Fauna of the White Sea. Unusual inhabitants of the White Sea The largest jellyfish in the White Sea

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The White Sea is an inland sea in the north of the European part of Russia, belonging to the Arctic Ocean. Every year it is covered with ice for 6-7 months. Here, at the White Sea Biological Station, a wonderful underwater photographer Alexander Semenov worked and took pictures of marine animals. He is a graduate of the Department of Zoology of Moscow State University named after M.V. Lomonosov and an underwater photographer.

polychaete worm

It is the largest representative of the Nereid family - it can reach 60-70 cm in length.

Polychaete worm close up. In nature, everything is complicated:

eared jellyfish

The body of the eared jellyfish is translucent, pinkish-violet-blue hues. Nature created the dome of the jellyfish in the form of a round flat umbrella, along the edge of which there are numerous thin tentacles hanging down. Dome diameter up to 40 cm.

In the center of the lower concave part of the umbrella there is a quadrangular mouth opening, surrounded by four large oral lobes resembling donkey ears in shape, for which the jellyfish got its specific name eared (aurita):

sea goat

Sea goats (Caprella septentrionalis) belong to a group of marine benthic crustaceans adapted to climbing on aquatic plants and various animals. In huge herds of sea goats, not everything is always smooth sailing. Sometimes especially aggressive goats start to fight for food or for the best place.

underwater cave

corifella polaris

Coryphella polaris (Coryphella polaris) is a nudibranch mollusk. The structural features of these animals include the absence of both a shell and a pronounced mantle.

Corifella polaris is an extremely rare mollusk. The long "horns" on the head are modified tentacles, chemical sense organs and, in general, the main sensory system of any nudibranch.

These are slow animals, and crawling 40 centimeters along a huge stem costs Polaris a whole day, I guess.

hairy cyanoea

The body of the jellyfish has a variety of colors, with a predominance of red and brown tones. Usually cyanideas do not grow more than 50-60 cm.

But there are also giants. Arctic cyanide is the largest jellyfish in the oceans. There are specimens with a dome diameter reaching 2 m. The tentacles of such large specimens can stretch up to 20 m.

Hairy cyanide (Cyanea capillata) is also called the lion's mane because of the spectacular tentacles dragging behind them.

Jellyfish are absolutely fantastic creatures.

Due to the fact that the jellyfish mainly consists of water, its life on land is impossible. When a jellyfish is washed ashore, it dies, drying out in the sun.

Cyclosalp

Salps are tunicates, they are chordates, that is, they are no longer completely invertebrates. Cyclosalps are a colony of several individuals connected in such a barrel with tails that slowly swims in the water column. About 5 cm in size. These are very delicate organisms.

giant octopus

This is a very large octopus, the usual weight of which is 1-10 kg. Large individuals up to 150 cm in size and weigh about 30 kg. Specimens up to 50 kg in weight and up to 3 meters long have been registered.

The octopus is not only one of the smartest sea creatures, but is generally ranked as the 9th smartest animal on Earth by Animal Planet.

Gorgon head

This northern monster lives in the White Sea at depths from 20 to 4,000 meters. Despite the branching and apparent bulkiness, the rays of the gorgonocephalus are very mobile - they can curl up into rings, hug objects and generally move quickly in all directions. When the animal actively moves them, it resembles snakes swarming on the head of Medusa Gorgon ... -

metridiums

Huge 2-3-4-meter boulders are all covered with a cap of millions of thin tentacles, and somewhere under this cap, hundreds of huge trunks grow from a boulder, forming a real forest.

Hyperia galba

Leukothea

Fantastically beautiful ctenophores that slowly soar in the water column, opening huge mouth blades and wielding four thick tentacles.

Absolutely cosmic being:

Generica

This is a bull White Sea star, it can be of different colors. Here it is lilac, and there are also pale pink, yellow, fiery red and all sorts of others.

sea anemone

Metridiums (Metridium senile) are large sea anemones, up to 30 cm in height, but as soon as you touch the delicate tentacles, the animal shrinks into a muscular, tight stump. In cold water, all animals behave slowly, so the contracted metridium will not open soon.

The sea anemone Metridium senile lives at depths from 3 to 30–40 m, mainly on rocky bottoms. Prefers vertical walls and strong currents. Often settles on shells of mollusks, forming large colonies.

Nereid

Marine bristle-footed worms with numerous bristles. Isn't he handsome?

Amphipod Paramphitoe

This is a Paramphitoe amphipod (Paramphitoe cuspidata), living inside the sponges, but sometimes creeping out. This "beast" is only 4-5 mm in size, by the way.

