What fish are found in the Indian Ocean. Beautiful, but dangerous inhabitants of the seas and oceans. Fish - lion

The Indian Ocean has the fewest seas compared to other oceans. The largest seas are located in the northern part: the Mediterranean - the Red Sea and the Persian Gulf, the semi-enclosed Andaman Sea and the marginal Arabian Sea; in the eastern part - the Arafura and Timor seas.

There are relatively few islands. The largest of them are of continental origin and are located near the coast: Madagascar, Sri Lanka, Socotra. In the open part of the ocean, there are volcanic islands - Mascarene, Crozet, Prince Edward, etc. In tropical latitudes, coral islands rise on volcanic cones - Maldives, Laccadive, Chagos, Cocos, most of the Andaman, etc.

Shores in the N.-W. and the East are indigenous, in the S.-V. and the West are dominated by alluvial. The coastline is slightly indented, with the exception of the northern part of the Indian Ocean. Almost all the seas and large bays (Aden, Oman, Bengal) are located here. In the southern part there are the Gulf of Carpentaria, the Great Australian Gulf and the gulfs of Spencer, St. Vincent, etc.

A narrow (up to 100 km) continental shelf (shelf) stretches along the coast, the outer edge of which has a depth of 50-200 m (only near Antarctica and northwestern Australia up to 300-500 m). The continental slope is a steep (up to 10-30°) ledge, locally dissected by the underwater valleys of the Indus, Ganges, and other rivers. m). The bed of the Indian Ocean is divided by ridges, mountains and ramparts into a number of basins, the most significant of which are the Arabian Basin, the West Australian Basin, and the African-Antarctic Basin. The bottom of these basins is formed by accumulative and hilly plains; the first are located near the continents in areas with an abundant supply of sedimentary material, the second - in the central part of the ocean. Among the numerous ridges of the bed, the straightness and length (about 5,000 km) distinguish the meridional East Indian Ridge, which connects in the south with the latitudinal West Australian Ridge; large meridional ridges stretch to the south from the Hindustan peninsula and about. Madagascar. Volcanoes are widely represented on the ocean floor (Mt. Bardina, Mt. Shcherbakov, Mt. Lena, and others), which in places form large massifs (to the north of Madagascar) and chains (to the east of the Cocos Islands). The mid-ocean ridges are a mountain system consisting of three branches that radiate from the central part of the ocean to the north (Arabian-Indian ridge), southwest. (West Indian and African-Antarctic ridges) and Yu.-V. (Central Indian Ridge and Australo-Antarctic Rise). This system has a width of 400–800 km, a height of 2–3 km, and is most dissected by an axial (rift) zone with deep valleys and rift mountains bordering them; transverse faults are characteristic, along which horizontal displacements of the bottom up to 400 km are noted. The Australo-Antarctic Rise, in contrast to the median ridges, is a gentler swell 1 km high and up to 1500 km wide.

The bottom sediments of the Indian Ocean are thickest (up to 3-4 km) at the foot of the continental slopes; in the middle of the ocean - small (about 100 m) thickness and in places where the dissected relief is distributed - discontinuous distribution. The most widely represented are foraminiferal (on the continental slopes, ridges and at the bottom of most basins at a depth of up to 4700 m), diatoms (south of 50 ° S), radiolarian (near the equator) and coral sediments. Polygenic sediments - red deep-sea clays - are distributed south of the equator at a depth of 4.5-6 km or more. Terrigenous sediments - off the coast of the continents. Chemogenic sediments are mainly represented by iron-manganese nodules, while riftogenic sediments are represented by destruction products of deep rocks. Outcrops of bedrocks are most often found on continental slopes (sedimentary and metamorphic rocks), mountains (basalts) and mid-ocean ridges, where, in addition to basalts, serpentinites and peridotites have been found, representing little-altered matter of the Earth's upper mantle.

The Indian Ocean is characterized by the predominance of stable tectonic structures both on the bed (thalassocratons) and along the periphery (continental platforms); active developing structures - modern geosynclines (Sonda arc) and georiftogenals (mid-ocean ridge) - occupy smaller areas and continue in the corresponding structures of Indochina and rifts of East Africa. These basic macrostructures, which differ sharply in morphology, structure earth's crust, seismic activity, volcanism, are subdivided into smaller structures: plates, usually corresponding to the bottom of oceanic basins, blocky ridges, volcanic ridges, sometimes crowned with coral islands and banks (Chagos, Maldives, etc.), trench faults (Chagos, Ob, etc. .), often confined to the foot of blocky ridges (East Indian, West Australian, Maldives, etc.), fault zones, tectonic ledges. Among the structures of the Indian Ocean bed, a special place (in terms of the presence of continental rocks - granites of the Seychelles and the continental type of the earth's crust) is occupied by the northern part of the Mascarene Range - a structure that is apparently part of the ancient Gondwana mainland.

