Fauna of the Black Sea coast. Plants and animals of the Black Sea coast of the Caucasus: description with photos and videos of the nature of the Caucasus. Fauna of the Black Sea coast of the Caucasus

The Black Sea seems like home to many Russians. warm and familiar... Many families go here on vacation year after year, but still few people realize how many amazing and sometimes even frightening creatures live in the depths of the Black Sea.

Interesting facts about animals of the Black Sea.

1. In total, two and a half thousand species of living creatures live in the Black Sea. This is not much - for example, in the Mediterranean Sea there are about nine thousand species.
2. The predatory mollusk rapana was once brought by ships into the waters of the Black Sea from the Far Eastern seas, and took root here perfectly.
3. At the end of summer, the waters of the Black Sea sometimes glow due to phosphorescent nocturnal algae.
4. Of all the animals in the Black Sea, only four species are mammals.
5. Unlike most other seas and oceans, there is no life in the waters of the Black Sea at depths of over two hundred meters. The only exceptions are a few types of bacteria. This is due to the fact that the deep waters of the Black Sea are very rich in hydrogen sulfide (see facts about the seas and oceans).
6. There are sharks in the Black Sea. These are katrans, also called spiny sharks. They do not attack humans and are generally modest in size, but the poisonous spines on their backs make them dangerous. Fortunately, these fish are very shy, and they diligently avoid people (see facts about fish).
7. In addition to the katran, there are other dangerous inhabitants among the animals of the Black Sea. The most dangerous, perhaps, are sea dragons - their spines contain even stronger poison than the spines of katrans.
8. There are two different species of dolphins in the Black Sea.
9. There are also seals in its waters.
10. There are practically no starfish in the Black Sea (see facts about starfish).
11. There are also poisonous jellyfish in the Black Sea waters, but they are not dangerous to humans.
12. The Black Sea scorpionfish, or sea ruffe, is a bottom-dwelling fish of a very frightening appearance, covered with spines and growths. Its thorns are poisonous.
13. The sea cat, or stingray, is another dangerous representative of the fauna of the Black Sea. With a blow from its tail with a poisonous spike at the end, it is capable of inflicting a deep wound.

The Black Sea is an inland sea of ​​the Atlantic Ocean. The Bosphorus Strait connects with the Sea of ​​Marmara, then through the Dardanelles Strait it connects with the Aegean and Mediterranean seas. The Kerch Strait connects with the Sea of ​​Azov. from the north the Crimean peninsula cuts deep into the sea. The border between Europe and Asia runs along the surface of the Black Sea. its greatest length from north to south is 580 km. average depth 1200 meters. washes the shores of Russia, Ukraine, Romania, Bulgaria, Turkey, Abkhazia and Georgia. A feature of the Black Sea is the complete absence of life at depths of over 200 meters. due to the saturation of deep layers with hydrogen sulfide.

The largest island in the sea is Dzharylgach with an area of ​​62 km square. the other islands are much smaller. For example, Berezan and Zmeyny have an area of ​​1 km square.

The flora of the sea includes 270 species of algae. multicellular green, brown and red bottom. 600 species of phytoplankton.

The fauna of the sea is not so rich. it does not contain starfish, sea urchins, octopuses, cuttlefish, squid, or corals. 2,500 species of animals live in the sea. These include unicellular organisms, mollusks, crustaceans, vertebrates and invertebrates. For comparison, there are about 9,000 thousand animal species in the Mediterranean Sea. At the bottom of the Black Sea live mussels, oysters, pecten, as well as the predator mollusk rapana (brought with ships from the Far East). Numerous crabs live in the crevices of the coastal rocks. there are shrimps. There are various types of jellyfish, sea anemones, and sponges.

among the fish there are various types of gobies, anchovy, dogfish shark, flounder, mullet, hake, sea ruffe, red mullet, mackerel, horse mackerel, Black Sea herring, sprat, seahorse and others. There are also sturgeon - beluga, stellate sturgeon and sturgeon. Among the dangerous fish are the sea dragon with its poisonous spines, scorpion fish, stingray (sea cat) with a poisonous spike on its tail.

Mammals are represented by two species of dolphins, the porpoise and the white-bellied seal.

The most common birds are gulls, petrels, diving ducks and cormorants.

Among planktonic algae there is such an unusual species as noctiluca - a predatory algae that feeds on organic substances and has the ability to phosphorize. Thanks to this algae, a glow of the sea is sometimes observed in August.

