Pelagic Zone Animals
As the pelagic zone can be divided into layers that differ vastly in depth, availability of sunlight, nutrition, and pressure, the life it supports in each layer is also unique and shows various degrees of adaptations.
Epipelagic Life: This is the region of life. This layer of the Pelagic zone supports all kinds of life like Phytoplankton (e.g., diatoms, dinoflagellates), Zooplankton (e.g., copepods, krill), Fish (e.g. tuna, mackerel), sharks, dolphins as well as marine birds like seagulls that rest on the surface and feed on small fishes.
Mesopelagic Life: This layer, due to lack of sunlight, starts showing distinctive adaptations to light, like larger eyes and bioluminescence. Animals found are Lanternfish, Squids, eels, dragonfish, etc.
Bathypelagic Life: Most of the organisms in this layer are adapted to darkness, have slow metabolism to counter the lack of nutrients, and can survive in extreme pressure and cold temperatures. E.g.- anglerfish, giant squid, gulper shark (e.g., Centrophorus granulosus), deep-sea jellyfish (e.g., Atolla wyvillei), etc.
Abyssopelagic Zone: The number of organisms drastically reduces in this layer due to lack of nutrition, and they reproduce slowly. Characteristic organisms include basket star, deep-sea octopus (e.g., Graneledone boreopacifica), sea cucumbers, snailfish, abyssal grenadier, etc.
Hadalpelagic Life: Although this is the bottom of the ocean. Life still exists here. It includes mostly shelled organisms that can bear intense pressure, like amphipods, giant isopods, snailfishes, deep-sea anemones, and worms.
Pelagic Zone
The pelagic zone is the open ocean’s water column, which extends from the surface to the bottom. Another name for it is the wide ocean. The phrase “open sea” (pélagos) in Ancient Greek is where the word “pelagic” originates. The five depth zones that make up the pelagic zone each have unique marine life and environmental characteristics.
The pelagic zone consists of pelagic zone animals and plants. In this article, we will study the definition of the pelagic zone, the different layers of the pelagic zone, the flora and fauna found in the pelagic zone, the human impact, and its conservation.
Table of Content
- Definition of the Pelagic Zone
- What is Pelagic Zone?
- Sub-Zones of Pelagic Zone
- Flora of the Pelagic Zone
- Pelagic Zone Animals
- Human Impact and Conservation
- Conclusion: Pelagic Zone