Minerals: on the shelves - oil and gas (especially the Persian Gulf), monazite sands (the coastal region of Southwestern India), etc.; in rift zones - ores of chromium, iron, manganese, copper, etc.; on the bed - huge accumulations of iron-manganese nodules.

The climate of the northern part of the Indian Ocean is monsoonal; in summer, when an area of low pressure develops over Asia, southwestern flows of equatorial air dominate here, in winter - northeastern flows of tropical air. South of 8-10 ° S sh. atmospheric circulation is much more constant; here, in tropical (summer and subtropical) latitudes, stable southeasterly trade winds dominate, and in temperate latitudes, extratropical cyclones moving from West to East. In tropical latitudes in the western part, hurricanes occur in summer and autumn. The average air temperature in the northern part of the ocean in summer is 25-27 °C, off the coast of Africa - up to 23 °C. In the southern part, it decreases in summer to 20-25 ° C at 30 ° S. sh., up to 5-6 ° С at 50 ° S. sh. and below 0 ° С south of 60 ° S. sh. In winter, the air temperature varies from 27.5 °C near the equator to 20 °C in the northern part, to 15 °C at 30 ° S. sh., up to 0-5 ° С at 50 ° S. sh. and below 0 ° С south of 55-60 ° S. sh. However, in the southern subtropical latitudes all year round the temperature in the West, under the influence of the warm Madagascar Current, is 3-6 °C higher than in the East, where the cold West Australian Current exists. Cloudiness in the monsoon northern part of the Indian Ocean in winter is 10-30%, in summer up to 60-70%. In summer, there is also the greatest amount of precipitation. The average annual precipitation in the east of the Arabian Sea and the Bay of Bengal is more than 3000 mm, near the equator 2000-3000 mm, in the west of the Arabian Sea up to 100 mm. In the southern part of the ocean, the average annual cloudiness is 40-50%, south of 40 ° S. sh. - up to 80%. The average annual precipitation in the subtropics is 500 mm to the east and 1,000 mm to the west; in temperate latitudes, more than 1,000 mm; near Antarctica, it drops to 250 mm.

The circulation of surface waters in the northern part of the Indian Ocean has a monsoonal character: in summer - the northeast and east currents, in winter - the southwest and west currents. During the winter months between 3° and 8° S. sh. an inter-trade (equatorial) countercurrent develops. In the southern part of the Indian Ocean, water circulation forms an anticyclonic circulation, which is formed from warm currents - the South Trade Winds in the north, Madagascar and Needles in the West, and cold currents - the Western Winds in the South and the West Australian in the East South of 55 ° S. sh. several weak cyclonic water cycles develop, closing off the coast of Antarctica with an easterly current.

The heat balance is dominated by a positive component: between 10° and 20° N. sh. 3.7-6.5 GJ/(m2×year); between 0° and 10°S sh. 1.0-1.8 GJ/(m2×year); between 30° and 40°S sh. - 0.67-0.38 GJ/(m2×year) [from - 16 to 9 kcal/(cm2×year)]; between 40° and 50°S sh. 2.34-3.3 GJ/(m2×year); south of 50°S sh. -1.0 to -3.6 GJ/(m2×yr) [-24 to -86 kcal/(cm2×yr)]. In the expenditure part of the heat balance north of 50 ° S. sh. the main role belongs to the cost of heat for evaporation, and south of 50 ° S. sh. - heat exchange between the ocean and the atmosphere.

The surface water temperature reaches its maximum (over 29 °C) in May in the northern part of the ocean. In the summer of the Northern Hemisphere, it is 27-28 ° C here, and only off the coast of Africa decreases to 22-23 ° C under the influence of cold waters coming to the surface from the depths. At the equator, the temperature is 26-28 ° C and decreases to 16-20 ° C at 30 ° S. sh., up to 3-5 ° С at 50 ° S. sh. and below -1 ° С south of 55 ° S. sh. In the winter of the Northern Hemisphere, the temperature in the north is 23–25°C, at the equator 28°C, and at 30°S. sh. 21-25 ° С, at 50 ° S sh. from 5 to 9 ° С, south of 60 ° S sh. temperatures are negative. In subtropical latitudes all year round in the West, the water temperature is 3-5 °C higher than in the East.

