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What types of fish are found in the Pacific Ocean. Amazing fish in the ocean

More than half of the living matter of the entire Earth's oceans is concentrated in the waters of the Pacific Ocean. This applies to both plants and animal populations. The organic world as a whole is distinguished by species richness, antiquity and a high degree of endemism.

The fauna, totaling up to 100 thousand species, is characterized by mammals that live mainly in temperate and high latitudes. The representative of toothed whales, the sperm whale, is widespread; among the toothless whales, there are several species of striped whales. Their fishing is strictly limited. Separate genera of the family of eared seals (sea lions) and fur seals are found in the south and north of the ocean. Northern fur seals are valuable fur-bearing animals, the hunting of which is strictly controlled. The northern waters of the Pacific Ocean are also home to the now very rare Steller sea lion (an eared seal) and the walrus, which has a circumpolar range but is now on the verge of extinction.

The fish fauna is very rich. There are at least 2,000 species in tropical waters, and about 800 species in the northwestern seas. The Pacific Ocean accounts for almost half of the world's fish catch. The main fishing areas are the northern and central parts of the ocean. The main commercial families are salmon, herring, cod, anchovies, etc.

The predominant mass of living organisms inhabiting the Pacific Ocean (as well as other parts of the World Ocean) are invertebrates that live at various levels of ocean waters and on the bottom of shallow waters: these are protozoa, coelenterates, arthropods (crabs, shrimp), mollusks (oysters, squids) , octopuses), echinoderms, etc. They serve as food for mammals, fish, seabirds, but also constitute an essential component of marine fisheries and are objects of aquaculture.

The Pacific Ocean, due to the high temperatures of its surface waters in tropical latitudes, is especially rich in various types of corals, including those with a calcareous skeleton. In no other ocean is there such an abundance and variety of coral structures of various types as in the Pacific.

The basis of plankton is made up of single-celled representatives of the animal and plant world. There are almost 380 species of phytoplankton in the Pacific Ocean.

The greatest wealth of the organic world is characteristic of areas where the so-called upwelling(the rise to the surface of deep waters rich in minerals) or mixing of waters with different temperatures occurs, which creates favorable conditions for the nutrition and development of phyto- and zooplankton, which feed on fish and other nekton animals. In the Pacific Ocean, upwelling areas are concentrated off the coast of Peru and in divergence zones in subtropical latitudes, where there are areas of intensive fishing and other industries.

Shark Mako. Large sharks belonging to the class of cartilaginous fish, represented by two main species. The body length of individual mako sharks, whose main habitats are the waters of the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans, can reach up to 4 meters and weigh 450 - 500 kilograms. These sharks can be found both in the open ocean, where they can jump above the surface of the water and attack rafts and fishing boats, and in coastal waters, where they pose a serious danger to swimmers.

The main types of food for these large sharks are smaller fish and some types of shellfish, which they hunt, moving alone over long distances.

Giant shark. A large representative of the shark family, second in size after the whale shark. The body size of this shark, which feeds mainly on plankton, can reach 10 meters, and its weight can reach 4 tons. The body color of basking sharks is uniform, and mostly has dark gray or black tones. Giant sharks have well-developed gill slits, allowing them to filter up to 2000 liters of water per hour, selecting valuable plankton from it for their food.

A characteristic feature of these sharks is their huge liver, which makes up a quarter of the weight of the entire shark and is filled with a special oily liquid that allows the shark to stay afloat.

A large representative of the class of cephalopods from the order of squids, the length of its body together with tentacles can reach up to 18 meters, and its weight is 1 ton. You can meet giant squid in the temperate waters of the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian oceans, where it prefers to live mainly at great depths, ranging from 600 to 110 meters.

The size of this squid and its powerful tentacles even allow it to resist its main enemy, the sperm whale, with which even relatively young giant squids can compete.

Due to the great depth of their habitat, the lifestyle of giant squids has been little studied and only individual specimens of these animals that were caught or found washed up on the shore can be judged.

Smooth whale. A family of whales from the suborder of baleen whales, which includes big-headed whales, the most massive in size, which can reach up to 18 meters. These whales got their name from the absence of grooves and stripes on their bodies, which are characteristic of many representatives of the cetacean order. The head of right whales has dimensions that are 1/3 - 1/4 of the size of the entire body, and they also have a wide caudal fin with pointed ends.

