00:00The connection between clownfish and their anemone homes is as amazing as the connection between Zuzantheli and the giant Trodacta.
00:17You just can't imagine one without the other.
00:20You see, clownfish can live among the anemone's stinging tentacles because their bodies are coated with protective mucus.
00:27Mucus, yuck! That's why it's never a good idea to shake fins with a clownfish.
00:40Paracantherous hepatis are delightful little creatures.
00:43Unusual for the sea, these fish are vegetarians.
00:46Like a cow, they digest plant matter by fermenting it in their gut.
00:50Also like a cow, their bodies conceal sharp spines which they use to defend themselves against predators
00:56with a, huh, what, what's that? Oh, since when?
01:00Uh, I have just been informed that cows do not have sharp spines concealed on their bodies.
01:06So, moving along.
01:08Ah, the lovely black and white humbug, also known as the zebrafish.
01:18With its striking black and white stripes, some might be tempted to call it the striper.
01:23Or the vertical blind. Or the picket fence in front of coal.
01:27Or the ebony and ivory fish. You might call it the barcode.
01:30Or the white bread pumpernickel, white bread pumpernickel, white bread pumpernickel fish.
01:34But for me, this fascinating little flipper will always be known as Frank.
01:39Xerosoma flavescents are herbiferous, feeding all manner of plant life.
01:49Their short snout has evolved in a specialized task of grazing on algae which grows on rocks.
01:55The mouth and surrounding skin has toughened to withstand the impact with the rough reef surface.
02:01This modified nose may be great for finding food, but it makes it almost impossible for them to wear glasses.
02:13The common name for the Lismata amboinensis is the cleaner shrimp.
02:18This aptly describes the amazing role these little creatures play.
02:22The cleaner shrimp climb aboard other creatures and pick off parasites.
02:26This provides food for the shrimp and keeps the other ocean dwellers healthy.
02:30Eating so quickly, the shrimp appear to be beating on their own chest.
02:34But recently, scientists have determined that this chest beating is simply the shrimp's way of asking for the check at the end of the meal.
02:47The spectacular Zanklus cornutus is an unmistakable fish.
02:51With its bold coloration, projecting snout, dorsal fin augmented with a long filamentous extension.
02:56Say that with me, kids!
02:58Filamentous extension!
03:00The genus name Zanklus comes from the Greek word for sickle, inspired by the sickle-shaped dorsal fin.
03:06Gosh, aren't fish names fun?
03:08Even the study of fish is fun to say!
03:11Ichthyology!
03:12Ha ha!
03:13Ichthyology!
03:14Oh, I love that!
03:15The hippocampus cuda, otherwise known as the seahorse, whoa boy!
03:25It's one of nature's most curious designs.
03:28Covered in bony plates, which serve as a kind of armor, these lovely but shy creatures have an unusual method of propulsion.
03:35Dorsal fin undulates, acting like a small propeller.
03:38Ha ha!
03:39Maybe we should call them helicopters cuda!
03:41Ha!
03:42Get it?
03:43Helicop-
03:44He's a heli-copter!
03:45Ha!
03:46Oooooookay!
03:47We're done!
03:54The starfish may appear lifeless and motionless, but in fact they're one of the most dynamic and exciting creatures in the sea.
04:01These living wonders move in remarkable ways.
04:04The trick is to be patient.
04:06Take it from Mr. Ray.
04:07When they move, it's truly worth the wait.
04:10Let's watch.
04:13Ever so slightly.
04:16And...
04:17Okay, nothing yet.
04:18Remember patience.
04:20Every movement is like a jewel to be studied.
04:23Wait...
04:24Is...
04:25Is that...
04:26No, nothing.
04:27Oh, who are we kidding?
04:28Is this thing even alive?
04:29It's like watching algae grow.
04:31I just...
04:32Oh, forget it!
04:33That's enough of this starfish.
04:34I've had it up to...
04:38After swimming many miles, mother turtles crawl up on the beach to lay their eggs.
04:43Once buried in the sand, the mothers leave the eggs and return to the ocean.
04:49When the eggs hatch, these feisty little newborns are the very definition of self-reliance.
04:54Their remarkable instinct leads them to the ocean, where they swim deep out to sea, searching
04:59for their mother to ask,
05:01Hey, what's the big idea leaving us all buried here in the sand, huh?
05:04Were you ever gonna come back and check on us?
05:07It's at this point that the mother turtle would send the baby turtle to their room for a time out.
05:12That, boys and girls, is a little glimpse of why Mrs. Ray and I never had kids.
05:17Now, the diadon holocanthus may be cute, but it also happens to be one of the most poisonous fish in the sea.
05:27It's known as the pufferfish, because when threatened, it puffs up to appear more powerful.
05:33To achieve this amazing shape, it fills its body with water to stretch its skin.
05:38This pokes out its sharp spines, which make it impossible for predators to ingest them.
05:42Unfortunately, once the pufferfish is inflated, it still is at the mercy of others in the ocean,
05:47namely the local teenage fish, who use them as volleyballs or floats in the break.
05:52The Grandma Loretto feeds on drifting plankton and small crustaceans.
06:03It has the remarkable ability to swim upside down easily.
06:06While colorful and attractive, the royal grandma is a shy and secretive fish.
06:12What secrets does this tiny swimmer hold so tightly?
06:15What does a fish know that would make him so secretive?
06:18Is there something we don't know that we should know?
06:21Hey, little fella, let us in on the secret!
06:23Why won't you tell me, you impenetrable royal grandma with your secretive ways?
06:28I vow that one day, I will discover your secret!
06:32Mark my words!
06:38While many think of great white sharks as brutal, cold-blooded killers,
06:42Concaridon Concarius is actually a brutal, warm-blooded killer!
06:47These powerful swimmers can hunt in cold water because they maintain their own temperature!
06:53Surprisingly, for a predator this large, they can even watch themselves out of the water
06:58to land on prey from above!
07:00Isn't that great?
07:01No one's safe on land or sea!
07:04No one is safe!
07:06If anybody needs me, I'll be buried in the sand right over there!
07:11Bye!
07:17Whoa! Now there's something I know a thing or two about!
07:20Me!
07:21With unusually large brains, rays are some of the smartest creatures on the reef, if I do say so myself!
07:27Though graceful and majestic, rays are not built for speed!
07:31But we can cover ourselves with sand as a clever defense mechanism!
07:35Remember, it's harder to get hunted when your predators can't see you!
07:40Being crepuscular, most of our activity is in the low light of dawn or dusk!
07:44Darkness is no problem for rays, because we sense things electrically!
07:49In fact, I'm sensing your DVD player right now!
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