The salinity of water depends on the water balance, which is formed on average for the surface of the Indian Ocean from evaporation (-1380 mm/year), precipitation (1000 mm/year) and continental runoff (70 cm/year). The main flow of fresh water comes from the rivers of South Asia (Ganges, Brahmaputra, etc.) and Africa (Zambezi, Limpopo). The highest salinity is observed in the Persian Gulf (37-39‰), in the Red Sea (41‰) and in the Arabian Sea (more than 36.5‰). In the Bay of Bengal and the Andaman Sea, it decreases to 32.0-33.0‰, in the southern tropics - to 34.0-34.5‰. In the southern subtropical latitudes, salinity exceeds 35.5‰ (maximum 36.5‰ in summer, 36.0‰ in winter), and south of 40°S. sh. drops to 33.0-34.3‰. The highest water density (1027) is observed in the Antarctic latitudes, the lowest (1018, 1022) - in the northeastern part of the ocean and in the Bay of Bengal. In the northwestern part of the Indian Ocean, the density of water is 1024-1024.5. The oxygen content in the surface water layer increases from 4.5 ml/l in the northern part of the Indian Ocean to 7-8 ml/l south of 50°S. sh. At depths of 200-400 m, the oxygen content is much lower in absolute value and varies from 0.21-0.76 in the north to 2-4 ml / l in the south, at greater depths it gradually increases again and in the bottom layer is 4.03 -4.68 ml/l. The color of the water is predominantly blue, in the Antarctic latitudes it is blue, in some places with greenish hues.

The tides in the Indian Ocean, as a rule, are small (off the coast of the open ocean and on the islands from 0.5 to 1.6 m), only at the tops of some bays they reach 5-7 m; in the Gulf of Cambay 11.9 m. The tides are predominantly semi-diurnal.

Ice forms at high latitudes and is carried by winds and currents along with icebergs in a northerly direction (up to 55°S in August and up to 65-68°S in February).

The deep circulation and vertical structure of the Indian Ocean is shaped by waters sinking into the subtropical (subsurface waters) and Antarctic (intermediate waters) convergence zones and along the continental slope of Antarctica (bottom waters), as well as from the Red Sea and the Atlantic Ocean (deep waters). Subsurface waters have a temperature of 10-18°C at a depth of 100-150 m to 400-500 m, salinity of 35.0-35.7‰, intermediate waters occupy a depth of 400-500 m to 1000-1500 m, have a temperature of 4 to 10°C, salinity 34.2-34.6‰; deep waters at a depth of 1000-1500 m to 3500 m have a temperature of 1.6 to 2.8 ° C, salinity of 34.68-34.78‰; bottom waters below 3500 m in the south have a temperature of -0.07 to -0.24 ° C, salinity 34.67-34.69 ‰, in the north - about 0.5 ° C and 34.69-34.77 ‰ respectively.

Flora and fauna

The entire water area of the Indian Ocean lies within the tropical and southern temperate zones. The shallow waters of the tropical zone are characterized by numerous 6- and 8-ray corals, hydrocorals, capable of creating islands and atolls together with calcareous red algae. The richest fauna of various invertebrates (sponges, worms, crabs, mollusks, sea urchins, brittle stars and starfish), small but brightly colored coral fish. Most of the coasts are occupied by mangroves, in which the mud jumper stands out - a fish that can exist in the air for a long time. The fauna and flora of the beaches and rocks that dry out at low tide are quantitatively depleted as a result of the depressing effect of the sun's rays. In the temperate zone, life on such stretches of coasts is much richer; dense thickets of red and brown algae(kelp, fucus, reaching the huge size of macrocystis), a variety of invertebrates are plentiful. For the open spaces of the Indian Ocean, especially for the surface layer of the water column (up to 100 m), rich flora is also characteristic. Of the unicellular planktonic algae, several species of peredinium and diatom algae predominate, and in the Arabian Sea - blue-green algae, which often cause the so-called water bloom during mass development.

