ANIMALS THAT BITE

1
ANIMALS THAT BITE

• Sharks
• Moray Eel
• Grouper
• Killer Whale
• Monk Fish
• Barracuda
• Wolf Eel
• Seal

• Most marine animals that have the potential to
  bite do so as a defensive behavior not as a
  predatory behavior.
• A diver should maintain neutral buoyancy and not
  be crawling on the sea floor.
• A diver should not try to grab marine animals,
  but rather observe or photograph them.
• Any animal that does not give way or distance
  from you apparently knows it has a good defensive
  mechanism.
• Ask your instructor what is the most
  dangerous animal in the ocean.

2
SHARKS

• There are approximately three hundred and
  fifty varieties of sharks. Sharks are primitive
  animals with skeletons of cartilage. As adults
  they cruise their claimed territory. Most sharks
  are scavengers and as such rarely act
  predatorily. The exceptions are the great white
  (upper right image) and on occasion the Mako.
• Feeding frenzies are not the usual behavior of
  sharks. They are the result of baiting an area to
  film the event or for human entertainment.
• If you encounter a shark, go into the wreck or
  coral heads and stop moving. If you must return
  to the boat move slowly. On ocean surface DO NOT
  splash or swim erratically, as this will
  stimulate their interest. If you have speared
  fish with you, drop your goody bag.
• Ask your instructor why the diver in the
  lower-right image is tempting the shark gods.

3
MORAY EEL

• Moray eels are reclusive animals that stay in the
  recesses of coral heads or ship wrecks. They
  usually venture out to feed at dusk or night
  (spotted eel upper right image, green eel,
  bottom-right image).
• If you see one, it will have its mouth open, this
  is not aggression, but they open and close their
  mouth to assist the movement of water over their
  gills. They are not aggressive unless you reach
  into their holes or try to grab them.

4
GROUPER

• Groupers used to be the top of the food chain on
  any coral reef. They were at one time the
  largest animal on the reefs, but over hunting has
  proved to be their demise. Receiving a bite from
  one of these animals usually means you were
  harassing it
• Ask your instructor why coral reefs are Mini
  ecosystems.

5
KILLER WHALE

• This intelligent mammal lives in the Pacific
  Northwest. Some Killer whales, like those in
  Puget Sound, WA travel in pods or families
  (upper-right image). While others further north
  are loners (lower-right image). Unlike a fish,
  whose body temperature is that of the water,
  marine mammals maintain a much higher temperature
  than the water. This is accomplished by the
  accumulation of blubber.
• They hunt salmon in groups and seals
  independently. It could be difficult for them to
  distinguish a diver in a black wet suit from a
  seal. So, if Killer whales are in the area, it is
  better to view them from a boat or on land.

6
MONK FISH

• Monk fish are bottom dwellers in the north
  Atlantic Ocean. They conceal their size by
  lifting sand onto the top of their body. They
  have an enormous mouth filled with long thin
  teeth.
• If you are swimming (neutrally buoyant) above
  the bottom, you should not encounter one. If you
  are crawling on the ocean floor you could bump
  into one.
• If bitten, most of the teeth will come out as
  they are not anchored securely in the jaw.

7
BARRACUDA

• Barracuda are loners and territorial animals as
  adults. Juveniles travel in small schools.
  Naturally curious, they will follow divers to the
  edge of their territory. During your swim in
  their territory they may just hover behind you
  watching your activity.
• Generally, they do not attack divers. However,
  since they are attracted to splashing and shiny
  objects, they might mistake part of a diver for
  prey, particularly in areas of low visibility
  like surf or tidal inlets.

8
WOLF FISH

• The Wolf fish is also a solitary animal that can
  be found in the north Atlantic Ocean. It resides
  in rocky holes and ventures out usually at dusk
  to feed. It dines on lobsters, mussels, clams,
  sea urchins or any marine animal that it can
  catch. If molested these animals can inflict a
  savage bite. They will defend their lair, but
  will not come out to challenge a diver.

9
SEALS

• Seals are generally very playful and harmless.
  However, they may bite as a protective behavior,
  especially during mating and birthing. Avoid
  getting to close to the Rookery as the mothers
  are very protective of their pups. Seals have
  teeth like a German Shepard.

10
Octopus

• Octopus are very smart mollusks with the ability
  to change color for protection and squirt ink
  upon retreating to confuse their enemy. The
  sucker discs are used for locomotion, food
  capture and manipulation. They have a beak which
  can inflict a bite if captured.
• Most are harmless except the Blue Ringed octopus
  of Australia and indo-Pacific waters, whose bite
  carries a deadly toxin.

11
VENOMOUS ANIMALS

• Stone Fish
• Zebra Fish
• Lion Fish
• Cone Shells
• Sting Rays
• Sea Snakes

• None of these venomous animals are aggressive nor
  will they attack. A wound to a diver is due to
  the diver grabbing or stumbling on the animal.
• Dont attempt to capture the animal and it will
  not attack you.