The only Katran shark rarely grows more than one and a half meters in length. is afraid of people and rarely approaches the shore, staying in the cold water layers at depth. At the same time, the katran is a rather valuable fishing trophy. The liver oil of this shark is believed to have healing properties. but it can pose a danger to fisherman - its dorsal fins are equipped with large poisonous spines.

Among cetaceans, Black Sea dolphins are relatively small in size, up to 310 cm in length and up to 140 kg in weight. they all feed mainly on fish and live in small groups from a few heads to 60 individuals. live up to 30 years. can stay under water for up to 30 minutes. Dolphin calves are usually fed by their mother with milk, which is ten times fatter than cow's milk, for up to six months. These sea animals swim and dive very well. The bottlenose dolphin, for example, can reach speeds of up to 70 km per hour. dives to a depth of 175 meters. Dolphins are extremely friendly and have long been considered man's friends. There are known cases of them rescuing drowning people, whom they helped to stay on the surface of the sea, just as they do with newborn dolphins and their wounded relatives. Bottlenose dolphins are the best tamed cetaceans.

if you are sailing on a ship, you can see how dolphins stick to the bow of the ship and glide along the wave it creates. This is how they increase their speed without any extra effort and it is considered that this is one of their games. they really love to play. While playing, dolphin calves master hunting techniques, learn the rules of behavior of the pack, and the language of communication with each other. By the way, in packs almost everyone is related to each other. The skin of dolphins is a miracle of nature. they are capable of extinguishing the turbulence of water near the surface of a fast-floating body, which reduces the speed of movement. Submarine designers learned from dolphins to create artificial skins for their submarines. and the feeling of dolphin skin is completely unusual. It looks as dense as plastic. and if you run your palm over it, it’s tender and soft, it seems like thin silk. By the way, there is dolphin therapy - this is therapeutic communication with dolphins for children with nervous diseases.

Among jellyfish, the most common are Aurelia and Cornerot. Cornermouth is easily distinguished by its fleshy bell-like dome and the heavy beard of oral lobes underneath it. These lacy blades contain poisonous stinging cells. try to swim around them. but in general, ordinary nettle burns more intensely. Its slightly purple dome reaches half a meter in diameter. In order not to experience the effect of the poison, it is enough to take the upper part of the dome with your hand and move it away.

Aurelia jellyfish - its stinging cells do not pierce the skin on the body, but they can burn the mucous membrane of the eyes or lips, which can be painful. Therefore, it’s better not to throw jellyfish at each other. stinging aurelia cells on the fringe of small tentacles bordering the edge of the jellyfish's dome. If you touched a jellyfish, rinse your hands. because stinging cells may remain on them and you should not rub your eyes with such hands.

jellyfish immobilize or even kill their prey. these are small planktonic animals and fish fry. hidden in their stinging cells is a capsule with poison, which contains a sharp jagged spear rolled into a tight spring. Upon contact, the spring straightens and the poisoned spear plunges into the victim’s body. paralyzing poison pours out of it like from a tube.

The sea ruffe or Black Sea scorpionfish is a real little monster. his large head is covered with outgrowths and horns. he has bulging crimson eyes and a huge mouth with thick lips. the rays of the dorsal fin are turned into sharp spines which it spreads out if disturbed. at the base of each ray is a poisonous gland. this is her weapon of defense against predators. and the weapon of attack is jaws with many sharp crooked teeth for careless fish that come within range of its swift, furious throw. the whole appearance of the scorpionfish speaks of its danger and at the same time it is beautiful. There are different colors - black, gray, brown, crimson-yellow and pink. these prickly predators lurk between the stones and, like all bottom-dwelling fish, change color to match the color of their surroundings. can quickly lighten or darken depending on the lighting. The scorpionfish are also masked by numerous outgrowths, spines and leathery tentacles. turning it into one of the stones overgrown with marine vegetation. therefore, it is difficult to notice her, and she herself relies so much on her invisibility that she floats away, or rather flies away like a bullet from a gun, only if you get close to her. sometimes you can even touch it. but this is exactly what you shouldn’t do. receive a poisonous injection. It’s even more interesting to watch her hunt. There are two species of scorpionfish in the Black Sea - the noticeable scorpionfish, no more than fifteen centimeters in length, and the Black Sea scorpionfish, up to half a meter in length. such large ones are found further from the shore at greater depths. The main difference between the Black Sea scorpionfish is the long supraorbital tentacles, similar to rag flaps. wounds from scorpionfish thorns cause burning pain. the area around the injections turns red and swells. then general malaise occurs and the temperature rises for one to two days. There are no known deaths from it. Only curious divers and fishermen suffer from the injection. By the way, it is a very tasty fish.