Copepods (more than 100 species) make up the bulk of the ocean's animals, followed by pteropods, jellyfish, siphonophores, and other invertebrates. Of the unicellular, radiolarians are characteristic; numerous squids. Of the fish, the most abundant are several species of flying fish, luminous anchovies - myctophids, dolphins, large and small tuna, sailfish and various sharks, poisonous sea snakes. Sea turtles and large marine mammals (dugongs, toothed and toothless whales, pinnipeds) are common. Among the birds, the most characteristic are albatrosses and frigates, as well as several species of penguins that inhabit the coasts of South Africa, Antarctica and the islands that lie in the temperate zone of the ocean.

First of all - about the fish. There are many of them here. The open ocean has the most flying fish, tuna, dolphins, sailfish and glowing anchovies. And remember, we talked about creatures dangerous to humans: about a poisonous jellyfish and an octopus? So, these "treasures" - inhabitants of the Indian Ocean. And it also has a lot of poisonous sea snakes and a variety of sharks (also, by the way, not a great gift for lovers of swimming in warm water).

There are also marine mammals in the ocean: primarily whales and dolphins. Fur seals live on rocky islands, where it is not so hot, and in shallow water - huge, clumsy and very peaceful dugongs.

The real owners of the airspace over the ocean, in addition to numerous gulls, are giant albatrosses. Just imagine - the wingspan of an adult albatross can reach three meters ...

Lots of corals*. Where marine polyps have lived for thousands of years, coral reefs have formed over time. At low water, they appear on the surface. Because of their abundance, even one of the seas was named Coral. It is in it that the largest accumulation of corals in the world is located - the Great Barrier Reef, off the eastern coast of Australia, which stretches for 1260 miles.

Near corals, underwater life is usually in full swing. Thousands of bright tropical fish scurry about. Predators hide in crevices among stones and corals.

There are many islands in the Indian Ocean and it is rather difficult to list them all. The largest among them. There are archipelagos, for example: Andaman Islands, Sunda, Nicobar and others. There is a group of islands of three reefs - Rauli Reefs, named after the captain who was the first European to discover one of them. There are also many isolated islands.

Most of the islands of the Indian Ocean lie in fertile subtropical and tropical zones - white sandy beaches, lush tropical vegetation and majestic mountains. Small islands, as a rule, are of volcanic origin and are of extremely interesting flora and fauna. animal world , both on the islands themselves and under the azure waves of quiet lagoons ...

But not everything is so simple and peaceful in this earthly paradise. Residents of Reunion Island, part of the Mascarene Islands, have long remembered the 1986 eruption of the Piton de la Fournaise volcano. Hot lava flows burned down some of the houses in the village, located on the slopes of the volcano. A relatively short time passed, and in the spring of 2007 the volcano woke up again. Scientists from the volcanological station located on the island say they have never seen such a strong eruption. Sometimes the volcano threw out stones and red-hot magma to a height of two hundred meters ... Streams of molten lava flowed along the slopes at a speed of about sixty kilometers per hour and fell into the sea with thunderous explosions, whistling and hissing. The fiery river cut the main highway of the island. Burning palm and vanilla plantations. Forest fires have started. The inhabitants of the nearby village were evacuated… Experts call the actions of the awakened volcano “the eruption of the century”.

In the most “wild” corners of the Earth, to this day, there are a few peoples who, by their own decision, desire, or by some coincidence, live without contact with the outside world and modern civilization. They are called so - "non-contact peoples." Attempts to get acquainted with them are fraught with many dangers both for guests and for the hosts themselves. Aboriginal people may suffer from imported diseases to which they have no immunity, and guests who are not familiar with the customs of non-contact peoples may be exposed to danger due to their own negligence.

There are islands in the Indian Ocean, the natives of which categorically refuse contact with modern civilization. Such, for example, are the Sentinelese from the Andaman Islands and a number of tribes in New Guinea.

To complete this topic, let us recall that similar native tribes survived in South America, in the Amazon basin, small tribes and nationalities in the Nahua-Kugapakori reserve in Peru. There are probably other places as well. It’s just that no matter how much we talk about “flying to the moon” and “space stations circled all the planets solar system”, to say that we have studied our Earth up and down, it would be wrong.

