In a Coral Reef

Moray eels are a type of fish, even though they look like a snake. Eels come in many sizes. Eels swim using fins. They have long fins on their back, and some have long fins on their sides too. Most fish have scales, but moray eels do not have scales. They have smooth skin. Eels hide in rocks and then come out to grab crustaceans and fish. They have very strong jaws.

Coral is not a plant, it is an animal. It is related to jellyfish. Coral can be colorful. It needs sunlight and warm water. There are hard coral and soft coral. There are different types of coral.

Mother sea turtles lay 50-200 eggs in the sand at the beach. They then leave them behind. Mother sea turtles do not stay to take care of their babies. The babies hatch out of the soft shells usually at night and have to make their way to the water. Many of them will be eaten by predators.

A coral reef is a place in the ocean that has lots of coral, fish, and rocks. Did you know that coral is a type of animal? It looks like a plant, but it eats small particles. 

Sea turtles are reptiles that live in the ocean. They have sharp beaks, rough skin, hard shells, and flippers. They use their flippers to swim fast. Their back flippers help them to swim. 

Jellyfish are related to coral. They don't get stung by their own tentacles. Animals like fish, plants, shrimp, and crabs get eaten by jellyfish. They have one hole in their body. They eat and poop with the same hole. 

Sea stars are not fish! They are echinoderms. They have tube feet on their rays. Some people call the rays arms, but that is not correct. They have spiny skin. At the end of their rays, they have eyes. Sea stars eat things like clams and oysters. They push their stomach out to suck out the animal from the shell.

Can you find this seahorse? It is using camouflage to hide.

Seahorses are fish. Fish are vertebrates. Seahorses don't travel very far. They have fins to swim with. Their tails curl and grab ahold of coral and seagrass. They have rings of bones to protect their bodies instead of ribs. They eat tiny floating animals and are slow swimmers. Did you know that male seahorses have a pouch to carry the babies?

Whale sharks are the largest fish. Each whale shark has its own pattern. They can be blue, gray, or brownish in color with white spots and lines. Even though whale sharks are the largest fish, they actually eat one of the smallest things in the ocean - plankton! They also are not dangerous to humans because they only eat plankton and small animals and do not have rows of sharp teeth like other sharks.

Many other animals live in a coral reef. Clown fish live near  sea anemones. The clown fish don't get stung by the sea anemones. They help to clean them also.