The main habitats of right whales are the Arctic, Atlantic and Pacific oceans, where they move slowly, most often alone or in small groups at the surface of the water, and can find a sufficient amount of plankton, which forms the basis of their diet.

Dugong. The only representative of mammals of its kind, included in the order of sirens and being the smallest of them. The weight of adult dugongs can be 600 kg, and the length of their dense spindle-shaped body can reach up to 4 meters. The front limbs of dugongs are flippers, and the tail is shaped like the tails of cetacean mammals. The body, covered with rough skin, ends in the front with a small head and a chopped off muzzle with fleshy, hanging lips, from which in males protrude two small incisors - tusks.

The main habitats of these animals, which served as the prototypes of fairy-tale mermaids, are quiet lagoons and bays of the tropical zone of the Indian and Pacific Oceans. Dugongs feed mainly on plant foods, finding them in abundance in warm shallow waters.

Nautilus. The oldest representative of the genus of cephalopods, whose ancestors lived on Earth five hundred million years ago. Nautiluses are direct relatives of modern octopuses and the only representatives of the cephalopod order, whose body is placed in a spiral-twisted shell. About six species of nautilus are known, living mainly in the Indian and Pacific oceans.

The shell in which this mollusk lives is used not only for protection from numerous enemies, but with its help the nautilus can move to different depths, pumping or releasing biogas from it.

Chinook salmon. The largest representative of the genus of Pacific salmon, whose body length can reach up to 147 centimeters and weigh up to 61.2 kilograms. Chinook salmon has a predominantly grayish-green coloration, against the background of which stand out numerous black spots covering the back area, including the fin and the entire tail section. A distinctive feature of Chinook salmon, which distinguishes it from its closest relative, coho salmon, is the black color of the lower gums.

Chinook salmon is a migratory fish; to spawn, it ascends the beds of large rivers, sometimes covering very long distances. Chinook salmon's diet consists of various types of plankton, smaller fish and squid.

Common toadfish. A fish from the toad-like family that lives in sandy or muddy shallow waters of the Pacific, Indian and Atlantic oceans. The main part of the body of this fish is the head with a large mouth, which has a flattened shape. The coloring of this fish, camouflaged for hunting in the sand, is very well suited for such camouflage; it is dominated by brown and yellow tones with small dark spots scattered over its entire surface.

Another characteristic feature of this fish is the presence of poisonous spines on its body, which pose a great danger to swimmers.

The toad fish is a clear predator; buried in the sand, it lies in wait for its prey, which can be smaller fish, worms, mollusks and crabs.

Electric Stingray. A genus of fish from the order of the same name, which includes 69 different species, all of which are characterized by a flat, pancake-shaped body with a long narrow tail and a unique ability to produce electrical discharges with a sufficiently high voltage value. The color of the flat, disc-shaped body of electric stingrays can vary greatly, which depends primarily on the traditional habitat of each specific species.

You can meet electric stingrays in all the world's oceans, where they spend most of their time at the bottom, buried in the sand and patiently waiting for their prey, which they stun with their electric discharge. The main diet of almost all types of electric stingrays consists of small fish, shellfish and various crustaceans.

Sailboat. A fish from the perciform family, which includes two species that live primarily in the Pacific and Indian oceans. These fish got their name from their characteristic dorsal fin, which is quite high, long and resembles a sail in appearance. The coloring of these fish is also quite characteristic; it consists of a black back with a characteristic blue tint, a brown side with small bluish stripes and a silvery-white belly.

The sailfish is a clear predator; in pursuit of its prey, it can reach speeds of up to 100 km/h. The main prey species of this fish are most often smaller fish, crustaceans and cephalopods.

