Organism of the Day Flashcards
Trilobite
An ancient class of arthropods (insects, lobsters, shrimp, and crabs)
Were dominant in the Paleozoic Era
Extinct
Megladon
Was THE top predator
Around 60ft long
Were not as closely related to Great White Sharks as previously thought
Extinct
Atlantic Horseshoe Crab
More closely related to spiders than crabs
Have blue blood due to a lack of hemoglobin, and a presence of hemocyanin
Have 8 eyes
Swim upside down
Not extinct, in decline
Helicoprion
Have teeth whorls
Look like buzzsaws in either jaw or throat (unknown)
Sawed through its prey with spiral teeth
Extinct
Nautilus
Living fossil
Swim shell first
Close relative of octopus and squid
Not extinct
North Atlantic Right Whale
Hunted to the brink of extinction in 1800s
Live on the east coast of the US, and NC coast
Shallow water whales
Not extinct, endangered
Vaquita
World’s rarest marine animal
Around 10 left
Reproductively extinct
Get caught in illegal fishing nets
Not extinct, severely endangered
Amazon River Dolphin
Main threats are dams, entanglement, and pollution
Also called “pink river dolphin” or “Boto”
Lives in freshwater
Not extinct, endangered
Hawaiian Monk Seal
Most endangered seal in the world
Inadequate prey, entanglement, and pollution
Not extinct, endangered
Finless Porpoise
One of two dolphin species still living in the Yangtze River
About 1,500 left
Have no dorsal fin
Not extinct, in decline
Dugong
Close relative to manatee
Culturally hunted
Indo-West pacific
Big difference in tail shape from manatee
Not extinct, endangered
Maui Dolphin
Smallest and rarest dolphin in the world
Subspecies of Hector’s dolphin
Live in New Zealand
Around 50 left
Not extinct, endangered
Clownfish
Born as only male and eventually mature into female (hermaphrodites)
Mucus based off sugar rather than protein, so the anemone does not eat them
Clean anemone of parasites
Not extinct
Royal Blue Tang
Can turn semi transparent when in danger
Poisonous for humans to consume
Used as bait, and aquarium fish
Not extinct