Comb jelly Beroe

Another spacecraft with side lights is the Beroe comb jelly (Beroe cucumis). It is notable primarily for the fact that it eats other ctenophores. Most of the time he swims with his mouth closed, but as soon as he smells prey, he immediately opens his mouth wide and swims on it. Another ctenophore may even be somewhat larger in size, this does not interfere with Beroe - when he pokes his muzzle into him, he literally sucks his soft carcass with his mouth, inflating his own body.

Serpula

These are rather large worms that live in thick calcareous tubes attached to stones. A 3-4 cm corolla of tentacles sticks out of the tube, which are both gills and a trapping net for edible organic matter passing by.

Part of the tentacles (or one, I don’t know for sure) turned into a “pipe” - a long, strong funnel with which the worm closes the entrance to the tube when it hides inside. Serpules are absolutely fantastically incredibly beautiful, of different colors.

Urban Teaching and Research Conference

"Northern lights"

Direction
Disappearing inhabitants of the White Sea

student of 4 "A" class

MOU "Secondary School No. 6"

Supervisor:

Krasnova Marina Nikolaevna

Novodvinsk, 2011
Content

Introduction……………………………………………………………………………

Chapter 1. White Sea…………………………………………………………..…

Chapter 2. Disappearing inhabitants of the White Sea………………………………

Specially protected species of animals………..…………………………………

2.2 Rare and endangered animal species ……………………………………..

2.3 Activities of animal advocates…………..…………….……..……..…

Conclusion…………………………………………………………………….....

…………………………………………….

Introduction.

The nature of the White Sea gave a person the opportunity to get acquainted with the huge variety of species living here. The harp seal has chosen these places for its maternity hospital. The largest Razorbill in the White Sea nests here, and beluga whales, whose population does not exceed one thousand, frolic in the coastal sea waters. The underwater world of the White Sea is beautiful in landscapes and rich in marine life.

Harvesting algae, which are used as a food product, has always been a traditional trade for the local population.

In nature, there are periodic changes in climatic conditions associated with solar activity. This negatively affects the number of some species of animals. Due to climate change, the area of ice floes in the White Sea, on which seals with cubs are located, is shrinking.

Target:

study of rare and endangered animal species of the White Sea.

Tasks:

explore the fauna of the White Sea;
explore rare and endangered animal species;
draw the attention of others to the protection of animals.

Hypothesis:

Let us assume that if the extermination of rare animal species of the White Sea is not prevented, then in the future their numbers will sharply decrease and their complete disappearance may occur.

Relevance:

Due to climate change and human activity, the number of some animal species in the White Sea is declining. When the population decreases to a certain critical level, the probability of its extinction becomes very high. If the hunting of animals is not regulated by laws or local traditions, they may disappear.

Chapter 1. White Sea.

The White Sea is one of the most beautiful northern seas in Russia. This inland Russian sea belongs to the seas of the Arctic Ocean. It is located in the northern hemisphere, almost on all sides the sea is bounded by land, and only on the north side it is separated from the Barents Sea by a water boundary drawn through Cape Svyatoy Nos on the Kola Peninsula and Cape Kanin Nos.

The area of the White Sea is about 90 thousand square kilometers. Average depth of the White Sea: 100 m. The greatest depth of the White Sea: 330 m.

The bottom relief is uneven and complex. Large bays of the White Sea: Mezen in the east, Dvina and Onega in the south, as well as Kandalaksha. The deepest region of the sea is the Kandalaksha Bay. The largest rivers flowing into the White Sea are the Northern Dvina, Mezen, Kandalaksha, Onega and others.

Summer on the White Sea is cool and moderately humid. Winter on the White Sea is long and severe.

Salinity of the White Sea: 24-30%. The currents of the White Sea are weak.

Some researchers suggest that the sea is called White because it is covered with ice for most of the year. Others believe that the name comes from the whitish color of the water reflecting the northern sky. Indeed, at any time of the year it remains white: either snow, or rain, or fog.

Flora and fauna of the White Sea are very diverse. In the old days it was said: "The sea is our field." Since prehistoric times, the local population has been fed by fishing and fishing for sea animals.

Inhabitants of the White Sea: about 50 species of fish (herring, cod, pink salmon, smelt, navaga, flounder, brown trout, salmon, perch and others). On the uninhabited islands of the White Sea, there are many bird markets, where during the summer sea birds incubate eggs and raise chicks.

IN
In the White Sea, there are ringed seals, bearded seals (beared seal), harp seals, herring sharks, and star rays.

Mammals: minke and beluga whales, dolphin (porpoise) and others are few in number. Isolated cases of encounters with the Atlantic walrus were noted.

The underwater world of the White Sea is rich and unique. The White Sea is an important object for Russia and the Republic of Karelia.

Chapter 2. Disappearing inhabitants of the White Sea.

2.1.Specially protected animal species.

