Use this information to help your students get started exploring dangerous animals of the
sea. Here are some ideas for ways to use these animals in your classroom:
• Use the facts to help you prepare lesson plans and lead
discussions in class.
• Print and cut the page to make cards. Distribute a different card
to each cooperative learning group. Visit the school library to learn more about the
animals. Groups may even adopt that animal as their "mascot" while working on
the activities.
• Print and cut the page to make cards. Distribute a complete set
to each student or group of students. Students compare similarities and differences among
various animals.
PHYLUM CNIDARIA
box jellyfish
Chironex fleckeri
|
size: |
bell at least 17 cm (6.7 in.) high;
tentacles at least 3 m (9.8 ft.) long |
| distribution: |
northeast coast of Australia |
| adaptation: |
stinging cells |
| symptom: |
severe skin rash, intense pain, circulatory and
respiratory failure; death may occur in minutes |
| prevention: |
avoid contact (dead jellyfish, too); avoid areas
where jellyfish are seen; wear a wetsuit |
PHYLUM CNIDARIA
fire coral
Millepora alcicornis
|
size: |
size: |
to 50 cm (19.7 in.) high |
| distribution: |
distribution: |
tropical Pacific and Indian Oceans, Red Sea,
Caribbean Sea |
| adaptation: |
adaptation: |
stinging cells |
| symptom: |
symptom: |
painful skin rash |
| prevention: |
prevention: |
this animal is difficult to recognize; don't
touch or brush against any corals |
PHYLUM CNIDARIA
Portuguese man-of-war
Physalia physalis
|
|
size: |
float to 35 cm (13.8 in.) long; tentacles to 30
in (98.4 ft.) long |
| distribution: |
tropical Atlantic, Caribbean Sea, and
Mediterranean Sea |
| adaptation: |
stinging cells |
| symptom: |
immediate and intense pain, skin rash; mild
cases may include weakness and muscular pain; severe cases may cause paralysis of the
heart muscles and death |
| prevention: |
avoid contact (dead man-of-war, too) |
PHYLUM MOLLUSCA
blue-ringed octopus
Octopus maculosus
|
Pacific octopus
|
size: |
to 10 cm (3.9 in.) in diameter |
| distribution: |
Indo-Pacific; most common along the southern
Australia coast |
| adaptation: |
extremely venomous saliva |
| symptom: |
swelling, numbness, nausea, respiratory failure;
may cause death |
| prevention: |
don't handle or step on this animal |
PHYLUM CHORDATA
sea snake
Hydrophis cyanocinctus
|
|
size: |
to 1 m (3.3 ft.) long |
| distribution: |
Persian Gulf to Sea of Japan |
| adaptation: |
venom |
| symptom: |
muscle stiffness, difficulty speaking and
swallowing, flu-like symptoms, muscular paralysis |
| prevention: |
void areas where sea snakes are seen |
PHYLUM CHORDATA
batray
Myliobatis californica
|
|
size: |
to 1.8 m (5.9 ft.) wide |
| distribution: |
eastern Pacific Ocean from Oregon to the Gulf of
California |
| adaptation: |
serrated, venomous spine |
| symptom: |
painful laceration |
| prevention: |
rays often lie half-buried in sand- shuffle feet
when wading in shallow water |
PHYLUM CHORDATA
great white shark
Carcharodon carcharias
|
|
size: |
to 6.4 m (21 ft.) long |
| distribution: |
temperate oceans worldwide |
| adaptation: |
sharp teeth, acute senses for locating prey; one
of the most dangerous shark species |
| symptom: |
extensive bleeding and shock |
| prevention: |
avoid areas where sharks are seen; don't dive
alone; don't carry speared fish |
PHYLUM CHORDATA
moray eels
family Muraenidae
|
|
size: |
to 1.5 m (4.9 ft.) long |
| distribution: |
worldwide in tropical and temperate oceans |
| adaptation: |
sharp teeth; will bite if provoked |
| symptom: |
puncture wounds; heavy bleeding |
| prevention: |
divers should wear gloves; don't reach into
holes or crevices |
PHYLUM CHORDATA
stonefish
Synanceja horrida
|
|
size: |
to 60 cm (23.6 in.) |
| distribution: |
Indo-Pacific and coasts of India, Australia,
China, Philippine Islands |
| adaptation: |
venomous spines, camouflage; the most venomous
fish in the world |
| symptom: |
extreme pain, swelling; may cause death |
| prevention: |
spines can easily penetrate clothing and
footwear-avoid touching or stepping on this fish |
PHYLUM ARTHROPODA
tarantula
Brachipelma sp.
|
|
size: |
leg span up to 22cm (10 inches) |
| distribution: |
found on all continents except Europe and
Antarctica |
| adaptation: |
venomous bite to capture prey |
| symptom: |
body spasms (resembles the dance called the
Tarantella) |
| prevention: |
do not handle them, or handle them only with
trained supervision |
PHYLUM ARTHROPODA
hissing cockroach
Gromphadorhina portentosa
|
|
size: |
5cm (2 in) |
| distribution: |
Tropical forests of Madagascar |
| adaptation: |
hissing noise made by pushing air through
spiracles on the sides of the body to frighten predators |
| symptom: |
not harmful to humans other than the bacteria
carried on exoskeleton and feet that can get into human food supply |
| prevention: |
for regular, American cockroaches, keep traps in
pantries and dry foods in sealed containers |
PHYLUM CHORDATA
ball python
Python regius
|
size: |
1-2m (3-6 ft) |
| distribution: |
West Central Africa |
| adaptation: |
suffocates prey by coiling around the animal but
NOT people! |
| symptom: |
do not take as pets; handle with trained
supervision; do not put around neck incase they are frightened by someone or something |
PHYLUM ARTHROPODA
African millipede
Archespirostreptus sp.
|
|
size: |
25 cm (12 in) |
| distribution: |
tropical forests of West Africa |
| adaptation: |
secrete noxious fluid which makes it taste bad
to predators |
| symptom: |
the results of the fluid to humans is merely a
red or yellow stain on the skin |
| prevention: |
don't eat them! |
PHYLUM ARTHROPODA
emperor scorpion
Pandines imperator
|
|
size: |
20cm (8in) |
| distribution: |
Forests of West Central Africa |
| adaptation: |
toxic venom; the smaller the scorpion, the more
toxic |
| symptom: |
pain, localized swelling, similar to a bee
sting; depends on species and size as to the severity of the damage |
| prevention: |
use care when in their habitat |
PHYLUM CHORDATA
vampire bat
Desmodus rotundus
|
|
size: |
30-35g (1-1.2 oz) |
| distribution: |
rainforests and deserts of N. Mexico to N.
Argentina |
| adaptation: |
Do not suck blood, rather they make a small
incision and lap up the blood from the wound. |
| symptom: |
they do not feed on human blood, they normally
feed on donkeys, horses, etc.; however, do not enter bat dwellings because it may just
cause mass freight of the flock |
PHYLUM CHORDATA
prehensile-tailed porcupine
Coendou prehensilis
|
|
size: |
50-61cm (20-24in) |
| distribution: |
tropical rainforests of South America |
| adaptation: |
barbed quills |
| symptom: |
feeling stuck! |
| prevention: |
porcupines do not throw their quills like legend
says they do. Their quills are just loosely held in the skin, so they come out if they are
grabbed. Do not pick them up or frighten them into bumping into you. |
|
