Margaret's Pages - My Australia series

AUSTRALIA ..REEF & water life

With Australia being an island, we have plenty of coastline and oceans for a wonderful array of sea land coastal life.  Some is featured on these pages.

Here we  have a female DUGONG with her young one riding on her back.  A sucker fish is clinging to the females belly (underneath there).  The Dugong feeds on seagrass, and lives in large herds.  It is the only remaining herbivorous mammal which lives entirely in the sea.  Its found in shallow warm coastal waters off the coast of Western Australia and Queensland. Its pregnancy last 12 months and the one suckles off the mother for up to 2 years.  This creature can live for more than 55 years.

Most of our STARFISH are found in the tropical waters of the Great Barrier Reef and this is one of the common ones.  Starfish are echinoderms characterised by tiny plates over their skin.

SEA CUCUMBERS are to be found in most of the world's oceans but these 3 are found in the coastal waters off Queensland.  Some grow to 2 metres in length.

The ZEBRA LION FISH is found in our coastal waters and this fish seems to openly invite attack by displaying its "plumage" - poisonous spines are its protection.

The RAGGED-FINNED TURKEY FISH (right) is a member of the scorpion fish family that also possesses a venomous defence mechanism.

The BEAKED CORALFISH sports an eye spot on the fin which serves as a form of protective marking consuing any would-be attacker.

The Great Barrier Reef extends 2000 kilometres down the north eastern coast of Australia, and has many brightly-coloure fish and exotic marine creatures.

GORGONID CORALS prefer the warmer tropical waters of northern Queensland, but have been found off the New South Wales coast.  The polyp if this group is very small , about 1.5mm (3/8 inch) in diameter.  (left) Egg cases of the CONE SHELL (right) thrive in secluded protected areas in Australia's northern waters.  They tend to cling with other marine life to the under-side of coral boulders.

This coral DENDEOPHYLLIA is related to the Sea Anemone and feeds on microscopic marine animal life.  It is found in both temperate and tropical waters along the Australian coastline.

This SEA URCHIN looks pretty enough with its flower-like pincers, but it can give a lethal sting.  Although tropical, it has been found in Sydney Harbour, in New South Wales.

Among marine worms the FEATHER DUSTER WORM is probably the most ornate.  Their feathery heads extract oxygen from the water and also capture minute animals.   (on left) (on right) .. Tentacles of the TEREBELLID WORM are a common site protruding from beneath coral boulders in the Great Barrier Reef.  The tentacles reach out for food.

This marine worm SABELLA resembles the Feather Duster Worm (above).  Measures about 3 cm (1.5 inches) in diameter and if disturbed will quickly disappear into its protective sand tube.

The WARATAH SEA ANEMONE occurs in tidal rock pools along the entire Australian coastline.  Like corals it feeds on a variety of microscopic marine animals.

One of the most dangerous box-jellies known to science is the SEA WASP.  It frequents far northern Australian waters, and has caused fatalities on the coastline during the summer months.  Very deadly.

Small crab looking for food in the Sea Anemones. Barrief Reef, North Queensland

Turtle in 5 metres of water off Heron Island, Great Barrier Reef, North Queensland.

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