From the Red Book of Russia in the Kandalaksha Reserve, which is located on the shores of the White Sea, 27 species of animals are noted. For Atlantic cormorant, crested cormorant, Atlantic gray seal, the Kandalaksha Nature Reserve is the main breeding site in Russia. In addition, common eider, golden eagle, white-tailed eagle, peregrine falcon, Scandinavian white-throated thrush nest in the reserve. Of the birds included only in the Red Book of the Murmansk region, we note the recent migrants to Russia - the northern gannet and great skua, which breed mainly in the reserve. The protected area is rich in marine mammals. Kandalaksha Bay is a permanent habitat for bearded seals and ringed seals, as well as gray seals. The bearded seal reaches 2.5 m in length and weighs up to 300 kg, it is rightfully considered one of the largest seals in our country. Unfortunately, the number of these animals does not exceed a few dozen. For the winter, most of these animals migrate to the nearest drifting ice, and some independently make holes in the ice, and then support them all winter. The gray seal, which is larger than the bearded seal, needs special protection and is listed in the Red Books of the Russian Federation. Sometimes cetaceans are found in the waters of the reserve. The Beluga whale swims in large herds of several dozen.

Of the specially protected marine mammals, several species of whales and dolphins, a walrus, and an ordinary seal were recorded. The minke whale is listed in the international Red Book. The Beluga whale has been listed as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List since 1994. As of May 1999, there were about 30 herds of beluga whales in the world, the total number of which was estimated at 100-200 thousand individuals. Currently, the main threat to beluga whales lies not in intensive fishing, but in the pollution of the habitat of beluga whales with waste and pesticides.

2.2 Rare and endangered animal species.

TO
it minke whale .

The smallest minke. Body length 6-9 m. Weight about 10 tons. Shorter and thicker than other minke whales. From the front end of the muzzle to the blowhole there is a high longitudinal ridge. When the mouth is closed, the lower jaw protrudes 15-20 cm forward beyond the end of the muzzle. The dorsal fin is relatively far forward and has a crescent-shaped notch along the posterior edge. Tail blades are wide. The minke whale is distributed from the ice of the Arctic to the ice of the Antarctic. In the northern hemisphere, it stays closer to the coast, often entering bays and bays. Found in the White Sea. Of the fish, it eats such as capelin, herring, cod, whiting, pollock, navaga, polar cod, greenling, pollock, gerbil, saury, ivasi, dog shark. In search of fish, this whale sometimes gets into fishing gear.

Porpoises - a genus of dolphins. Length up to 2 m. The common harbor porpoise is distributed in the waters of the Northern Hemisphere, including the White Sea.

Fishing has been prohibited since 1965. This animal species is listed in the Red Book. They differ from dolphins in the structure of the skull and teeth, which do not have a conical, but a flattened crown. Porpoises are smaller than real dolphins. The harbor porpoise keeps in small groups, but on large schools of fish it can form herds of up to a thousand or more heads. It feeds mainly on bottom fish species, diving to a depth of 260 m was recorded, and does not jump out of the water completely.

There are about 700,000 individuals worldwide.

Currently, the main factors negatively affecting the number of harbor porpoises are: unintentional by-catch during fishing, pollution of the seas and noise from intensive shipping, military exercises, mining, underwater construction, etc.

TO it Beluga.

The color of the skin is uniform. Changes with age: newborns are dark blue, after a year they become gray and bluish-gray; individuals older than 3-5 years are pure white (hence the name).

The largest males reach 6 m in length and 2 tons in weight; females are smaller. The head of the beluga whale is small, "lobed", without a beak. The vertebrae on the neck are not fused together, so the beluga whale, unlike most whales, is able to turn its head. The pectoral fins are small and oval in shape. The dorsal fin is absent; hence the Latin name of the genus Delphinapterus - "wingless dolphin".

In the White Sea, the white whale lives off the coast of the Solovetsky Islands.

ABOUT Beluga whales feed mainly on schooling fish (capelin, cod, polar cod, herring, navaga, flounder, whitefish and salmon species); to a lesser extent - crustaceans and cephalopods. An adult individual consumes about 15 kg of food per day.

Beluga whales travel in herds. Chasing shoals of fish, beluga whales sometimes gather in herds of hundreds and even thousands of heads.

Beluga whale is an object of limited fishing (skin and fat are used). For the last three decades, commercial fishing for beluga whales has not been carried out in Russia; several dozen individuals are harvested annually for the needs of the peoples of the North and the Far East, scientific research and dolphinariums.