The sea dragon is an elongated, snake-like bottom-dwelling fish. prefers soft soils - sand and silt in which it burrows and lies in wait for the prey of small fish. Only his keen eyes remain above the surface. Feeling danger, he spreads a fan of the dorsal fin with poisoned spines. the consequences of the injection are more serious than those of the scorpion fish. but the treatment is the same.

The stingray or sea cat is a relative of sharks and also belongs to cartilaginous fish. up to 70 cm long. They live on the bottom and feed on mollusks and crabs. The stingray uses its tail as a weapon. it has a thorn up to 20 cm long; it hits it like a whip and can cause a deep chopped wound.

in the calm, small colorful fish - sphinx blenny - can sit on boulders barely covered by water. In general, there are a lot of different dogs in shallow water. You can watch them without even getting your feet wet. They nibble young algae like grass, straighten the flags of their fins and funny fight for territory, trying to take away pieces of food from each other - like really real dogs.

By turning over stones you can find sea anemones. they crawl there on their muscular soles, hiding from the light, as well as protecting themselves from waves and predators. The opened sea anemone looks like a luxurious flower. they come in red, green and blue. With their tentacles and petals, these coelenterates catch plankton carried by the current and can also catch a shrimp or fish fry.

You can also find marble crabs under the stones.

Less common is the hermit crab Clibanaria. usually it lives in the shells of rapans.

The scallop clam can move like a missile. he slams the doors of his shell with force and a stream of water carries him forward another meter. scallops have many eyes. Actually, these eyes don’t see and it’s unclear why he needs them. There are about a hundred of them, and if one eye is removed, a new one will grow in its place. don’t forget to look at my offline blog http://ilya-m.ru I wish you all good luck.

Anyone who has not been to the Black Sea coast at least once, has not dived into a gentle transparent wave, or basked on pebble beaches under the rays of the summer or autumn sun, has probably lost a lot! And in the warm water, of course, we repeatedly met the inhabitants of the Black Sea: dangerous and not so dangerous. Read about who lives in one of the most unique seas on the planet in our article.

Uniqueness of the environment

Both in composition and in the nature of settlement by living beings and vegetation, it is unique and very peculiar. It is divided into two different zones in depth. To a depth of 150, sometimes 200 meters, there is an oxygen zone where the inhabitants of the Black Sea live. Everything below 200 meters is a hydrogen sulfide zone, devoid of life and occupying more than 85% of the water mass by volume. So living is possible only where there is oxygen (less than 15% of the territory).

Who lives here?

The inhabitants of the Black Sea are algae and animals. The first - several hundred species, the second - more than two and a half thousand. Of these, 500 are unicellular, 1900 are invertebrates, 185 are fish, 4 species are mammals.

Phytoplankton

Its inhabitants are all kinds of algae: ceracium, peridinium, exuviella and some others. At the very beginning of spring there is a peak in algae proliferation. Sometimes even the water seems to change color, turning from turquoise and blue to brown. This is due to increased division of plankton (water bloom). Rhizosolenia, Chaetoceros, and Skletonema multiply intensively. Whereas the mass reproduction of phytoplankton is confined to the beginning - mid-summer. Among the bottom algae, phyllophora can be noted, which makes up more than 90% of the total mass. Phyllophora is common in the northwest. Cystoseira, another algae, is more often found along the southern coast of the Crimean part. There are many young fish that feed and live among the algae (more than 30 species of fish).

Benthic animals

Among the animals that live on the ground or in the soil of the seabed (benthos) are various invertebrates: crustaceans and crayfish, worms, rhizomes, sea anemones and mollusks. Benthos also includes gastropods, for example, the well-known rapana, and other inhabitants of the Black Sea. The list goes on: mussels, mollusks - elasmobranchs. Fish: flounder, stingray, sea dragon, ruffe and others. They form a single ecosystem. And a single food chain.

Jellyfish

The permanent inhabitants of the Black Sea are jellyfish, large and small. Cornerot is a large jellyfish, very common. The size of its dome sometimes reaches half a meter. Cornerot is poisonous and can cause injuries similar to nettle burns. They cause mild redness, burning, and sometimes blistering. To prevent this large jellyfish with a slightly purple dome from stinging, you need to move it to the side with your hand, holding the top and not touching the tentacles.

Aurelia is the smallest jellyfish in the Black Sea. It is not as poisonous as its counterpart, but still meeting with it must also be avoided.

Shellfish

Marine inhabitants of the Black Sea - mussels, oysters, scallops, brine. All these shellfish are edible and provide raw materials for gourmet dishes. For example, oysters and mussels are specially bred. Oysters are very tenacious and can survive without water for about two weeks. They can live up to 30 years. Their meat is considered a delicacy.

