The Mediterranean Sea is known for being rich in species of varied flora and fauna. It is considered as a sea with enormous historical importance for the entire Western civilization since it was an area where numerous cultures developed. It is considered the second largest inland sea on the planet, behind the Caribbean. There are numerous mediterranean sea animals that are worth knowing for their unique characteristics.
For this reason, we are going to dedicate this article to telling you about the main animals of the Mediterranean Sea, their characteristics and some curiosities.
characteristics of the sea
This marine area contains a large amount of water, representing 1% of the total surface of the world's oceans. The volume of water is 3.735 million cubic kilometers and the average depth of the water is 1430 meters. It has a total length of 3.860 kilometers and a total area of 2,5 million square kilometers.. All this volume of water makes bathing possible in the 3 peninsulas of southern Europe. These peninsulas are the Iberian Peninsula, the Italian Peninsula and the Balkans. It also bathes an Asian peninsula called Anatolia.
The name of the Mediterranean comes from the ancient Romans. At that time it was called “Mare nostrum” or “Our Sea”. The name Mediterranean comes from the Latin medi terraneum, which means the center of the earth. The name is due to the origin of the society that gave it its name, since they only knew the land around this sea. This made them see the Mediterranean as the center of the world. The Greeks have given this sea its name from ancient times to the present day.
Extremar is connected to the Atlantic Ocean through the Strait of Gibraltar. It is found between southern Europe, northern Africa, and near the east and west coasts. The Atlantic Ocean is not only the only main communication route, but it is also connected to the Black Sea through the Bosphorus and the Dardanelles. His other link is with the Red Sea. It is connected by the Suez Canal.
Mediterranean sea animals
The species that inhabit the Mediterranean Sea are very diverse because it is a sea rich in marine flora and fauna and this is due, among other things, to the fact that it is a warm and salty ocean that favors the growth of marine vegetation inside. , despite the fact that, due to pollution, the ecological balance of this maritime area is seriously threatened.
There are some 17.000 species registered in the Mediterranean, of which only 4,1% are vertebrates or fish, while around 25,6% are molluscs and crustaceans. The greatest characteristic of the Mediterranean fauna is that 20% is endemic, which means that it can only be found in the Mediterranean.
Mediterranean fish are highly valued in the market and fishing poses serious problems for their conservation. species like cod, red mullet, turbot, flounder, anchovies and sardines are threatened, according to a recent study.
However, governments have instituted different measures to ensure the exchange of marine fauna, such as the creation of protected areas, minimum fishing sizes or temporary closures.
Mediterranean sea fish
The marine fauna of the Mediterranean is so diverse that it is considered a global biodiversity hotspot.
The fish that inhabit this sea can be classified according to various characteristics, according to their diet (carnivorous, herbivorous, omnivorous), according to their shape (spindle, pear, compressed, sunken, eel), according to the place where they live (benthic, pelagic, benthic ), etc…
The most valuable fish in the Mediterranean are red mollusk, red mullet, cod, Patagonian toothfish (or Patagonian toothfish), grouper and sea bream. As a very common fish we find the Diplodocus, which are peciform species formed by several snappers: king snapper, common snapper, mojarra or various snappers, raspallón, pico snapper, etc…
In the Mediterranean, we can divide the fish into two large groups, marine fish and rock fish, each of which usually has its own characteristics. Marine fish usually swim in open waters, usually migratory species such as bluefin tuna (thunnus), lemon fish (seriola dumerili), San Pedro rooster (Zeus Faber), llampuga, etc…
But it is more diverse when it comes to rockfish, which live or are found around rocks, caves, or rocky seabeds. Among them, Parablennius, Symphodus, different types of groupers (see the most valuable fish), etc…
Invertebrate Mediterranean sea animals
These species are characterized by their generally not very large size and lack of skeletons, although many of them cover their bodies with shells or armor. Cephalopods are the largest invertebrate species, although they are molluscs, they have traits and characteristics more typical of fish than of molluscs, including squid, squid and octopus, which are predatory species with developed intelligence.
Sea urchins and starfish belong to the group of echinoderms, which are benthic species (they live at the bottom of the ocean), they move by crawling at low speed and have defense mechanisms based on using their body or avoiding others. the Predators.
sea anemones are other species of marine invertebrates that adhere to substrates and use their tentacles and filaments to capture food, they can be confused with algae or marine plants, but they are actually living species that reproduce like this.
A clear example of this invertebrate is the sea tomato or horse kiwi, the sea anemone or the hermit anemone. Crustaceans represent the most valuable invertebrates on the market, including prawns, prawns, lobsters, lobsters, etc...
They are characterized by their fragile body which is covered by a shell to protect it, in addition, many of them have pincers or pincers to feed, as well as antennas to orient themselves. His movement is mainly walking on the ground or rocks.
Sea worms, such as the spirograph, Bispira Volutacornis or Gusano Tubicula and Serpula Vermicularis, have a shell that protects their body and they capture food through filaments that extend like palm trees.
I hope that with this information you can learn more about the animals of the Mediterranean Sea and their characteristics.