B
The White Sea is the only maternity hospital for all white whales in the European part of the Arctic. The main part of the White Sea beluga population lives in the White Sea from early spring to late autumn, leaving before the main freeze-up in the Barents Sea, where it winters, apparently, in its southeastern part. In summer, beluga whales are distributed throughout the White Sea and enter numerous bays and bays.

sea hare (beared seal)- a mammal of the true seal family. Length up to 2.4 m, weighs up to 360 kg. Fishing object. The name "sea hare" was given to this seal by Russian hunters because of its shy habits. Or, according to another version, for the similarity of the "jumps" that he makes when moving on land and ice.

ABOUT
bearded seal lives in coastal shallow waters with depths of up to 50-70 m. It feeds mainly on invertebrates (shrimps, crabs, mollusks, sea worms) and bottom fish (flounder, polar cod, goby, capelin). In summer and autumn bearded seal forms rookeries where tens or even hundreds of seals lie. As the ice appears, bearded seals move on to them. On the ice they keep singly or in groups of 2-3 animals. Lakhtak is a slow, overweight animal and cannot move quickly on ice. Some sea hares stay in the coastal strip for the winter, arrange holes in the ice through which they exit the water. Sometimes the hole is covered with a thick layer of snow, and the animals build a hole in it.

The skin of the bearded seal is so strong and thick that the population of the north made kayaks from it, cut straps for sleds, skis and harnesses for dogs, cut out soles for boots. Meat, flippers and fat were used for food; the latter was also used for lighting. The harvest of the bearded seal is prohibited.

WITH
gray or long-faced seal.

The distribution of the Atlantic gray seal covers the seas of the North Atlantic. In the territorial waters of Russia, gray seal breeding haulouts are formed on the islands of the Murmansk region. Keeps in the coastal zone near the rocky shores, prefers to lie on the sea coast.

Body length 165-260 cm. Puppies appear in the autumn-terrestrial time from September to February, usually at night. The female feeds the cubs with milk for 2-3 weeks.

P
They feed on cod, flounder, salmon, herring, gobies, capelin, stingrays, hake, less often crabs, squids, crustaceans and molluscs. Natural enemies are killer whales, sharks. The total number of Atlantic gray seals is estimated at about 150,000 heads.

harp seal .

WITH
The male harp seal has a very distinctive coloration and is difficult to confuse with other seal species. They have a silver gray coat, a black head and a black horseshoe line extending from the shoulders down both sides. Females have a similar pattern, but are somewhat paler and sometimes split into patches. Harp seals are 170 to 180 cm long and weigh 120 to 140 kg. Harp seals prey primarily on fish and crustaceans. Hunting for them, seals dive to a depth of 200 m.

B
spruce - a baby harp seal. The birth of the puppy takes place on the ice. In the White Sea, breeding haulouts are located far from the coast, closer to its middle. In females of the White Sea population, cubs are born in late February - early March. The entire period of the puppy takes no more than 10 days. At first, their fur is white in the cubs (hence the name - pups), and after molting, after three to four weeks, the cubs change color to gray - therefore the name of the grown cub is serk. Adult animals acquire a characteristic harp-like pattern. This gave the second name of the seal - harp seal (English). Females bring one cub a year. Most of the victims of hunting are seal cubs no older than 3 months - pups and serks.

Belek is a seal pup from the moment of birth to the beginning of molting - about two weeks old (March, 1-15).

Khokhlusha is the next stage of the cub, when the pup begins to molt and has more areas covered with white fur, and where it has already crawled out, gray fur is visible;

WITH yerka - a molted harp seal cub, covered with gray fur (up to a year).

The object of fur hunting in the White Sea is white pup. The main value is the fur skin, which after processing is used to make warm clothes, especially hats. Seal meat is also used.

According to the results of the first accounting aerial photography of the White Sea population, carried out in 1928, the population of the harp seal was determined to be approximately 3.0-3.5 million heads. Intensive harvesting of seals led to a reduction in the population to 1.0-1.5 million by the mid-1950s. Continued intensive fishing caused a further decline in the number of all populations. By the mid-1960s, the number of the White Sea population had fallen to 300,000. Calculation of the number of harp seal pups using thermal imaging shows that in 2003 the number of newborn pups was about 350,000, while in 2008 it was already less than 120,000.

ABOUT
The main reasons for the decline in the harp seal population are: commercial fishing, global climate change, the development of the oil industry. According to environmentalists and the Ministry of Natural Resources, the seal population is rapidly declining. Over the past six years, their number has decreased by almost three times.

2.3 Animal welfare activities.

ABOUT seal hunters actively oppose any attempt to take away their jobs.
They have one argument - an old craft. Belkovs and Serks - already shed cubs up to a year old - were still hunted by great-grandfathers. Completely forgetting that great-grandfathers did not have helicopters and snowmobiles. And in one run they did not take out hundreds of dead animals from the ice floes.

Animal advocates claim that the procedure for catching and slaughtering seals is extremely cruel: they are hit on the head with a hook and then skinned.