Mussels are less refined. Sometimes a pearl is found in a large shell, usually pinkish in color. Mussels are marine water filters. At the same time, everything that was filtered accumulates in them. Therefore, you can enjoy them only after careful processing, and it is better to avoid eating mussels that grew in the port or in other places with heavily polluted water.

Marine inhabitants of the Black Sea - scallops. This peculiar mollusk can move in water using reactive force. It quickly slams the shell doors and is carried by a stream of water over a distance of more than a meter. Scallops also have hundreds of useless eyes. But with all this, this mollusk is blind! These are the mysterious inhabitants of the sea.

Rapana is also found in the Black Sea. This mollusk is a predator, and its prey is the same mussels and oysters. But it has very tasty meat, reminiscent of sturgeon, which makes an excellent soup.

Crabs

There are eighteen species in total in the water area. All of them do not reach large sizes. The largest is the red-barked one. But it is no more than 20 centimeters in diameter.

Fish

The Black Sea is home to about 180 species of all kinds of fish, including: sturgeon, beluga, anchovy, herring, sprat, horse mackerel, tuna, flounder, goby. Rarely does a swordfish swim in. There is a seahorse, pipefish, sea rooster, and monkfish.

Commercial fish include mullet, of which there are three species, and pelengas, brought from the Sea of ​​Japan and which became the object of fishing. Due to severe water pollution, the number of mullet has recently decreased.

Among the original specimens is the stargazer fish, or It burrows deep into the mud, so that one antenna is exposed on the surface, which resembles the appearance of a worm. The fish uses its antennae to attract small fish and feed on them.

Pipefish and pipit lay their eggs not into the water, but into the skin folds on the backs of males, where they remain until the fry hatch. Interestingly, the eyes of these fish can look in different directions and rotate independently relative to each other.

Horse mackerel is distributed throughout the coastal waters of the sea. Its length is 10-15 centimeters. Weight - up to 75 grams. Sometimes lives up to three years. It feeds on small fish and zooplankton.

Pelamida is a relative of mackerel. Reaches a length of up to 75 centimeters and lives up to 10 years. This is a predatory fish that feeds and spawns in the Black Sea and leaves for the winter through the Bosphorus.

Gobies are represented by 10 species. The largest is the martovy, or toad. The most numerous is the round timber.

There are 8 species of greenfinches in the sea. They feed on worms and mollusks. During the spawning period, nests are built between stones.

Kalkan flounder is also found everywhere in the Black Sea. She eats fish and crabs. Reaches a weight of 12 kilograms. Other species of flounder are also represented.

The stingray is a relative of the shark. It eats crabs, shellfish, and shrimp. It has a barbed needle on its tail, equipped with a poisonous gland. Its injection is very painful for a person, sometimes even fatal.

Speaker, or is often caught in spring and summer when it visits these waters for spawning. It feeds on zooplankton. The weight of the perch barely reaches 100 grams. It is considered one of the main types of prey for amateur fisherman.

Sargan is a fish more than half a meter long, arrow-shaped, with an elongated beak. Spawns in May - August. Migrates and winters in the Sea of ​​Marmara.

Bluefish is a predatory and schooling fish. Weighs up to 10 kilograms and reaches a meter in length. The body of the fish is oblong on the sides. The mouth is large, with large jaws. It eats only fish. Previously it was considered commercial.

Sharks

Katran (or sea dog) rarely grows to two meters. A (scillium) - more than a meter. These two species of sharks found in the Black Sea do not pose any danger to humans. But for many species of fish they are fierce predators. (as well as their liver and fins) are used to prepare various dishes of Black Sea cuisine. A medicine that blocks the proliferation of cancer cells is made from the katran liver.

Katran has a streamlined body, a crescent-shaped mouth and sharp teeth arranged in several rows. Its body is strewn with small but sharp spines (hence the nickname - spiny shark). Katran is a viviparous fish. The female gives birth to up to 15 small fry at a time. The katran stays and feeds in flocks. In spring and autumn - close to the shore, in winter - at depths.

Inhabitants of the Black Sea - dolphins (toothed whales)

There are three species in total in these waters. The largest are bottlenose dolphins. Slightly smaller - white sideds. The smallest are porpoises, or Azovs.

The bottlenose dolphin is the most common inhabitant of dolphinariums. For science, this species is of great importance. It is the bottlenose dolphin that scientists around the world study for the presence of intelligence. They are born circus performers. Bottlenose dolphins enjoy performing a variety of tricks. It seems that they actually have intelligence. This is not even training, but some kind of cooperation and mutual understanding between a dolphin and a person. Bottlenose dolphins understand only affection and encouragement. They don’t perceive punishment at all, then any trainer ceases to exist for them.

