Notes: The Deep Sea

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Notes The Deep Sea
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Zones of the Ocean

• 1. epipelagic sunlight zone 0-200 meters
  photosynthesis occurs here
• 2. mesopelagic twilight zone 200-1000 meters

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Zones of the Ocean

• 3. bathypelagic - midnight zone 1000-4000
  meters
• 4. abyssopelagic - the abyss 4000-6000 meters
• 5. hadalpelagic - trenches 6000-11,000 meters
  

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Mesopelagic twilight zone

• Characteristics
• 20 of the food reaches this layer so the fish
  here (on average) tend to be smaller and fewer.
• They funnel their food energy into reproduction
  NOT growth

• Large mouths, hinged jaws and broad diets which
  allows them to eat anything that is any size.
• Reduction of silhouette laterally compressed
  bodies

Viperfish
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General Adaptations

• 1. Eyes large tubular eyes that face forward
  and upward.
• 2. Coloration
• a. Counter shading
• b. Transparency
• c. Red/Orange in color looks black in deep
  water
• 3. Bioluminescence they have bioluminescent
  algae in tissue. They contain the enzyme
  luciferase when exposed to oxygen it glows.

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Comparison of Vertical vs. Nonvertical Migrators

• Vertical migrators come to the surface to feed.
• Nonvertical migrators remain in the mesopelagic
  zone.

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The Deep Sea Zones 3-5

• Characteristics
• Only 5 of food from the surface reaches this
  level
• Fish are larger in size more concerned with
  growth not reproduction.
• Many are hermaphrodites can produce both egg
  and sperm.
• Deep Sea Angler Fish female is large, male is
  small (becomes a parasite on the female).

Angler Fish female with parastic male
female Angler Fish
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Adaptations of Deep Sea Fish

• large mouth and teeth
• small eyes
• no/small swim bladder
• flabby muscles
• black color