Seagrass shelters animals.
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Seagrass
Thallasia testudium
Between the reef and the shore lie broad beds of seagrass. Many animals lay their eggs, eat, and hide from predators in these warm calm waters.
Did you know?
Florida has some of the largest seagrass beds in the world.
Photo Thomas Strom
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Turtle grass (seagrass)
Thallasia testudium
Turtle grass is a kind of seagrass. It is a true plant (not a form of algae), producing both flowers and fruits. Manatees, sea turtles, parrotfish and sea urchins all like to eat this plant.
Did you know?
Seagrass holds the bottom in place and keeps sand from washing out on to the reef.
Photo Thomas Strom
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Lined seahorse
Hippocampus erectus
The seahorse is a kind of fish, but instead of scales it has a thin skin stretched over bony plates arranged in rings.
Did you know?
The seahorse gets its name from the Ancient Greek word ¨hippos¨ meaning ¨horse¨ and ¨kampos¨ meaning ¨monster¨.
Photo Edward G. Line Jr.
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Atlantic pipefish
Syngnathus sp.
Pipefishes have long snouts that they use to suck up food, and eyes that can move independently of each other, like a chameleon’s.
Did you know?
Pipefishes, like their seahorse relatives, leave most of the parenting duties to the male.
Photo Edward G. Line Jr.
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Grass shrimp
Palaemonetes sp.
Grass shrimp are nearly transparent, so if you look closely you can see their insides.
Did you know?
Grass shrimp feed on algae and dead plants and animals, and they are eaten by larger fish, making them a key link in the coastal food chain.
Photo Richard King
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Hermit crab
Pagurus sp.
Hermit crabs protect their soft undersides from predators by hiding inside of empty seashells, which they carry around with them.
Did you know?
Hermit crabs that cannot hide their whole body are more likely to be eaten.
Photo Thomas Strom
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Spiny brittle star
Ophiocoma echinata
Spiny brittle stars use their flexible arms to crawl across the sea floor. They bury themselves for protection, but leave an arm or two free to catch food, which they feed to their mouth in the middle.
Did you know?
If one of the brittle star's arms snaps off, it grows a new one.
Photo Derek Zelmer
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Spiny sea star
Echinaster echinophorus
Spiny sea stars are hard-skinned animals covered in sharp, bony spines. They use hundreds of tiny tube feet to crawl along the sea floor. Sea stars are carnivores, feeding on clams, oysters, fish, and other animals.
Did you know?
Sea stars do not have a brain. Instead they have a simple ring of nerve cells that moves information around the body.
Photo Sabine Penisson
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Florida sea cucumber
Holothuria floridana
The Florida sea cucumber is a hard worker. It moves along the bottom and uses its sticky tentacles to mop up bacteria, organic matter and food particles.
Did you know?
When threatened, the sea cucumber squirts out white goo, to deter predators.
Photo Shedd Aquarium
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Mummichog
Fundulus heteroclitus
The mummichog gets its name from a Native American term which means ¨going in crowds¨. Mummichogs typically travel in schools that contain hundreds of individuals.
Did you know?
In 1973 the mummichog became the first fish in space, as part of a biological experiment on Skylab 3.
Photo Brian Gratwicke
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Spotfin butterflyfish
Chaetodon ocellatus
This fish has a black stripe through its eyes and a small black spot at the top of its fin. These markings confuse predators, who can’t figure out where the ¨real¨ eyes are. Spotfin butterflyfish live on Florida reefs, but the babies like to hang out in seagrass beds.
Did you know?
Spotfin butterflyfish like to travel in pairs.
Photo Marilyn and Maris Kazmers
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Arrow crab
Stenorhynchus seticornis
The arrow crab is also known as the spider crab. It has eight extremely long legs and a very pointed head. It scavenges at night, feeding on worms. Like other crabs, it sheds its shell when it gets too small, and grows a new one.
Did you know?
The arrow crab is very territorial, and has been known to attack slow moving fish and other sea creatures.
Photo Thomas Strom
