Discover the amazing creatures that live in our oceans. Vocabulary in this post whale noun /weɪl/ Any of several species of large sea mammals of the infraorder Cetacea. Examples: "The whale spouted water high into the air as it passed by the research ship. " dolphin noun /ˈdɒlfɪn/ /ˈdɑlfɪn/ A carnivorous aquatic mammal in one of several families of order Cetacea, famed for its intelligence and occasional willingness to approach humans. Examples: "While visiting the aquarium, the children were excited to see a dolphin leap out of the water. " shark noun /ʃɑːk/ /ʃɑɹk/ A scaleless, predatory fish of the superorder Selachimorpha, with a cartilaginous skeleton and 5 to 7 gill slits on each side of its head. Examples: "The shark swam silently in the deep ocean. " octopus noun /ˈɒk.tə.pəs/ /ˈɑːk.tə.pəs/ Any of several marine molluscs of the family Octopodidae, having no internal or external protective shell or bone (unlike the nautilus, squid and cuttlefish) and eight arms each covered with suckers. Examples: "The aquarium displayed a curious octopus, its eight arms reaching out to explore the tank. " jellyfish noun /ˈdʒɛliˌfɪʃ/ An almost transparent aquatic animal; any one of the acalephs, especially one of the larger species, having a jellylike appearance. Examples: "The jellyfish washed ashore near the beach where the children were playing. " coral noun /ˈkɒɹəl/ /ˈkɔɹəl/ A colony of marine polyps. Examples: "The oceanographer studied the vibrant coral reefs. " seahorse noun /ˈsiːhɔːrs/ /ˈsiːhɔːrsɪz/ Any of various small marine fish of the genus Hippocampus that have a horselike head and swim upright. Examples: "The aquarium had a tank filled with colorful coral and a tiny, elegant seahorse swimming slowly upright. " starfish noun /ˈstɑː(ɹ)fɪʃ/ Any of various asteroids or other echinoderms (not in fact fish) with usually five arms, many of which eat bivalves or corals by everting their stomach. Examples: "While walking on the beach, we saw a bright orange starfish clinging to a rock. " crab noun /kɹæb/ A crustacean of the infraorder Brachyura, having five pairs of legs, the foremost of which are in the form of claws, and a carapace. Examples: "The crab scurried across the sandy beach, its large claws outstretched. " turtles noun /ˈtɜːtəlz/ (specifically) A marine reptile of that order. Examples: "While visiting the beach, we saw several turtles swimming in the ocean. " algae noun /æl.ɡɪ/ /ˈæl.dʒi/ Any of many aquatic photosynthetic organisms, including the seaweeds, whose size ranges from a single cell to giant kelps and whose biochemistry and forms are very diverse, some being eukaryotic. Examples: "The pond was green because of a large growth of algae. " plankton noun /ˈplæŋktən/ Small (often microscopic) organisms that float in the water. (A single organism is known as a plankter.) Examples: "Fish eat plankton, tiny organisms that float in the ocean. "