Against the background of normal, annually recurring conditions, the Pacific Ocean is characterized by a phenomenon that disrupts the usual rhythm of circulation and hydrological processes and is not observed in other parts of the World Ocean. It manifests itself at intervals of 3 to 7 years and entails a disruption of the usual environmental conditions within the intertropical space of the Pacific Ocean, affecting the life of living organisms, including the population of coastal regions of land. It consists of the following: at the end of November or December, i.e. shortly before Christmas (which is why the phenomenon received the popular name “El Niño”, which means “Holy Child”), for reasons that have not yet been explained, the southern trade wind weakens and, consequently, the Southern Trade Wind weakens and the influx of relatively cold waters to the shores of South America and to the west of it. At the same time, winds that are usually unusual for these latitudes begin to blow from the northwest towards the southern hemisphere, carrying relatively warm waters to the southeast, strengthening the Intertrade Wind Countercurrent. This disrupts the upwelling phenomenon both in the intertropical divergence zone and off the coast of South America, which, in turn, leads to the death of plankton, and then the fish and other animals that feed on them.
The El Niño phenomenon has been regularly observed since the second half of the 19th century. It was found that in many cases it was accompanied by a violation of environmental conditions not only in the ocean, but also in vast areas of adjacent land: an abnormal increase in precipitation in the arid regions of South America and, conversely, droughts in the island and coastal regions of Southeast Asia and Australia. The consequences of El Niño 1982–1983 and 1997–1998 are considered especially severe, when this unfavorable phenomenon lasted for several months.

There are many organisms living in the oceanic environment. The greatest species diversity is observed among ocean fish: there are peace-loving herbivores that live in schools, and bloodthirsty predators that can threaten all living things. There are both very large and extremely small individuals, but they are all interesting in their own way.

The underwater world of the ocean is filled with a huge variety of species

Variety of sharks

Sharks are the most colorful inhabitants of the depths of the seas and oceans. They are occasionally found in large lakes and rivers. There are more than 500 varieties in total. They differ from each other not only in appearance and shape, but also in their lifestyle.

The largest order of carchariformes includes eight families:

  • gray;
  • mustachioed canines;
  • false martens;
  • hammerheads;
  • big-eyed;
  • striped cats;
  • felines;
  • mustelids.

The largest order of sharks is the carchariformes, almost any shark that comes to mind will be from this order

They usually live in coastal marine regions of temperate and tropical latitudes. Their common features:

  • five gill slits;
  • anal fin;
  • two dorsal fins.
  • nictitating membrane in the eyes.

The tiger shark was so named because of the transverse stripes on the sides of its body. This is one of the most common varieties. Individuals grow up to six meters in length and reach one and a half tons of mass. Indiscriminate in food. Eats crustaceans, turtles, does not disdain sharks of other species, loves to eat marine mammals, birds, sea snakes and fish. Sometimes accidentally swallows objects unsuitable for food. Poses a threat to humans.

It is obvious why the tiger shark got its name; it is unpretentious in food and poses a real threat to humans.

The name of the lemon shark comes from the yellowish tint of its skin. The length of individuals reaches a size of three and a half meters and a weight of 200 kilograms. They are active at night, live in shallow bays and reefs, and can settle in medium-sized ones. Young sharks gather in schools and swim along coastlines overgrown with mangroves. They usually hunt birds, fish and shellfish. Cases of attacks are recorded extremely rarely, but this species is still potentially dangerous to humans.

The blunt-nosed shark was so named because of its short and massive blunt snout. It is considered one of the most dangerous and poses a real threat to human life. The shark lives in fresh water bodies and behaves extremely aggressively, often attacking livestock and domestic animals that enter the river. At the same time, their physical parameters are quite impressive - half a ton of weight with a length of four meters.


The blunt-nosed shark or bull shark also poses a danger to humans

The diet includes sea turtles, fish, smaller sharks, mammals, echinoderms and crustaceans. They hunt by hiding in muddy water, which perfectly camouflages the predator without giving away its approach. The predator attacks many people, not expecting danger.

The lateral fins of the long-finned shark visually resemble airplane wings. The longest known length of an individual is four meters. Weight reaches 200 kilograms. They feed on mollusks and bony fish, but due to hunger they can change their eating habits. Not safe for humans.

The blue shark is very elongated and slender, the pectoral fins stand out for their length. The top of the body is blue, on the sides it smoothly turns into blue, and the belly is contrastingly white. With a length of four meters, the predator weighs relatively much - 400 kilograms. Prefers to hunt crustaceans, fish, octopuses and squids, and does not neglect the corpses of mammals. Not safe for humans.

The body of the silky shark is relatively soft due to small teeth on the skin. The sides are bronze-gray, in places cast with metal, the belly is light. With a length of three to four meters, it weighs approximately 350 kilograms. This species is distinguished by its particularly acute hearing, which they use for hunting. The majority of the diet consists of fish. Sometimes sharks get together and herd victims into a large school, and then attack. There have been no recorded cases of attacks on people.