The bottlenose dolphin lives up to 30 years. Her weight sometimes reaches 300 kilograms. Body length is up to two and a half meters. These dolphins are well adapted to the aquatic environment. The front fins act as steering wheels and brakes at the same time. The tail fin is powerful and allows it to develop decent speed (over 60 km/h).

Bottlenose dolphins have keen vision and hearing. They feed on fish and shellfish (they eat up to 25 kilograms per day). They can hold their breath for more than 10 minutes. They dive to a depth of 200 meters. Body temperature is 36.6 degrees, like that of a person. Dolphins breathe, periodically rising outward with air. They actually suffer from the same diseases as people. Bottlenose dolphins sleep half a meter from the surface, under water, periodically opening their eyes.

The lifestyle of dolphins is herd and family (up to ten generations together). The head of the family is the female. Males stay in a separate clan, showing interest in females mainly only during mating.

Bottlenose dolphins have enormous strength. But, as a rule, it is not applied to humans. Dolphins maintain the most friendly relations with people, as if with brothers in mind. In the entire long history of the relationship between man and dolphin, not a single attempt to offend the “big brother” has been noticed. But people often infringe on the rights of dolphins, conducting experiments on them, imprisoning them in dolphinariums.

Much has been written about the language of dolphins. We will not argue, as some scientists do, that it is richer than human speech. However, it contains a huge range of sounds and gestures, which still allows us to talk about some kind of intelligence of dolphins. And the amount of information that they can transmit and their large (larger than human) brain are strong proof of this.

It remains to add that among the mammals in the Black Sea there are seals, but very few of them have been observed recently due to harmful human activities.

On the land

Not only sea inhabitants and the human tribe feed on seafood. Some species of birds living on land obtain their food in the water. those that forage for food in the sea are gulls and cormorants. They feed on fish. The cormorant, for example, can swim and dive well, eating large quantities of fish even when full. The peculiarities of its pharynx allow it to swallow quite large prey. Thus, birds are the main inhabitants of land, obtaining food in the sea of ​​the Black Sea coast of the Caucasus and Crimea.

Black Sea: dangerous inhabitants

Not all vacationers and tourists who come to the Black Sea coast know that those who swim in the water can face dangers. They are associated not only with storm warnings and underwater rocks, but also with some representatives of marine fauna.

The scorpion fish, or sea urchin, is one of these unpleasant surprises. Her entire head is covered with thorns, and on her back there is a thorny, dangerous fin. It is not recommended to pick up a scorpionfish, as its thorns are poisonous and bring rather unpleasant, albeit short-term painful sensations.

The stingray (sea cat) also poses a danger, sometimes even fatal, to humans. On the tail of the animal there is a bone spike lubricated with poisonous mucus. This jagged thorn sometimes causes lacerated wounds that take a long time to heal. Also, a stingray injection can cause vomiting, muscle paralysis, and an increased heart rate. Sometimes death occurs, so be careful.

Another, seemingly inconspicuous in appearance, fish - the sea dragon - is most dangerous to humans. At first glance, it can be mistaken for an ordinary bull. But on the back of this fish there is a spiny fin, which is very poisonous. The injection is equivalent to the bite of a poisonous snake. In some cases, death is possible.

Cornerot and Aurelia jellyfish that inhabit the Black Sea are dangerous inhabitants for humans. Their tentacles are equipped with stinging cells. A burn is possible (like from nettle and stronger), leaving marks for several hours. So it is better not to touch jellyfish - even dead ones thrown out on the pebbles by the waves.

Neither sharks nor other species of animals and fish pose a danger to people in the waters of the Black Sea. So swim safely when coming to the famous Black Sea resorts of the Crimea and the Caucasus, of course, observing reasonable caution!

Do you know what the Black Sea is? Most people will say: “Yes, of course!” After reading this article, you will understand that you were previously familiar with the Black Sea very superficially.

The current appearance of the Black Sea has evolved over the last millennium. Surprisingly, this sea has the lowest salt content in the entire globe. Thanks to this, it has a very gentle effect on our skin.

The northernmost subtropics. On its coasts you can admire palm trees, eucalyptus trees, magnolias, meadow grasses and many other representatives of the plant world. The connection between the Black Sea and the Mediterranean is responsible for the diverse fauna. The Black Sea, of course, is not so rich in representatives of the animal world, nevertheless, it is quite interesting for research. Now about everything in more detail.