Hunting for seals has long been banned throughout the world, and only Canada and Denmark (in Greenland) conduct limited fishing for serka.

Until 2009, Russia was the only country in the world that permitted the slaughter of newborn harp seal pups.

One of the first organizations that came to the defense of seals is the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW). The protection of harp seal pups was the main reason for the creation of this organization. IFAW is actively working to protect the harp seal in both Canada and Russia. In the future, many famous people joined the protection of the harp seal. So in 1977, actress Brigitte Bardot organized a demonstration outside the Norwegian embassy in Paris. Soon, the President of France introduced a ban on the import of products made from fur coats. Thus, France became the first country where special measures were introduced against the extermination of seals.

IN In Russia, in the city of Tomsk, in March 2008, a campaign was organized by the public against seal hunting under the name "Do not beat the lying one!".

For the first time in history, a temporary ban on work on the ice was introduced, which automatically prevented the hunting of seals. This victory was due to the widespread indignation of the public and the appeal to the President of the famous people of Russia. Andrei Makarevich, after a high-profile press conference with the participation of Elena Kamburova, Konstantin Raikin, Laima Vaikule, Mikhail Shirvindt, Irina Novozhilova, contacted the presidential administration and the governor of the Arkhangelsk region by phone and received an assurance of support for the protest. Laima Vaikule, Viktor Gusev, Alena Sviridova, Alexander F. Sklyar made a heroic helicopter flight landing on the ice of the White Sea to newborn seals, organized by the Vita Animal Rights Protection Center. Andrey Arshavin spoke in support of the protest. The protest was supported by famous artists, musicians, directors, painters, sculptors, academics, journalists, athletes and TV presenters. They made a documentary

"Kill Free Zone"

However, the abolition of the slaughter of seal pups was not enshrined in law. In addition, at the end of March, the hunters on ships went to sea and organized a hunt for a grown seal cub - a serka. A new appeal was sent to Russian President Dmitry Medvedev.

As a result of February 2009, Russia introduced a complete ban on hunting seal pups of all age groups (white seals, khokhlush and gray seals).

Today, hunting for harp seal pups is prohibited in Russia. This fishery is considered one of the most cruel, environmentalists around the world have been fighting for its ban for a long time.

Conclusion.

The decline in the number of animal species under the influence of human economic activity began a very long time ago, but especially intensified in the era of the scientific and technological revolution. At the same time, the rate of extinction of animal species has been steadily increasing with particular rapidity in the last one and a half to two centuries. Significant territories and large water spaces, especially inland seas, lakes and rivers, are so changed due to the accumulation of harmful substances that they become unsuitable for the life of many animal species.

According to environmentalists and the Ministry of Natural Resources, the seal population is rapidly declining. Over the past six years, their number has decreased by almost three times. The reason is climate change and ice melting. But, first of all, the person is to blame.

Our country remained one of the few where hunting was allowed.

Currently, hunting for harp seal pups is completely prohibited in Russia. Scientists hope that the new measures will save the seal population.

Similar rules apply in almost all countries of the world.

Due to climate change and human activity, the number of other inhabitants of the White Sea is also declining. When the population decreases to a certain critical level, the probability of its extinction becomes very high. Today, experts began a new study in the White Sea.

Conclusion: our hypothesis is correct, because if the extermination of rare animal species of the White Sea is not prevented, then in the future their numbers will sharply decrease and their complete disappearance may occur.

Bibliography

Andriyashev A.P., Fishes of the northern seas of the USSR, M. - L., 1954; Life of animals, vol. 4, part 1, M., 1971; Nikolsky G.V., Private Ichthyology, 3rd ed., M., 1971.
Great Soviet Encyclopedia. - M.: Soviet Encyclopedia. 1969-1978.
Geptner V.G., Chapsky K.K. et al., 1976. Mammals of the Soviet Union, 2 (3). Pinnipeds and toothed whales. M.: Higher school with.
"For younger schoolchildren about the nature of Karelia", Babakova T. A., Momotova A. P., Petrozavodsk: Karelia, 1988 - 213 p.
Internet sites:

http://www.pro-kitov.info/beluha/beluha22.html

http://click-up.narod.ru/tr-mr2.html

http://www.infotags.ru/mir82_1.htm

http://druidgor.narod.ru/travnik/travnik219.html

www.tuleni.ru

http://www.fishingcenter.ru/articles/view/104/

http://ru.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sebastes

Shark in the White Sea

Greenlandic seals again in Kandalaksha White Sea population

Monument to the seal in Arkhangelsk.

The fauna of the White Sea is quite diverse. What is not found in it: seals, even beluga whales, a lot of cod fish, saffron cod, saithe, herring, flounder, etc.