Komodo is a small island in Indonesia. Its area is only three hundred and ninety square kilometers. Its population at best is two thousand people. Interestingly, most of the native inhabitants are the descendants of former exiles sent by the colonial authorities to the island. Once settled, they mingled with native tribes from neighboring islands. This small island is famous for being part of Komodo with its huge komodo dragons- land crocodiles, as they are sometimes called. In addition, the underwater world of Komodo is extremely interesting - its clear waters attract scuba divers from all over the world.

A lot can be said and told about the Greater and Lesser Sunda Islands, about the Cocos Islands and the island of St. Mauritius, about the Nicobar Islands and about two very small coastal islands called Pi-Pi. And what is the underwater world on the reefs of the Indian Ocean! But let's leave these miracles to tourist prospectuses and move on to a curious story. the largest island in the Indian Ocean - Madagascar.

The fish world of the Indian Ocean is rich and varied due to its location.

It is located in the southern and tropical zones. The climate here is different, which has affected the number of fish species living in the ocean.

Fauna of the Indian Ocean

In the shelf areas of the ocean, such fish live:

anchovy;
mackerel;
sardanella;
rock and reef perch;
horse mackerel;

The mackerel family is represented by mockerel and tuna. Numerous detachments of anchovies, flying fish and sailboat fish.

It is impossible to list all the species, since scientists count several hundred of them in the ocean.

Here are just a few of them:

Australian Bonito;
white sarg;
sixgill shark;
longfin tuna;
Indian lionfish;
bluefish and others.

For lovers of extreme types of fishing, there is also something to do here. There are different types of sharks in the ocean. Sea snakes and swordfish also live here.

The fauna of the ocean is represented by shrimps and lobsters. There are many squids and cuttlefish.

Temperate fish

This area of the ocean is characterized by large individuals, such as:

sea Elephant;
dugong;
blue and toothless whale;
seal.

There is enough plankton in the ocean, which serves as an excellent food for the huge representatives of the reservoir.

Dangerous inhabitants

The underwater world of the ocean is not only interesting, but also dangerous. Here you can meet a killer whale or a whale.

The bite of a predatory moray eel is equivalent to the bite of a bulldog. Coral reefs securely cover fish - zebra or lionfish.

Fish-stone lives in shallow water. Her appearance is unsightly, her body is covered in growths, and there are more than ten poisonous needles on her back.

We must pay tribute: she never takes the initiative first and does not attack a person.

But if you just touch her, then the reaction, despite her outward clumsiness, will be instantaneous.

The sea urchin is distinguished by species diversity. They number about six hundred.

Their location is the tropical and subtropical regions of the Indian Ocean.

The sailboat belongs to the perch-like order, which includes two types of fish at once. Its habitat is the central and western part of the Pacific Ocean, as well as the waters of the Indian. This marine animal can be found even in the Black Sea, where it swims from the Mediterranean. The sailfish is best known for being the fastest and most predatory fish in the world.

Appearance

A characteristic feature of this fish is a high and long fin, resembling a sail, hence its name. The fin stretched from the back of the head almost to the end of the back. The sail has a pronounced blue color, with an abundance of dark dots. Nearby is the second dorsal fin, similar in shape to the first, but much smaller. The pectoral fins are closer to the lower part of the body. They are black in color, sometimes light blue spots can be observed.

The sailboat is a rather large fish. So, young individuals reach a length of about two meters, and adults - more than three. The weight of a large fish is 100 kilograms, but in most cases there are individuals up to 30 kg. The sailboat is distinguished by its rarity and beauty.

Gallery: fish sailboat (25 photos)

sailfish speed

As already noted, this marine animal is an active predator and develops maximum speed among other inhabitants of the ocean. Sailboats can move at a speed of 100 km/h. To find out how fast this fish is, several tests were conducted in the US, Florida. On one of them, the sailboat managed to overcome 90 m in 3 s, which is equivalent to 109 km/h.

As soon as this fish develops high speed, the first dorsal fin (sail) hides in a special recess on the back. In addition, the rest of the fins are hidden, but with sharp turns they immediately rise. But these fish do not always rush at great speed across the sea. Sometimes they slowly drift with melted fins, presenting a great sight.

The sailfish is one of the few fish that uses turbulence in its movements. This marine animal lacks a swim bladder, which is why its movements are so fast. Moreover, the presence of this organ would only interfere with the sailboat with its specific body structure.

This inhabitant of the ocean moves with the help of wave-like movements of the body, which are concentrated at the tail. This marine animal is distinguished by its muscles and unusual body structure.