Vegetable world

Today, the fauna of the sea includes 270 species of algae: green, brown, red bottom (cystoseira, phyllophora, zoster, cladophora, ulva, etc.). Phytoplankton is very diverse - about 600 species. Among them are dinoflagellates, diatoms and others.

Animal world

Compared to the Mediterranean Sea, the Black Sea has a much poorer fauna. The Black Sea has become a haven for 2.5 thousand species of animals. Among them are 500 unicellular organisms, 500 crustaceans, 200 molluscs, and 160 vertebrates. Everything else is various invertebrates. The fauna of the Mediterranean Sea, for comparison, is represented by 9 thousand species.

The Black Sea is characterized by a wide range of water salinity, moderately cold water and the presence of hydrogen sulfide at great depths. All this is due to the relatively poor fauna. The Black Sea is suitable for habitat of unpretentious species that do not require great depths at all stages of their development.

At the bottom of the sea live oysters, mussels, pecten and a predatory mollusk - rapana, which was brought by Far Eastern ships. Crabs and shrimp can be found among the stones and crevices of the coastal cliffs. The Black Sea chordate fauna is quite poor, but it is quite sufficient for divers and researchers. There are also several species of jellyfish (mainly Corneros and Aurelia), sponges and sea anemones.

The following types of fish are found in the Black Sea:

• goby (goby, whip, round, martovik, rotan),
• anchovy (Azov and Black Sea),
• dogfish shark,
• five types of mullet,
• flounder glossa,
• hake (hake),
• bluefish,
• mullet,
• mackerel,
• horse mackerel,
• haddock,
• herring,
• sprat and others.

There are also sturgeon species: beluga, sturgeon (Azov and Black Sea). The fauna of the Black Sea is not so poor - there are quite a lot of fish here.

There are also dangerous species of fish: (the most dangerous - the spines of the gill covers and dorsal fin are poisonous), scorpionfish, stingray, which has poisonous spines on its tail.

Birds and mammals

So, the inhabitants of the Black Sea, who are they? Let's talk a little about the small representatives of the fauna. Birds include: gulls, petrels, diving ducks and cormorants. Mammals are represented by: dolphins (white-sided and bottlenose dolphins), porpoise (also called the Azov dolphin) and white-bellied seal.

Rapana - a guest from the Far East

Some inhabitants of the Black Sea did not originally live in it. Most of them came here through the Bosporus and Dardanelles straits. The reason for this was the current or their personal curiosity.

The predatory mollusk rapana entered the Black Sea in 1947. To date, he has eaten almost the entire population of oysters and scallops. Young rapana, having found a victim, drill into its shell and drink the contents. Adults hunt a little differently - they secrete mucus, which paralyzes the valves of the prey and allows the predator to eat the mollusk without any problems. Rapana itself is not threatened by anything, because due to the low salinity of the water in the sea there are no its main enemies - starfish.

Rapana is edible. It tastes like sturgeon. It is generally accepted that rapana is the closest relative of the endangered mollusks, from whose shells the Phoenicians made purple dye.

Katran shark

The marine fauna of the Black Sea is not very diverse, but quite interesting. There is even one species of shark found there. This is a spiny shark, or, as it is also called, katran. It rarely grows more than a meter in length and tries to stay deep, where the water is colder and there are no people. Among fishermen, the katran is considered a real trophy. The fact is that shark liver oil has medicinal properties. At the same time, the shark can be dangerous to humans, since its dorsal fins have spines with poison.

Jellyfish

Most often, two types of jellyfish are found in the sea: Aurelia and Cornerot. Cornerot is the largest while Aurelia, on the contrary, is the smallest. Aurelia, as a rule, does not grow more than 30 centimeters in diameter. But the root can reach 50 cm.

Aurelia is not poisonous, and in case of contact with a person, the root can cause a burn similar to a nettle burn. It causes mild redness, burning, and in rare cases even blisters. The cornet has a bluish color with a purple dome. If you see this jellyfish in the water, just grab it by the dome and move it away from you. The dome, unlike the tentacles, is not poisonous.

Some vacationers on the beaches of the Black Sea deliberately seek meetings with They believe that the poison of the cornet has healing properties. There are rumors that by rubbing your body with jellyfish, you can cure yourself of sciatica. This is a misconception that has neither scientific nor practical justification. Such therapy will not bring any relief, and will cause suffering to both the patient and the jellyfish.

Glowing Sea

Among the plankton living in the waters of the Black Sea, there is one unusual species - noctiluca, also known as the night light. This is a predator algae whose diet consists of ready-made organic substances. But the main feature of the noctiluca is the ability to phosphorescent. Thanks to this algae, in August the Black Sea may seem to glow.