I will not write about each separately, I will only mention those whom I met in my life.

Dolphins - Beluga whales. When I first saw these wonderful creatures, I was about 15 years old and at that moment I was on the ship "Klavdia Elanskaya", which was going to the Solovetsky Islands. When we approached Solovki, in the distance I noticed some strange creatures jumping over the water. At first I thought it was dolphins and as it turned out, they were Beluga whales. By the way, Beluga whales belong to the family of dolphins of the suborder of toothed whales. This is one of the most vivid memories associated with them. Every year, when I go to Solovki, I dream of capturing them with my camera lens, but I can't. When they appear, as luck would have it, the camera is in the cabin. I run to the cabin, take the camera, run out, but they are already gone.

2. Seal, during the release of the nuclear submarine "Severodvinsk".

The next animal I met on the White Sea is a seal! Seals are frequent guests in Severodvinsk and Arkhangelsk. In winter, they can often be found under the Yagrinsky bridge, usually in the evening. Unfortunately, they are very difficult to capture with a camera. It is dark under the bridge and they are very shy. Unfortunately, there is one sad moment associated with them. In summer, seals often get caught in fishing nets near Yagry Island and after that their dead carcasses end up on the beach. But they are quickly taken away.

3. Flounder.

I don’t know if crayfish can be called a part of the animal world of the White Sea, since I tried to catch them in the “Holy” Lake on Solovki. I have known for a long time that there are a lot of crayfish in the Solovki lakes. In the summer of 2013, I made an attempt to see them. Having put on a mask with a snorkel and flippers, I went deep into the lake "Saint", which, by the way, is depicted on one side of the 500-ruble bill. Long and hard I searched for these wonderful creatures, imagining that I would catch many, many of them and cook them. But when I first saw cancer among the stones, I did not know what to do. I only had a package in my hands. Foolishly decided to take it by hand. And he put out his claws, as if he was ready to fight with me. I got a little scared and decided to think about what to do. An attempt to bypass the cancer from behind was also unsuccessful, and he immediately ran away from me into the depths of the "Holy" lake. I did not expect to see such speed in crayfish. After I got out of the lake, I realized that I would never catch crayfish. Not because they can grab my finger, but it's just a pity to kill such an unusual creature.

4.Cancer

Now let's move on to the fish! I have already talked about fish more than once. In the moments when I "catch" submarines, I also catch ordinary fish. Submarines sometimes have to wait a very long time, so I'm doing this useful thing. Usually navaga and flounder come across my bait. Navaga goes to fry, and I bring down the flounder. The taste of dried flounder, for me, is like the food of the gods! I always look forward to the summer to catch flounder with a bait, and ships and submarines with a camera.

5. Sea worm.

Well, the last thing I will write about is shrimp and a sea worm. Small transparent shrimps are found in the White Sea. In the summer, fishermen catch them at low tide with special homemade nets. They are also used as bait for fishing. In addition to shrimp, a sea worm is used for bait, which, also at low tide, is dug on the shore, from where the water has just left.

Unfortunately, there are no photos of the shrimp. I didn't even find them on the Internet, maybe they have some other name.

Today we will get acquainted with some unusual inhabitants of the White Sea and not only.

Photos by Alexander Semenov. He is a graduate of the Department of Zoology of Moscow State University named after M.V. Lomonosov and an underwater photographer.

polychaete worm

It is the largest representative of the Nereid family - it can reach 60-70 cm in length.

polychaete worm

Polychaete worm close up. In nature, everything is complicated:

polychaete worm

eared jellyfish

sea goat

underwater cave

corifella polaris

Coryphella polaris (Coryphella polaris) is a nudibranch mollusk. The structural features of these animals include the absence of both a shell and a pronounced mantle.

corifella polaris

Corifella polaris is an extremely rare mollusk. The long "horns" on the head are modified tentacles, chemical sense organs and, in general, the main sensory system of any nudibranch.

corifella polaris

These are slow animals, and crawling 40 centimeters along a huge stem costs Polaris a whole day, I guess.

corifella polaris

hairy cyanoea

The body of the jellyfish has a variety of colors, with a predominance of red and brown tones. Usually cyanideas do not grow more than 50-60 cm.

hairy cyanoea

But there are also giants. Arctic cyanide is the largest jellyfish in the oceans. There are specimens with a dome diameter reaching 2 m. The tentacles of such large specimens can stretch up to 20 m.

hairy cyanoea

Hairy cyanide (Cyanea capillata) is also called the lion's mane because of the spectacular tentacles dragging behind them.

hairy cyanoea

Jellyfish are absolutely fantastic creatures.

hairy cyanoea

Due to the fact that the jellyfish mainly consists of water, its life on land is impossible. When a jellyfish is washed ashore, it dies, drying out in the sun.

hairy cyanoea

Cyclosalp

Giantoctopus

giant octopus

The octopus is not only one of the smartest sea creatures, but is generally ranked as the 9th smartest animal on Earth by Animal Planet.

giant octopus

Gorgon head

metridiums

Huge 2-3-4-meter boulders are all covered with a cap of millions of thin tentacles, and somewhere under this cap, hundreds of huge trunks grow from a boulder, forming a real forest.

metridiums

Hyperia galba

Leukothea

Fantastically beautiful ctenophores that slowly soar in the water column, opening huge mouth blades and wielding four thick tentacles.