Food and hunting

Sailboats prey on small fish like sardines. Usually their prey is collected in shoals and moves as a whole. Thus, small fish try to confuse the predator and not become an easy lunch. Hunter fish watch the schools, trying to scare them and get their prey. Sailboats are one of the strongest hunters, they destroy their prey in a matter of seconds. Thanks to their speed and maneuverability, they instantly disappear in the water.

Sailfish food:

In the process of hunting, these marine animals disperse large shoals into smaller ones. With their sails, they manage to scare small fish and break them into small shoals convenient for them. Since sailboats hunt in packs, sardines have no chance of escaping them. A very formidable and effective weapon in the arsenal of sailfish is their long, sharp snout. However, it is not designed to pierce its prey. They hurt the fish with it, and they do it so quickly that the sardines do not have time to swim away.

Catching a sailboat

Experienced fishermen know that catching a sailboat on their spinning rod is a great success. Such a catch can be envied. However, fishing for this fish is strictly controlled. The sailboat is in the Red Book. There are sports competitions for catching this marine animal, which are considered one of the most prestigious in this area. However, after the catch, the fish is photographed and released back. But it is very difficult to catch her. Even the best fishermen do not always manage to do this. The reason is that this ocean dweller is ready to do anything for his freedom. For example, jump out of the water and make a long jump, pulling the fisherman along with you.

Catching this fish, despite the ban, is very common off the coast of Florida, Cuba, California. Everyone can go fishing and try their luck in hunting for a sailboat.

reproduction

Fish of this species breed in summer or autumn in equatorial warm waters. During this season, one female is able to lay up to 5 million eggs. Most of them die, being eaten by large predators.

These marine animals are terrible parents, they are not at all interested in the fate and fate of their offspring, they do not feed their fry. But because of the huge amount of caviar, the disgusting attitude towards offspring is reduced to nothing. During the first year, the fry grow into individuals up to two meters long. Most often, their weight does not exceed 30 kg, but a larger individual is also possible. The average lifespan of a sailfish is 13-14 years.

A few interesting observations:

The richest source of life diversity is the ocean. Any of the five oceans that exist on our planet is a real storehouse of the organic world. Moreover, if all land animals are known to science, then some inhabitants of the depths remain still undiscovered, skillfully hiding in the depths of the ocean.

This only spurs the interest of zoologists, oceanologists and other scientists. The study of the ocean, from its physical characteristics and ending with the diversity of life in it, is in the foreground today. Consider the organic world of the Indian Ocean as one of the richest living systems.

Characteristics of the Indian Ocean

Among other oceans, the Indian is in third place in terms of the occupied water area (after the Atlantic and Pacific). The properties of the Indian Ocean can be characterized by several main points:

The territory of the ocean is about 77 million km 2.
The organic world of the Indian Ocean is very diverse.
The volume of water is 283.5 million m 3.
The width of the ocean is about 10 thousand km 2.
Washes on all sides of the world Eurasia, Africa, Australia and Antarctica.
Bays (straits) and seas occupy 15% of the entire ocean area.
The largest island is Madagascar.
The greatest depth near the island of Java in Indonesia is more than 7 km.
The average general water temperature is 15-18 0 С. In each separate place of the ocean (near the borders with islands, in seas and bays), the temperature can vary markedly.

Exploration of the Indian Ocean

This water body has been known since ancient times. He was an important link in the trade in spices, fabrics, furs and other goods between the peoples of Persia, Egypt and Africa.

However, the exploration of the Indian Ocean began much later, during the time of the famous Portuguese navigator Vasco da Gama (mid-15th century). It is to him that the merit of the discovery of India belongs, after which the whole ocean was named.

Before Vasco da Gama, he had a lot different names among the peoples of the world: the Eritrean Sea, the Black Sea, Indicon Pelagos, Bar el-Hind. However, back in the 1st century, Pliny the Elder called it Oceanus Indicus, which is translated from Latin as "Indian Ocean".

A more modern and scientific approach to the study of the structure of the bottom, the composition of the waters, the inhabitants of animal and plant origin, began to be carried out only from the 19th century. Today, the fauna of the Indian Ocean is of great practical and scientific interest, as well as the ocean itself. Scientists from Russia, America, Germany and other countries are actively working on this issue, using the most advanced technology (underwater devices, space satellites).

Picture of the organic world

The organic world of the Indian Ocean is quite diverse. Among the representatives of flora and fauna there are such species that are very specific and rare.

