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There is a variety of marine animals that are fond inhabitants of rock pools. Rock pools, also known as tide pools, are shallow pools of seawater formed on rocky intertidal shores or shores within the tidal range. Some of these creatures include crabs, starfish, mussels, clams, squat lobsters, sea anemones, and sea slugs. Let us learn more about these critters treating the rock pool as their home.
See the fact file below for more information on Creatures Found in Rock Pools, or alternatively, you can download our 28-page Creatures Found in Rock Pools worksheet pack to utilize within the classroom or home environment.
Key Facts & Information
WHAT DOES IT TAKE TO LIVE IN A ROCK POOL?
- In order for marine creatures to thrive and survive in a rock pool, they must be able to withstand the fluctuations in water temperature, salinity, and oxygen content.
- These creatures might face hazards, including waves, strong currents, sun exposure, and the threat of several predators.
- One of the predators these creatures should keep away from are the seagulls that, for instance, could pick up a sea urchin and drop them from a high place to break them open.
- Creatures in tide pools should avoid getting washed away into the ocean while preventing being dried up under the sun.
STARFISH
- Starfish are echinoderms, which are marine animals that are known for bodies of radial symmetry.
- In the case of starfish, they are popular with their five-armed (points) bodies in the exact shape of a star.
- Also known as a sea star, the starfish is an echinoderm belonging to the class Asteroidea.
- Starfish are usually bright-colored, in red, orange, blue, grey, or brown hues.
- A starfish has a mouth under their body.
- As per their diet, they feed on microorganisms.
- Starfish can reproduce both sexually and asexually.
- The “arms” of a starfish can be regenerated.
- A starfish can give up its arm on purpose, especially when a predator attempts to bite on its arm; it can give it up and grow a new one.
- Starfish have eyes but do not have a brain or central nervous system.
- They also do not have a heart or blood.
- Aside from tide pools, starfish can be found all over the world’s oceans. In fact, there are species of starfish that inhabit 6,000 meters underwater.
- There are over 2,000 unique species of starfish; the Royal Starfish is among the most colorful ones.
- The oldest fossil of starfish dates back to 450 million years ago.
SEA ANEMONE
- This creature is named after the anemone, a flowering plant found on land, largely due to the fact that sea anemones come in various colors.
- However, sea anemones are more closely related to jellyfish and corals, as they are classified in the phylum Cnidaria.
- The sea anemone, just like the starfish, has no heart, brain, or blood.
- Sea anemones have a “foot” underneath their cylindrical body which can be functional for walking or swimming.
- The mouth of a sea anemone can also function as its anus.
- Clownfish or anemonefish typically live inside sea anemones.
- Being predatory creatures, sea anemones prey on plankton using their tentacles to sting and draw in plankton to their mouth.
- However, human beings are not bothered by the sea anemone in rock pools, for their sting is too weak for a human being to feel.
MUSSELS
- Mussels are mollusks with two shells.
- Most mussel species are edible and low in sodium and saturated fat.
- Some mussels are longer rather than wide.
- In terms of shape, some are wedge-shaped or asymmetrical.
- The shell of a mussel often comes in shades of dark blue, blackish, or brown.
- The interior, soft body of the mussels comes in a silvery hue.
- Mussels are filter feeders, which means they filter the water for free-floating microorganisms like plankton and bacteria.
- Mussels are usually found in clumps; they cling to rocks in general.
CRABS
- Crabs are crustaceans that are related to lobsters and shrimp.
- Crabs usually have eight legs and two snappy claws.
- The crab’s skeleton is found outside its body, which is called an exoskeleton.
- This skeleton serves as a sort of armor that protects their soft body.
- Crabs can grow a new shell when their current shell becomes too small for their body.
- However, hermit crabs, usually found in rock pools, cannot grow their own shells.
- Instead, hermit crabs find other seashells they can nestle their body into.
- In rare instances, a hermit crab can use a toy doll’s head as its shell.
- Usually, a hermit crab’s shell is a spiral seashell.
- Once its body is inside the shell, a pincer seals the entrance of the shell.
- Another abundant crab found in rock pools is the Green Shore Crab; as its name denotes, it often comes in a shade of dark green.
SEA SNAILS
- The sea snail is also known as the common periwinkle or winkle.
- Like mussels, sea snails are mollusks that thrive in saltwater and freshwater locations.
- They can also be found on land.
- Sea snails are often edible.
- Sea snails are so diverse: they can be carnivores, herbivores, or omnivores.
- In terms of color, they can be neutral-colored, like ivory or brown, and vibrant-hued, like orange or violet.
- Sea snails have a knack for attaching themselves to underwater surfaces such as rocks and plants.
- Specifically, sea snails are marine gastropod mollusks with gills and an operculum.
SEA URCHINS
- Sea urchins, like starfish, are echinoderms, but their bodies are spiky, and globe-like.
- There are 950 known species of sea urchins.
- The way sea urchins move is by slowly crawling.
- Commonly, sea urchins feed on algae.
- They can be found up to 5,000 meters deep in the sea.
- Sea urchins are omnivores, which means they eat both animals and plants.
- With their mating season set in the spring, sea urchins usually reproduce when the season is relatively warm.
SQUAT LOBSTERS
- Closely related to hermit crabs, squat lobsters are colorful, flattened crustaceans with a pair of long front legs.
- They have ten legs, with the first pair being very long and sporting claws.
- In order to protect their bodies, squat lobsters hide under rocks.
- As scavenger creatures, squat lobsters use their claws to dig up sandy or muddy deposits and sift for plankton, bacteria, and other edibles.
- There are times when squat lobsters steal food from fellow rock pool creatures, the sea anemones.
- The arms of squat lobsters can grow several times the length of their bodies.
- Squat lobsters are small, relative to other rock pool creatures, measuring anywhere from one to four inches.
SEA SLUGS
- Sea slugs look just like terrestrial slugs, but they are marine creatures.
- The common name “sea slug” often refers to nudibranchs.
- They can be found in either shallow or deep areas of oceans.
- Sea slugs are not edible; in fact, they are highly poisonous.
- They have such colorful bodies; they represent all the rainbow colors.
- They have razor-sharp teeth, which are known as radulas.
- Sea slugs are hermaphroditic, meaning they have both male and female sex organs.
Creatures Found in Rock Pools Worksheets
This fantastic bundle includes everything you need to know about Creatures Found in Rock Pools across 28 in-depth pages. These are ready-to-use worksheets about Creatures Found in Rock Pools. Some of these creatures include crabs, starfish, mussels, clams, squat lobsters, sea anemones, and sea slugs. Let us learn more about these critters treating the rock pool as their home.
Complete list of included worksheets:
- Creatures found in Rock Pools Facts
- Name The Creature
- Trivia Match
- Show And Tell
- Anemone Assumptions
- Sea Snail Parts
- Comparing Echinoderms
- Rock Pool Fable
- Answer Hunt
- Poem Recital
- Rock Pool Bingo
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