Leukothea

Absolutely cosmic being:

Leukothea

Generica

This is an ordinary White Sea star, it can be of different colors. Here it is lilac, and there are also pale pink, yellow, fiery red and all sorts of others.

Generica

sea anemone

The sea anemone Metridium senile lives at depths from 3 to 30–40 m, mainly on rocky bottoms. Prefers vertical walls and strong currents. Often settles on shells of mollusks, forming large colonies.

sea anemone

Nereid

Marine bristle-footed worms with numerous bristles. Isn't he handsome?

Amphipod Paramphitoe

This is a Paramphitoe amphipod (Paramphitoe cuspidata), living inside the sponges, but sometimes creeping out. This "beast" is only 4-5 mm in size, by the way.

Amphipod Paramphitoe

Comb jelly Beroe

Serpula

Information from the site http://loveopium.ru/

Surely, many do not even realize that such a variety of colorful and cute monsters can live in the cold northern sea, because, it would seem, all the most interesting things settle in the tropics, in warm seas, in corners of the planet far from us. But no! Even in such a sea as the White Sea, which communicates with the oceans only through a narrow throat, which is not salty enough for most oceanic organisms, which is covered with ice for almost half a year, interesting and unusual creatures live even in it.

Alexander Semenov is a graduate of the Faculty of Biology of Moscow State University, where he studied with pleasure at the Department of Zoology of Invertebrate Animals. He did not go far from there, getting a job at the White Sea Biological Station of Moscow State University. True, he stopped doing science immediately after university, exchanging it for photography, diving and various other equally interesting things. Traveled a bit around the world.

The northern lights are the first beauty that can be seen over the White Sea.

White Sea hydrojelly centimeter size. This Aglantha digitale, a fairly common view for the northern seas and oceans, but at the same time interesting and beautiful. Aglyanta lives at all depths, making periodic migrations from the abyss to the subsurface layer and back. Most of the time, this jellyfish lazily soars in the water column, spreading its thin red tentacles, and catches small crustaceans, but as soon as it wants to move (if you poke it with your finger, for example), then it is somewhat surprising, since it moves exclusively by jumping, abruptly reducing the dome several times in a row, while in an instant she is half a meter from the starting point.

Sea angels Clione limacina they don't always look like angels.

Sea goat (Caprella septentrionalis).

In the huge herds of sea goats, not everything is always smooth sailing. Not only is there always some kind of movement going on there, but sometimes especially aggressive goats start to fight! When for food, when for a place, and when for a just cause, well, there when someone called someone a goat, for example. If you sit and carefully look at a herd of goats, then very many of them, as a rule, can be missing a couple or two claws, antennae, or some other leg.

This Khon's polychaete worm (Chone infundibuliformis). They live in durable leathery tubes, which they themselves make. Usually, the Khons bury themselves with their pipe in the ground up to the very tonsils, so that one could look at it only by digging with a shovel. And here on you, such a palm tree grows right in the middle of the bottom in an open place. The coolest thing is that it was possible to photograph it in the straightened state, since the Khons are always very worried about the integrity of their beautiful corolla of tentacles and instantly hide it, even if someone just hiccups nearby, in general, he got close to her without breathing) Below the photo, Khona is friends with the buffoons, for some reason she is not afraid of them at all.

This Henericea (Henricia sp.)- an ordinary White Sea star, it can be of different colors. Here it is lilac, and there are also pale pink, yellow, fiery red and all sorts of others. In the photo below, the same star from the other side.

snow white Acanthonotosoma amphipod (Acanthonotosoma cristatum)- the rarest of the three types of White Sea Acanthonotosis (there are still inflatum and serratum). Beautiful, with embossed patterns on the shields.

Here is a very cool nudibranch - Eolidia (Aeolidia papillosa). This is such a monster half the size of a palm, the largest nudibranch mollusk in the White Sea, which can eat Metridiums - rather big sea anemones.

metridiums. Huge two-three-four-meter boulders are all covered with a cap of millions of thin tentacles, and somewhere under this cap, hundreds of huge trunks grow from a boulder, forming a real forest.

