What are the 10 World’s Smallest Ocean Animals?
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Ideally, viruses and bacteria are the smallest animals because they cannot be seen with the naked eye. Since you are looking at a specific category, i.e., marine habitat (oceans), the results would be different. However, some ocean viruses and bacteria make it to the list of the world’s smallest marine animals. See below.
Algae
One of the world’s smallest plant organisms or animals living in water is single-celled green algae. As tiny as these organisms are, they are food for some other smaller marine creatures. However, they range in size and can grow up to 200 ft. Typical marine algae are 5 times larger than sea bacteria.
Algae help to maintain the natural ecosystem by being a source of oxygen to aquatic life. They are also used for other purposes, such as the industrial production of drugs.
Marine Bacteria
Bacteria are ubiquitous organisms, which means they exist everywhere. So, as you would find them on land, you will also find them in the oceans. Due to their tiny size – about 1000nm in length, they are the second smallest animals/organisms in the world.
Ocean bacteria are invisible to the human eye; however, they offer some benefits to their environment. One of the many benefits is to maintain a stable ecosystem. Overall, as long as you have a body of water, there is bound to bacteria.
Marine Viruses
The smallest organism in the world is the Virus. They aren’t as ubiquitous as Bacteria, but they are found on land and in water. Viruses measure up to 40 nm, which clearly shows how minute/small they are. However, they can grow up to 400 nm.
Marine viruses have no known benefits – only destructive potentials. They are millions of them living in water, as discovered through electron microscopy and epifluorescence.
Sexy Shrimp
Thor amboinensis, also called Sexy Shrimp, is another small living sea creature. This name calls it because of its strange body movements, i.e., it sways its abdomen back and forth. It is found in the Indo-Pacific reefs. However, it is hidden from the eyes because of its attachment to an anemone’s tentacles.
Sexy Shrimp can grow up to 1 ¼ inch, but they are quite colorful – an orange body. The good thing about them is that they add beautiful colors to the ocean.
Irukandji Jellyfish
Another small, captivating marine creature is the Irukandji Jellyfish. It looks incredibly great and beautiful on the outside; however, it is a vicious creature. They sting whatever comes their way and release stingers into the bodies of their victims.
Irukandji Jellyfish are mostly found in Australia. They grow up to 1cm in length.
Dwarf Lantern Shark
Adding to the list of the 10 smallest animals in the ocean is the Dwarf Lantern Shark. It is one of the beautiful fish in the ocean and the smallest shark in the world. This marine creature is identifiable by its small size and long, flattened head. It also has black ventral markings and mid-dorsal line and can grow up to 20 cm.
Dwarf Lantern Shark is found in the upper continental slopes off of Colombia and Venezuela. Its known benefit is in the production of light from photophores.
Nudibranch
One of the smallest animals in the ocean you’d probably come across when scuba diving is the Nudibranch. It is a bottom-dwelling organism and a colorful critter. This creature can grow up to 12 inches – thus, making it to the list.
Currently, Nudibranch has over 3,000 species and counting, making it one of the predominant organisms living in water. There isn’t much of a benefit it provides to the natural ecosystem (asides from being a food source); however, its extraordinary range of colors is a beautiful sight.
Juvenile Frogfish
Another fantastic, small creature that amuses divers is the Juvenile Frogfish. They are always a beauty to behold because of their camouflaging capabilities. They can adapt and survive their environment using the feature.
An adult Juvenile Frogfish can grow up to 22 inches. They exist in saltwater and come in a different range of sizes and colors. Overall, due to their small size and camouflaging effect, they can be a bit difficult to find.
Check out the world’s endangered species here.
Octopus Wolfi
Octopuses are one of the world’s most popular marine animals. However, they exist in different species and sizes. One of them is the Octopus Wolfi, which is a small aquatic creature found in the Pacific Ocean – the shallow waters. Not only are they beautiful in nature, but they help to maintain a balanced ecosystem.
Octopus Wolfi can grow up to 1 inch. It is easily identified in water by a pattern formed around the edges of its suckers.
Pygmy Seahorse
One more beautiful yet small ocean animal you’ll find is the Pygmy Seahorse. They are tiny animals that live on soft corals. They are found in warm tropical waters and can grow up to an inch.
Pygmy Seahorses are always a beautiful sight for divers. However, due to the absence of eyelids, they are sensitive to light.
Conclusion
If you’ve always had questions about the smallest sea or ocean animal, here you have your answers. These top 10 smallest ocean animals are creatures living around us, and even though their habitat is different from humans, they contribute to a stable ecosystem. Lastly, when you go scuba diving, you may have the opportunity to see some of them.