The reef shark is also called the whitetip shark. This is due to the tips of its fins - they are colored white.

Lives in places where there are a lot of corals. Well adapted to reef terrain, it can navigate and hunt well in it. Able to extract potential food from narrow spaces. Has a fairly strong jaw to break coral.

It goes hunting at night, usually catching lobsters, octopuses, crabs and reef fish. With a two-meter length, it weighs quite little - only 30 kilograms. Individuals are aggressive towards humans only in case of self-defense. If you do not provoke a reef shark, it will not attack people.


The reef shark can be distinguished by its small size and colored fin tips.

The catshark has an interesting spotted coloration. It also gets its name because of its excellent eyesight, nocturnal habits, and ability to curl up into a ball. The shark's body is small, does not grow longer than a meter, and weighs no more than two kilograms. Individuals catch gastropods, mollusks, crustaceans and echinoderms. Not dangerous to humans.

The mustel shark was also named due to its resemblance to the mammal. It is similar to a marten in coloring, as well as a small flexible body. This predator is very agile and lively, and shows gluttony. Sizes vary greatly from 30 to 220 centimeters, large individuals weigh 30 kilograms. It usually hunts fish, less often mollusks and crustaceans. Almost not dangerous to humans.

The hammerhead shark is well known for its unusual head shape. During the daytime, individuals often gather in large flocks, the numerical size of which can reach a thousand. The longest recorded length is 6 meters. Weight does not exceed 600 kilograms. Typically feeds on stingrays, fish and shellfish. During the hunt, it shows aggression and is therefore dangerous to humans.


The hammerhead shark is dangerous to humans only when hunting for the usual food of stingrays and smaller fish species

The origin of the name soup shark is directly related to gastronomy. The large fins of the predator are considered a delicacy and are used to prepare exotic soup. It grows up to two meters in length, but weighs only 50 kilograms. It eats squid, crustaceans, mollusks and fish. Due to its relatively small size, it is not very dangerous to humans.

There are other large orders of sharks:

  • Lamniformes;
  • Wobbegong-shaped;
  • Katraniformes;
  • Polybranchiformes;
  • Squatinaceae;
  • Heterodonates;
  • Sawtooth.

There are several other classes of large sharks, including wobbegongs

Marine herbivores

Zebrafish fish has an interesting beautiful color. The part of the snout from the mouth to the eyes is decorated with small black patterns resembling freckles. From the eye to the caudal fin there is a black stripe, which is divided into two in the middle and combined again. The caudal fin is yellow but has a black edge.

There is a yellow stripe along the edge of the lateral fins, and a black stripe on the dorsal and ventral fins. The body is colored a pleasant shade of blue. This fish is quite small and is used in aquarium farming, as it can be kept at home. In nature it is found both in small groups and alone.

The fish is peaceful and curious, constantly exploring the reef bottom in search of algae, and behaves in the same way in the aquarium. Prefers places with bright light, as this guarantees the growth of cyanobacteria.


The clown fish lives on a poisonous plant, escapes from predators and takes care of clean water around its savior

Clown fish live in symbiosis with anemones - poisonous sea anemones. The body has an interesting color: on a bright orange background there are three white stripes, the transition parts are black. The fish are immune to the poisonous secretions of anemones. In nature, they hide in them from predators. When the school is not threatened, the fish swim actively and increase the flow of water, which brings food to the sea anemones. The fish is small, only 10-18 centimeters in length.

The pajama wrasse is a very fastidious fish with interesting colors. An aggressive attitude towards relatives from the same family is normal for her. He loves to terrorize his neighbors, harming them psychologically and physically. It feeds on algae and gets along well in a marine aquarium. They should be placed in a spacious container, where there is both free space for swimming and shelter. You can feed it with plant foods.

Predators of the sea

Among ocean fish, sharks are far from the only predators. There are many other aggressive representatives.

Moray eel likes to hide. To do this, she uses caves, coral reefs and thickets of vegetation. The body is quite elongated; with a length of three meters, its thickness is only 30 centimeters. It has a strong jaw, which it actively uses when hunting. Easily camouflaged and attacks from ambush, holds prey tightly with its mouth, uses its tail to hold or tear the victim. With poor eyesight, he has an excellent sense of smell.