Fluffy white metridiums, overgrowing the entire boulder, make it look like a cloud.

common solar star Crossaster (Crossaster papposus). Sun stars, also called pink stars, are one of the most attractive echinoderms. They have a brightly colored central part and multi-colored stripes on their arms. The torsos of starfish are stronger than those of the serpentine, on the muscular arms there are spikes and powerful suction cups from below. Usually they have 10-12 hands, but sometimes less and more. Although the torso retains pentagonal symmetry, the number of arms depends on the willingness to grow (or shorten) them.

Solar star very close up.

ghostly Coryphella verrucosa.

Right now, at the bottom, very fat Corifellas are eating dozens and hundreds of Tubularia colonies, they have such a non-stop breakfast-lunch-dinner there.

Here is such a bush - this is the dream of any Corifella. Previously, this colonial hydroid was called Tubularia (Tubularia larynx), and is now called Ectopleura (Ectopleura larynx). The funny thing is that the bush itself is a predatory animal, its "flowers" are zooids with a mouth and two rows of tentacles that can bite and catch small planktonic crustaceans and small amphipods. And it, in turn, is eaten by pretty Corifella.

Those red curtains are mouth lobes jellyfish cyanea.

Jellyfish- absolutely fantastic creatures.

Sedentary Jellyfish Lucernaria (Lucernaria bathiphylla) in its usual biotope, a bright flower amid dull silt and gray stones. The jellyfish turned upside down turned its dome into a leg and clung to the substrate with it, gathered the tentacles from the edge of the umbrella into separate bundles and concentrated dangerous stinging cells at the ends of the tentacles (in white balls).

Shrimp (Pandalus montagui) very often they are friends with dangerous sea anemones, whose tentacles, apparently, are not afraid of them, and in the thickets of bright red metridiums you can usually find quite a lot of them. But if normally the sea anemones are open and the shrimp scurry back and forth between their "trunks", then when they are scared and folded into such umm, dense mounds, then the shrimp have nowhere to hide and they sit afraid right on the folded sea anemones.

This is a small anemone, very similar to Stomphia coccinea, but different - Stomphia never sticks sand on its carcass, and it is usually larger in size. Sea anemones, or sea anemones (lat. Actiniaria) are a detachment of sea stingers from the class of coral polyps (Anthozoa). Representatives are deprived of a mineral skeleton. As a rule, single forms. Most sea anemones are sessile organisms that live on solid ground.

Tubastrea aurea, Tubastrea faulkneri - golden coral, sunny orange coral.

transparent nudibranch Dendronotus (Dendronotus frondosus), on which any processes can be observed. This particular one will squeeze out the masonry from himself the other day, there are already so many eggs inside! And you can also see how food walks inside, and how all sorts of things are reduced. By the way, these guys are not always transparent, usually they are like this:

And by the way, he has already done the masonry, the white garlands on the hydroids are his handiwork.

Another spaceship with side lights - comb jelly Beroe (Beroe cucumis). It is notable primarily for the fact that it eats other ctenophores. Most of the time he swims with his mouth closed, but as soon as he smells prey, he immediately opens his mouth wide and swims on it. Another ctenophore may even be somewhat larger in size, this does not interfere with Beroe - when he pokes his muzzle into him, he literally sucks his soft carcass with his mouth, inflating his own body.

Nudibranch mollusk of the White Sea — Acanthodoris pilosa- an unusually pretty creature. A half-centimeter white ball with ears, spines and a tree of gills. Ears are rhinophores, organs of chemical sense, he smells and feels them. In dorids (such a group of nudibranchs), to which this fluffy belongs, the rhinophores are lamellar, in contrast to the same Corifella, in which the rhinophores are smooth. The branched gills protruding from the back of the back are very fond of biting off all sorts of evil animals, so Acantodoris knows how to shorten them and retract them a little - it turns out a barely noticeable tubercle, and under the rhinophores there is generally a special pocket in which they happen to be removed almost entirely! And the papilla spines are actually very soft.

Fauna of the White Sea. Unusual inhabitants of the White Sea The largest jellyfish in the White Sea

polychaete worm

eared jellyfish

sea ​​goat

underwater cave

corifella polaris

hairy cyanoea

Cyclosalp

Gorgon head

metridiums

Hyperia galba

Leukothea

Generica

sea ​​anemone

Nereid

Amphipod Paramphitoe

Comb jelly Beroe

Serpula

polychaete worm

eared jellyfish

sea ​​goat

underwater cave

corifella polaris

hairy cyanoea

Cyclosalp

Giantoctopus

Gorgon head

metridiums

Hyperia galba

Leukothea

Generica

sea ​​anemone

Nereid

Amphipod Paramphitoe

Comb jelly Beroe

Serpula

sea goat

sea anemone

sea goat

sea anemone