Epipelagic Zone

The uppermost part of the oceanic zone, lying above the mesopelagic zone.

90% of all ocean life lives is the epipelagic zone.

Ocean Sunfish

• The ocean sunfish is the largest bony fish species.

• Ocean sunfish don't have a tail.

• The preferred food of ocean sunfish are jellyfish.

• Ocean sunfish are one of the most fertile species.

• Sunfish may look like they're “playing dead” when you see them.

• Ocean sunfish are found throughout the world.

Black Sea Turtle

• Black Sea Turtles nest in the Galapagos Islands, and are the only sea turtles known to do so.

• They lay about 70 eggs in a clutch, which is fewer in number than the general population of Green Sea Turtles.

• Migrating adults feed on a wide range of invertebrates including molluscs, sponges, jellyfish, annelids and tunicates.

Great White Shark

• Great White Sharks are the largest predatory fish in the sea.

• Great White Shark meat is not recommended for human consumption because it has very high mercury levels.

• The Great White Shark lives for about 25 years.

• A Great White Shark is capable of eating sea lions whole.

• Some scientists believe there are less than 10,000 Great White Sharks in the entire world.

Killer Whale (Orcinus orca)

• Killer whales can weigh up to six tons.

• Killer whales can grow to be 23 to 32 feet long, almost as long as a bus.

• Killer whales have 40 to 50 teeth that are up to four inches long.

• The average life span of a killer whale in the wild is 50 to 80 years old.

• Killer whales in the wild are considered one of the most powerful predators.

Blue Ring Octopus• The Blue Ring Octopus has

distinctive blue rings on its body and on its eight arms.

• It is only about 8 inches with the tentacles spread wide.

• Like all octopuses, if an arm is lost, it can be regenerated.

• The Blue Ring Octopus hunts during the day. It eats invertebrates and wounded fish. It hides in the reef, then catches prey with its arms, bites it with its tough beak, and kills it by delivering a poison in the saliva.

• The poison is a neurotoxin (maculotoxin) that is strong enough to kill a human being.

Elephant Seal

• An Elephant Seal spends upwards of 80% of its life in the ocean.

• It can hold its breath for more than 100 minutes.• An Elephant Seal can dive to 2,388 m beneath the ocean’s

surface.