many are algae grazers which appear on rocks in shallow water.
Scaphopoda—This group is called tusk shells. They have a tapered, tubular shell that opens at both ends. All 350 species are marine and live buried in muddy or sandy bottoms.
Pencil Sea Urchins (Eucidaris tribuloides)
700 species of urchins. Some are poisonous however the Pencil Sea urchins are not dangerous.
Spines are used to defend against predators.
Moves very slowly using tube feet.
They are found from North Carolina to Brazil. They hide amongst the sea grass beds or in rocky crevices. The Pencil Sea urchin’s mouth is located on the bottom. It feeds on algae and seaweed, but will also eat sponges and sea squirts.
Horseshoe Crab (Limulus polyphemus)
· Their tail is not used in self defense, it is used to turn the crab over when it tips upside-down.
· The mouth is under the shell surrounded by the legs.
· They have 10 eyes.
Horseshoe crabs are found along the Atlantic coast from Delaware to Florida. They are found on sandy bottoms. Horseshoe crabs are not actually crabs, their closest relatives are spiders.
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