Frogfish

• They are nicknamed “sea mice.”

• Frogfish don’t swim; their gills jet-propel by expelling water.

• In 2010, dozens of psychedelic frogfish were found off Ambon, Indonesia; by 2011, they all disappeared for an unknown reason.

Jawfish

• Eighty species are known.

• Most are just shy of 4 inches in length.

• In Spanish, they’re called bocas grandes, or “big mouths.”

For more fun facts about the jawfish, check out this article.

Anemonefish

• Found in the Indian Ocean, Red Sea and western Pacific.

• Twenty-eight species are known.

• The names clownfish and anemonefish are interchangeable.

Crab

• Crabs survive in more unique environs than any other marine animal.

• They’re the spiders of the sea.

• The species count exceeds 4,500.

Amphipod

• The two best-known amphipods are the “ladybug” of Komodo and the skeleton shrimp.

• Planktonic amphipods hitchhike on jellyfish.

• Amphipods are much more common in coldwater locales than the tropics.

Blenny

• Nine-hundred species in six families are known.

• Most measure 2 inches.

• The Midas blenny, found in the Pacific, is notable for its tendency to mix among schools of anthias in the water column.

Pygmy Seahorse

• Seahorses are monogamous.

• Six species of pygmy seahorses have been described.

• The potbellied seahorse grows to 12 inches in length.

For more fun facts about the pygmy seahorse, check out this article.

Shrimpfish

• Related to the seahorse, the fish also has a rigid body thanks to armor plating.

• Aeoliscus punctulatus, the speckled shrimpfish, is somewhat transparent, offering views of its own swim bladder.

• Most shrimpfish are thinner than a pencil.

Octopus

• All species are venomous.

• In Lembeh Strait, Indonesia, snorkelers can find Abdopus aculeatus in tide pools just 1-foot deep.

• The best approach is to wait 10 minutes, letting the animal habituate.

Shrimp

• Roughly 2,000 species exist.

• Mantis shrimp can be up to 15 inches long.

• Hours after their eggs hatch, most female shrimp are again carrying new fertilized embryos.

Hawkfish

• Roughly 30 hawkfish species are known.

• Most have tassels on front dorsal fins.

• Only the lyretail swims in open water; the rest are perchers.

Want to read more about macro marine life? Check out our full feature on the 20 coolest macro critters in the ocean.