One of the dangerous sea predators is the moray eel, which tears its prey with its long tail.

Barracudas are somewhat similar to giant three-meter pikes. They are dangerous to human health and can bite off limbs and cause other injuries. They attack suddenly and indiscriminately, including eating poisonous food. Because of this, their meat is toxic and is not used in gastronomy.

The swordfish is larger in size than many sharks - three meters long and almost half a ton of mass. The most dangerous part of the body is the long bone growth on the upper jaw.

Because of its resemblance to a sword, the fish got its name. Thanks to the four-ton impact force, the swordtail is capable of breaking through an oak board half a meter thick. The predator has no scales.


The danger of this fish is the growth on the upper jaw that resembles a sword.

The European fishing rod is also called the devil. This is due to its extremely unattractive appearance. Its wide mouth is shaped like a crescent moon, its lower jaw is extended, and its eyes are located close to the middle of its head. On the long fin above the upper jaw, bacteria actively multiply and attract fish. If the bait does not work, the anglerfish can rise up and swallow whole a bird that has landed on the surface of the water.

Tuna is a predator that prefers to gather in schools. Its four-meter body can weigh half a ton, but the fish can swim at a speed of 90 kilometers per hour. Tuna is actively used in gastronomy; the French even call it sea veal.

Pelamida also has a silver color, but is much smaller in size. It is no longer than 85 centimeters and weighs no more than 7 kilograms. There are faint stripes on the back that have a blue tint. The fish gather in schools and hunt for sardines and anchovies.

Deep sea inhabitants

Deep-sea representatives are the most unusual among fish. Some representatives occupy the greatest depths of over six kilometers. They are poorly studied, but there are several known varieties.


Deep-sea inhabitants hunt, perfectly camouflaged under the sand

Bottom-dwelling species include leech-mouthed hagfish, batiptera and some stingrays. They usually know how to burrow into the ground and hunt well from ambush. They spend almost their entire life at the bottom. They live on the continental slope and at the continental foot, and are found on underwater islands.

The bodies of benthopelagic fish are very small and consist almost entirely of water, which helps combat high environmental pressure. This species is distinguished by particularly large eyes. Although they also stay near the bottom, they are able to move energetically.

Fish that live in the ocean at a depth of up to three kilometers are called benthic. The most prominent representatives:

  1. Atlantic roughy is a meat-colored fish.
  2. Patagonian toothfish is a black, flattened fish.

The greatest recorded habitat depth is 8370 meters. Their body is usually elongated and narrow, the muscles and organs are well developed. Among their senses, they rely more on smell and the lateral line, which can detect low-frequency sounds, than on their eyes.

To the question: who is found in the Pacific Ocean?? given by the author KatyuFkA)) the best answer is The fauna, totaling up to 100 thousand species, is characterized by mammals that live mainly in temperate and high latitudes. The representative of toothed whales, the sperm whale, is widespread; among the toothless whales, there are several species of striped whales. Their fishing is strictly limited. Separate genera of the family of eared seals (sea lions) and fur seals are found in the south and north of the ocean. Northern fur seals are valuable fur-bearing animals, the hunting of which is strictly controlled. The northern waters of the Pacific Ocean are also home to the now very rare Steller sea lion (an eared seal) and the walrus, which has a circumpolar range but is now on the verge of extinction.
The fish fauna is very rich. There are at least 2,000 species in tropical waters, and about 800 species in the northwestern seas. The Pacific Ocean accounts for almost half of the world's fish catch. The main fishing areas are the northern and central parts of the ocean. The main commercial families are salmon, herring, cod, anchovies, etc.
The predominant mass of living organisms inhabiting the Pacific Ocean (as well as other parts of the World Ocean) are invertebrates that live at various levels of ocean waters and on the bottom of shallow waters: these are protozoa, coelenterates, arthropods (crabs, shrimp), mollusks (oysters, squids) , octopuses), echinoderms, etc. They serve as food for mammals, fish, seabirds, but also constitute an essential component of marine fisheries and are objects of aquaculture.
The Pacific Ocean, due to the high temperatures of its surface waters in tropical latitudes, is especially rich in various types of corals, including those with a calcareous skeleton. In no other ocean is there such an abundance and variety of coral structures of various types as in the Pacific.
The basis of plankton is made up of single-celled representatives of the animal and plant world. There are almost 380 species of phytoplankton in the Pacific Ocean.
Source:

Answer from Sonya))[guru]
Life in the Pacific Ocean is the most diverse. A huge number of different species of fish, plants, algae and animals can be found here. In confirmation, it is perhaps enough to say that the Pacific Ocean accounts for about half of the world's fish catch - pollock, the famous Pacific herring, expensive salmon, cod, and sea bass. In addition, a lot of crabs, shrimp and oysters, which are considered delicacies, are caught here. It is interesting to know that life in this ocean is concentrated mainly at the edges - along the shores of the continents, near the islands. For example, a lot of fish are caught in the Sea of ​​Japan and in the northwestern part of the ocean. Not far from the Australian coast, along the Great Barrier Reef you can find a lot of beautiful coral fish. Bluefin tuna, a large and very tasty fish, also lives and migrates in the Pacific Ocean.
Life in the ocean is constantly changing, and extends even to such depths as 8000 or even 9000 m. True, here it takes very unusual forms, and therefore sometimes serves as a source of legends about sea monsters and man-eating fish. In fact, these are just slightly modified life forms, adapted to exist at great depths, under pressure and in complete darkness. And how much is still unknown to us in the depths of the ocean, how much remains to be learned about life in it.
In the cold and temperate zones of the Pacific Ocean, brown algae develop, especially from the kelp group. These large seaweeds are eaten by humans and used as livestock feed. It is also used as a medicinal and dietary product, better known as seaweed. Algae (especially calcareous red algae) are widespread in the Pacific Ocean and influence the formation of reefs.
The fauna of the Pacific Ocean is also much richer and more diverse than in other oceans. The tropical zone is especially rich. More than 2 thousand species of fish are known in the seas of the Indonesian archipelago, while in the northern seas - Okhotsk and Bering - there are only about 300. But even in these seas the number of fish species is twice as large as in seas with the same climatic conditions, but belonging to other oceans.
An interesting fact about the fauna of the Pacific Ocean is the presence of very ancient species of marine animals. These are, first of all, a large number of ancient species of sea urchins, primitive genera of horseshoe crabs, some very ancient fish that have not survived in other oceans, for example, Jordan. Additionally, the Pacific Ocean is home to 95 percent of salmonids. Only in the Pacific Ocean do representatives of the Pophonogora class live.
Many representatives of the animal world of the Pacific Ocean are characterized by gigantism. Giant mussels and oysters are known in the northern part of the ocean. And the largest bivalve mollusk, the tridacna, lives in the equatorial zone. Its weight reaches 300 kilograms.
Among the mammals that live only in the Pacific Ocean, let's name the dugong, fur seal, sea lion, and sea beaver. They are absent in other oceans.

The Pacific Ocean is the largest ocean on the planet and is rightly called the Great Ocean. Its surface area is approximately 30% of the surface of our planet Earth and approximately 46% of the surface area of ​​the world's oceans.

The Pacific Ocean is so vast that its area is larger than all the landmass of the world combined.

Surprisingly, the Pacific Ocean, among other oceans, became the last ocean that Europeans discovered. Spanish explorer Vasco Nunez de Balboa is considered the first European to discover the Pacific Ocean on September 25, 1513. Ferdinando Magellan, a Portuguese navigator, named the ocean Pacifico in 1521, meaning peaceful sea.


The Pacific Ocean stretches from Asia and Australia to the Americas, from the Arctic Ocean in the north to Antarctica in the south. The equator divides the Pacific Ocean into northern and southern parts.

The famous Pacific Ring of Fire is an area consisting of hundreds of active volcanoes. 75% of the world's active volcanoes are located in the Pacific Ocean. The Ring of Fire includes the Kuril Islands and the Kamchatka Peninsula, the Tierra del Fuego archipelago (Chile, Argentina), a chain of volcanoes in Antarctica, the Japanese, Philippine, Aleutian and Solomon Islands, New Guinea and New Zealand, the Andes, the Cordillera - a total of 328 active volcanoes out of 540 known land ones volcanoes of the Earth.


Did you know that most of the world's islands are in the Pacific Ocean? Indonesia consists of 17,508 islands; Japan consists of almost 3,000 islands. Most atolls and archipelagos are located in the Pacific Ocean.

Many earthquakes occur in this area due to volcanic activity (the ocean plate moves under the tectonic plates of the continents), giving rise to .