12
STONE FISH
Dorsal Pectoral Fins

• The stone fish is found in the north Atlantic
  usually around ship wrecks. They blend in well
  with the surroundings. They are not aggressive
  and will swim away if given the chance. Usually a
  mishap is due to a careless diver stepping or
  landing on the fish.
• The dorsal pectoral fins have hollow shafts
  that support the fin and pressing on the shaft
  will force venom up the shaft into the wound.

Mouth
Eye
13
ZEBRA FISH

• The zebra fish, native to western Pacific waters,
  is a quiet animal, not interested in your
  company. It is very approachable which is
  particularly inviting to photographers. The
  problem is some divers want to touch the fish. A
  deadly venom can be injected by the spins of the
  dorsal or pectoral fins, the same way as the
  stone fish.
• A note to all divers - if an animal does not
  swim away from you or allows you very close
  quarters, it probably has a potent defense system.

14
LION FISH

• Lion fish like the Zebra fish are found in Fiji,
  Vietnam, and other western Pacific waters. Like
  the Lion fish it has potent venom and moves very
  slowly in retreat.
• The mechanism for injection is the same as the
  Lion and Stone fishes.

15
CONE SHELLS

• Cone shells are found in most of the oceans of
  the world. They are usually more prevalent in
  warmers climates. A proboscis can extend from
  the narrow end of the shell and inflict a mild to
  severe toxin. The proboscis can eventually extend
  the length of the shell.
• If you pick up a cone shell, grab it by the
  thick end. Dont put it under your wetsuit for
  safe keeping.
• Most cone shells are protected and should not be
  collected.

16
Rays

• Rays are non-aggressive bottom feeders, found
  throughout the oceans of the world. They range in
  size from a one foot skate to the twenty foot
  Manta Ray .
• Divers can be wounded by stepping on or otherwise
  coming into contact with the ray. The tail
  conceals a sheathed barb which will cut the
  victim. A mild toxin will be released into the
  open wound. However, the real problem is
  secondary infection due to the bacteria under the
  sheath which comes into direct contact with the
  wound.
• Ask your instructor about feeding Sting rays in
  Cayman (right image).

17
Sea Snakes

• Sea snakes are found in the far west Pacific
  waters and are native to the Philippines and
  Vietnam. They are air breathing reptiles with a
  flat wide tail which helps them to swim. Like
  most aquatic animals the snake will always first
  try to retreat. If confronted with no other
  choice its bit can deliver one of the deadliest
  venom on earth.
• NEVER grab or harass a sea snake!

18
ANIMALS THAT STING

• This group of animals are of two body types. The
  mobile group is called Medusa (jellyfish, sea
  wasp, Portuguese Man-of War) and the stationary
  group is the polyp (coral, sea anemones,
  gorgonians and others). Both body forms are
  radically symmetrical, with a single body opening
  that serves as mouth and anus. This opening is
  surrounded by tentacles with stinging cells.
  These cells are called nematocysts. If the cells
  are stimulated by touch or chemical change, a
  tiny harpoon penetrates the skin releasing a
  venom. A sever sting (many contacts) may result
  death.
• These cells then have a defensive as well as a
  predatory capability.

19
Jellyfish

• The tentacles carrying the nematocysts have no
  real muscle tissue to move them. So getting stung
  is usually the result of the diver swimming into
  the tentacles.
• Protection from these harpoons is nothing more
  than a light covering of the skin- a diving skin,
  wetsuit or just a shirt pants will protect the
  diver. Gloves and booties are essential.

20
FIRE CORAL

• Fire Coral is actually a hydroid not a coral.
• Upon close inspection, you can see tiny hair like
  projections each can release a barb.
• Avoid contact with fire coral as its toxin is
  very strong and it will last for many hours.
• Reactions to contacting fire coral or the other
  conspicuous hydroid, Portuguese Man of War, can
  be a mild rash to severe blistering and in
  extreme cases congestive heat failure.
• Ask your instructor about Sea Wasps and Box
  Jellyfish.

21
Sponges

• Sponges have internal spines made of calcium
  carbonate or silica embedded in the body. Many
  have nematocysts.
• The Red Beard sponge (lower-right image) is a
  particularly nasty sponge, found in the
  Caribbean.

22
SEA URCHINS

• Sea urchins are in the starfish phylum
  (Echinodermata). They have a calcareous skeleton
  of plates with hinged spines.
• The Long-spined Urchin (top-right image) is found
  on coral reefs, coral rubble and tidal flats. The
  spines may be as long as 16 inches. The spine is
  very fragile if hit from the side, but if hit
  from the end it can go into a finger, through a
  wet suit or a tennis shoe.
• The leg in the bottom-right image demonstrates
  what happens if you tangle with these urchins.
• Ask your instructor how to remove the spines.