See if you can guess what the animal is based on these hints before scrolling down to see the answer:
Animal #1
Hint: Known as the “doomsday fish,” this deep sea fish got its name from Japanese folklore that resulted from it washing up on beaches before natural disasters.
This animal is: The Oarfish
Facts about Oarfish:
These animals hold the world record for the longest bony fish alive today.
Because they are bony fish, oarfish can weigh up to 600 pounds.
The oarfish can also grow up to 36 feet (although they are typically closer to 10 feet).
These fish eat by straining krill and squid from the water and collecting them with specialized gills.
One fish was seen to have 10,000 krill when caught off the coast.
These fish are famous in ancient legends due to their rarity and unusual appearance.
The Japanese folklore that inspired their nickname is only one example of the many pieces of legend and folklore about these ribbon-like creatures.
Animal #2
Hint: This animal is the second largest fish (not animal) in the world, coming after the whale shark, and is a filter feeder.
This animal is: The Basking Shark
Facts about the Basking Shark:
This fish, being the second largest in the world, can grow up to 45 feet long and weigh up to 10,000 pounds.
Basking sharks have the largest offspring of any fish, as baby basking sharks are six feet long, with great white shark offspring a close second.
Despite their massive size, these sharks have been observed jumping out of the water.
One theory is that this behavior occurs when the shark needs to get rid of parasites.
Sometimes, these fish are very solitary, while on other occasions they have been observed to travel in groups of up to 100 members.
Animal #3
Hint: These relatives of seahorses and pipefish disguise themselves as leaves for camouflage.
This animal is: The Leafy Seadragon
Facts about the Leafy Seadragon:
This camouflages not only through the leaf-like appendages all over its body, but also by changing color. As they change locations, the leafy seadragon can actually change its colors, allowing it to camouflage itself more effectively.
The leafy seadragon is the state fish of South Australia.
These animals are capable of staying completely still for multiple days, allowing them to further play into their disguise.
The leafy seadragon does not have teeth or a stomach. It is a filter feeder that needs to take in a large quantity of micro-creatures to sustain itself.
Like seahorses, the leafy seadragon males carry the eggs.
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