Sea of ​​dead depths

Having become acquainted with the inhabitants of everyone’s favorite sea, let’s consider a couple of interesting facts. The Black Sea is by far the largest anoxic body of water in the world. Life in its waters is impossible at a depth of more than 200 meters due to the high concentration of hydrogen sulfide there. Over the years, the sea has accumulated more than a billion tons of hydrogen sulfide, which is a product of bacterial activity. There is a version that during the emergence of the Black Sea (7200 years ago), the freshwater inhabitants of the Black Sea Lake, which was here earlier, died in it. Because of them, reserves of methane and hydrogen sulfide have accumulated at the bottom. But these are just guesses that have not yet been confirmed. But the fact is that due to the high content of hydrogen sulfide in the sea, the fauna is so poor.

The Black Sea, in addition, has a high content of fresh water, which also negatively affects some of its inhabitants. The fact is that the water coming from the rivers does not have time to completely evaporate. And salt water enters the sea mainly from the Bosphorus Strait, which is not enough to maintain the salt balance.

There are many hypotheses regarding the origin of the name of the Black Sea. But one of them looks the most plausible. Retrieving anchors from the waters of the Black Sea, the sailors were surprised at their color - the anchors turned black. This was due to the reaction of the metal and hydrogen sulfide. Perhaps this is why the sea received the name that we know now. By the way, one of the first names sounded like “sea of ​​dead depths.” Now we know what causes this.

Underwater river

Surprisingly, a real river flows along the bottom of the Black Sea. It originates in the Bosphorus Strait and extends almost a hundred kilometers into the water column. According to unverified (yet) data from scientists, during the formation of the Black Sea, when the isthmus between the Crimean plain and the Mediterranean Sea was destroyed, the water that filled the territory of the present Black Sea formed a network of gutters in the ground. Today, an underwater river with salt water flows along one of them, which does not change its direction.

Why doesn't the water of an underwater river mix with sea water? It's all about the difference in densities and temperatures. The underwater river is several degrees colder than the sea. And denser due to the high salt content, because it is fed by the saltier Mediterranean Sea. The river flows along the bottom, carrying its waters to the bottom plains. These plains, like deserts on land, have virtually no life. The underwater river brings oxygen and food to them, which is very useful, given the abundance of hydrogen sulfide in it. It is possible that there is life in these plains. Life under the “sea of ​​hydrogen sulfide” located under the Black Sea. This is an intriguing play on words.

By the way, there is a guess that the ancient Greeks knew about the existence of the underwater river. Swimming out to sea, they threw a load attached to a rope from the ship. The river pulled the cargo, and with it the ship, making the work of the sailors easier.

Conclusion

So, today we found out who the inhabitants of the Black Sea are. The list and names helped us get to know them better. We also learned how the Black Sea differs from others, and what mysteries of nature are hidden behind its powerful waters. Now, when you go on vacation to your favorite sea, you will have something to surprise your friends and something to tell your inquisitive children.

If someday scientists do invent a time machine, we will see what Crimea looked like 10-12,000 years ago. Judging by the findings of paleozoologists, it resembled Noah's Ark. Before the Ice Age, ostriches and giraffes lived in Crimea. Arctic foxes and reindeer came here along with the glacier. Skeletons of foxes, horses, cave bears, rhinoceroses and mammoths are found in the caves (these antiquities are preserved due to constant temperature and humidity, and the clay acts as a preservative). This year, researchers from the Chernivtsi National University discovered in the Emine-Bair-Khosar cave larvae of flies that flew 40,000 years ago and were no different from modern ones.

The fauna of Crimea is determined by the fact that we live on a peninsula. Many species and subspecies are found, besides Crimea, only in the Caucasus, the Balkans, the islands of the Aegean Sea or in Asia Minor. Crimea has the largest variety of insects (from 12 to 15,000 species), but unfortunately, there are not so many mammals; they are rarely seen in mountain forests or the steppe. Due to the fact that Crimea is separated from the mainland, there are endemic plants and animals that do not live anywhere else on the planet.

In the southwestern Crimea there are especially many Mediterranean species of insects: ascalafs, mantises, damsels, and tapeworms.

In mountain forests you can see very beautiful beetles: longhorned beetles, stag beetles, shiny ground beetles. Of course, only a small part of what an entomologist sees falls into the field of view of an ordinary observer. So, in Crimea there are the most beautiful butterflies: swallowtail, darelius, various types of hawk moths, and ribbon. But if the hawk moth (also called the swallowtail), white, large, with black stripes and two luxurious “tails,” can be seen at the height of summer in any decent flower bed, then hawk moths fly in the evening, and some of them (for example, the death’s head, with pattern on the back resembling a skull) are rare, and not everyone can boast of having seen one.