In its diversity, the biomass of the ocean resembles that of the Pacific Ocean (more precisely, in its western part). This is due to the common undercurrents between these oceans.

In general, the entire organic world of the local waters can be combined into two groups according to their habitat:

Tropical Indian Ocean.
Antarctic part.

Each of them has its own climatic conditions, currents, abiotic factors. Therefore, organic diversity also differs in composition.

Diversity of life in the ocean

The tropical area of this water body abounds in a variety of planktonic and benthic species of animals and plants. Algae such as unicellular Trichodesmium are considered common. Their concentration in the upper layers of the ocean is so high that the overall color of the water changes.

Also in this area, the organic world of the Indian Ocean is represented by the following types of algae:

sargasso algae;
turbinaria;
caulerps;
phytotamnia;
chalimedes;
mangroves.

Of the small animals, the most widespread are the beautiful representatives of plankton that glow at night: physalia, siphonophores, ctenophores, tunicates, perydenea, jellyfish.

The Antarctic region of the Indian Ocean is represented by fucus, kelp, porphyry, galidium, and huge macrocystis. And from the representatives of the animal kingdom (small), copypods, euphuazids, diatoms live here.

unusual fish

Often the animals of the Indian Ocean are rare or simply unusual in appearance. So, among the most common and numerous fish there are sharks, rays, mackerels, dolphins, tuna, notothenia.

If we talk about unusual representatives of the ichthyofauna, then it should be noted such as:

coral fish;
parrot fish;
White shark;
whale shark.

Fish of commercial importance are tuna, mackerel, dolphins and notothenia.

Diversity of animals

The fauna of the Indian Ocean has representatives of the following types, classes, families:

Fish.
Reptiles (sea snakes and giant turtles).
Mammals (sperm whales, seals, sei whales, elephant seals, dolphins, toothless whales).
Mollusks (giant octopus, octopuses, snails).
Sponges (lime and silicon forms);
Echinoderms (sea beauty, holothurians, sea urchins, brittle stars).
Shellfish (crayfish, crabs, lobsters).
Hydroids (polyps).
Mshankovye.
Coral polyps (form coastal reefs).

Animals such as sea beauties have a very bright color, live at the very bottom and have a hexagonal shape with radial symmetry of the body. Thanks to them, the bottom of the ocean looks bright and picturesque.

Giant octopus - big octopus, the length of the tentacles of which extends to 1.2 m. The body, as a rule, is no more than 30 cm in length.

Lime and silicon sponges play an important role in the formation of the bottom of the Indian Ocean. Along with benthic species of algae, they form whole deposits of calcareous and silicic deposits.

The most terrible predator of these habitats is the white shark, whose size reaches 3 meters. A ruthless and very agile killer, she is practically the main thunderstorm of the Indian Ocean.

Very beautiful and interesting fish of the Indian Ocean - coral fish. They are bizarrely and brightly colored, have a flat, elongated body shape. These fish are very clever at hiding in the thickets of coral polyps, where not a single predator is able to get them.

The combined conditions of the Indian Ocean make it possible for its fauna to be so diverse and interesting as to attract those wishing to study it.

Vegetable world

Outline map of the Indian Ocean gives general idea about what it borders on. And starting from this, it is easy to imagine what the plant community of the ocean will be like.

Proximity to the Pacific Ocean contributes to the wide distribution of brown and red algae, many of which are of commercial importance. are also present in all parts of the Indian Ocean.

Thickets of giant macrocystis are considered interesting and unusual. It is believed that getting into such thickets on a ship is tantamount to death, because it is very easy to get entangled in them and it is completely impossible to get out.

The main part of the plant is made up of unicellular benthic, planktonic algae.

Commercial value of the Indian Ocean

Fishing for animals and plants in the Indian Ocean is not as fully developed as in other deep oceans and seas. Today, this ocean is the world's source of reserves, a reserve of valuable food sources. A contour map of the Indian Ocean can show the main islands and peninsulas on which fishing is most developed and valuable species of fish and algae are harvested:

Sri Lanka;
Hindustan;
Somalia;
Madagascar;
Maldives;
Seychelles;
Arabian Peninsula.

At the same time, the animals of the Indian Ocean, for the most part, are very valuable species in terms of nutrition. However, this water body is not very popular in this sense. Its main meaning for people today is access to different countries of the world, islands and peninsulas.