The coral reef in the shallow areas of the Pacific Ocean is a living thing. Outwardly motionless coral reef, in fact, consists of millions of living creatures - polyps. A coral colony provides life for many species of tropical fish - these are bioherms, an oasis of life in the ocean.

Coral reefs exist only in the Pacific and Indian Oceans.

Typhoons that occur in the Pacific Northwest are a type of storm similar to tropical storms that include strong winds, thunder and rain.

55 countries border the Pacific Ocean, including Canada, USA, China, Australia, Japan, Mexico.

The world's deepest ocean trench is located in the Pacific Ocean. This is the Mariana Trench. It is the deepest in the world - 11,034 meters. This is more than the height of Everest.

The island of Krakatoa is located in the Pacific Ocean. Its eruption in 1883 killed at least 36,380 people.

The longest reef in the world, the Great Barrier Reef, is located in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of Australia.

In the Pacific Ocean is the second largest island in the world, New Guinea.

Greenland (the largest island in the world) belongs to the Atlantic Ocean.

Easter Island is located in the southeastern Pacific Ocean. It was named by the Dutch admiral Roggeveen, who discovered the island on Easter Sunday.

The Galapagos Islands are located in the southeastern Pacific Ocean. These islands are famous for their huge number of animal species, some of which are found nowhere else in the world.

More than 25,000 islands in the Pacific Ocean are located south of the equator.

The Pacific islands are divided into four different types: continental islands, coral reefs, high islands and platform islands.

  • Oil and natural gas are produced from continental shelves in the shallow waters of New Zealand and off the coast of Australia.
  • Pearls are grown off the coast of Japan, Australia, Panama, Nicaragua, the Philippines and Papua New Guinea.
  • Fishing for tuna, perch, sardines, salmon, and herring is a popular fishery in the waters of the Pacific Ocean.

There is a large amount of marine debris and pollution in the Pacific Ocean, all the result of human activities.

Marine life of the Pacific Ocean


Longtip shark, Firji


Frogfish, Pacific Ocean, Borneo, Malaysia


Spotted bass, Ogasawara archipelago, Japan


Green sea turtle


Long-legged giant lobster


Stonefish is poisonous and yet an expensive delicacy.


Crocodile fish (Spotted flathead) is a bottom-dwelling fish of the warm waters of the Pacific Ocean.


Blue Ribbon Eel (Ribbon Moray), Pacific Ocean.


Galapagos sea lions.


Fur seal (species of eared seals)

The Pacific Ocean is a complex natural system, the history of which began long before the appearance of civilization on the planet. Occupying 1/3 of the surface of the entire Earth, it surpasses all existing oceans in area and depth. Scientists associate the history of the appearance of the name “Quiet” with the name of the Portuguese navigator - F. Magellan, who sailed through this ocean in calm weather. Nature has generously rewarded these waters with rich biomass. The animals and plants of the Pacific Ocean are incredibly diverse.

The fauna of the Pacific Ocean in its species composition exceeds that of any other ocean. Almost all the inhabitants of the World Ocean are found here. The main food of mammals and many fish that inhabit these waters are octopuses, oysters, zooplankton, crayfish, squid, mussels, jellyfish and many others. Some of them are part of the commercial resources of the Pacific Ocean. The fauna is also rich in mammals such as sperm whales and various species of whales. Among the inhabitants there are also quite rare species of sea urchins, horseshoe crabs, as well as ancient fish that are no longer preserved in other oceans.

Vegetable world

Ocean phytoplankton mainly consists of single-celled algae, which together comprise 1,300 species. Most of them belong to the so-called diatoms and peridineans. The bottom fauna of the Pacific Ocean includes approximately 4,000 species of algae, concentrated in coastal waters, as well as up to 29 species (sea grasses) of flowering plants. In temperate and colder parts of the ocean, there is a massive proliferation of brown algae, in particular from the kelp group.

Vegetation in tropical regions consists of mangroves and coral reefs. Most of the fucus, large green and red algae, which together with coral polyps are the main reef-forming organisms, are concentrated here.

The population of gray whales living in the Pacific Ocean is currently in critical condition. That is why this ancient species of marine mammals was listed in the Red Book. The most serious threat to their population is the adverse effects of oil and gas projects. Today, coalitions of many environmental organizations are fighting for the safety of gray whales.

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