The following species are listed in the Red Book: striped empusa mantis, Crimean granular ground beetle, alpine longhorned beetle, polyxena butterfly, oleander hawk moth and other species.

Many beneficial and rare insects die from pesticides that are used in fields and gardens; stag beetles, for example, can only live in oak forests, so the area of ​​oak forests directly affects their numbers. There are cases when people, seeing a dark blue, iridescent ground beetle and getting scared, kill it, instead of showing this rare and completely non-dangerous insect to their children, admire it and go their own way, leaving the ground beetle to go its own way.

There are not many dangerous poisonous insects in Crimea and, most likely, you will not encounter them. Among the numerous arachnids are the Crimean scorpion, tarantula and karakurt spiders. They live in the steppes, hiding from the heat in round holes. Ixodid ticks can be found in forests and parks (of which 2 species are the causative agents of tick-borne encephalitis).

Due to the dry climate, Crimea is poor in amphibians. The crested newt is found in mountain reservoirs (some people keep it in aquariums because it can live in captivity). The lake frog is very numerous; There are also tree frogs, tree frogs, with suction cups on their legs that help them stay on the tree. All amphibians are useful.

You can often see small colorful lizards on rocks heated by the sun. In Crimea there are 6 species: fast, Crimean, rock, multi-colored foot-and-mouth disease, yellow-bellied gecko, Crimean gecko.

The yellow-bellied lizard is sometimes confused with a snake, but this yellow legless lizard only looks like a snake. Where her legs should be, she has longitudinal folds, her eyes have eyelids, but no teeth. The yellowbell is insectivorous and is listed in the Red Book. Lives both in mountainous (south-coast) regions and in the steppe. Apart from Crimea, it is not found anywhere else in Ukraine.

There are practically no snakes in Crimea, except for snakes (common and water snakes). Both types of snakes (four-striped and leopard) are included in the Red Book; non-poisonous. They live mainly on mountain slopes, in rocks. The only poisonous snake on the peninsula is the steppe viper, but it is rare and its bites are not fatal. Recently I came across a letter from a reader in the newspaper. A reader asked what to do if a gray viper settled on his plot. Killing is not allowed, but what if it stings? The editors responded by telling him about the benefits of frogs and snakes in protecting the garden from mice and insects. It is unknown whether he was satisfied with this answer. I wonder what will happen if everyone gets some small snake on their property instead of a cat so that it catches mice? How do they get pythons in India? Of all the snakes in Crimea, the snake can be seen most often, but when encountered, it immediately tries to hide.

Up to 40% of all birds on the peninsula nest in mountain forests. The most numerous are the chaffinch, of the pigeons - wood pigeon and dove, robin, tawny owl, warblers, song and black thrushes, crossbill, wood pipit, siskin, black-headed jay, great spotted woodpecker. In spring, you can sometimes hear an invisible oriole singing in the crown of tall trees. In steppe regions, larks and hoopoes – “steppe parrots” – are common. These rather large reddish birds with black stripes along the body have high crests on their heads, which they deftly open and fold like a fan. The hoopoe is difficult to notice in the reddish dust or among dry steppe grasses, even if it sits almost under your feet. Just 100 years ago, peacocks lived in Crimean courtyards along with turkeys and chickens. Now they are trying to artificially breed quails, pheasants and ostriches.

There are several species of owls in Crimea: from the smallest scops owl to the large eagle owl. Other predators: imperial eagle, buzzard; scavengers – vulture, vulture and vulture.
Pipit, wheatear, linnet, skylark, and chukar nest on the yailas. In the steppe there are 4 species of larks, common sandpiper, and very rarely, bustard.

On the coastal rocks there are crested cormorants, pochards, ogres, shelducks, gulls, and petrels. About 30 species of birds winter in Crimea: black-throated loon, shelducks, diving ducks, grebes, great cormorants, swans, etc. Many species are listed in the Red Book, the reasons for their disappearance are not clear: for example, the black stork, the steppe eagle. A very interesting place, from the point of view of an ornithologist, is the Swan Islands (northwest of the peninsula, shore of the Karkinitsky Bay). Many species of birds nest and winter in this reserve (even pelicans migrate to Crimea). There are many birds in the Karadag Nature Reserve. Tourists from the boat are shown black crested cormorants, because... you can't disturb them.

Of course, everyone is wondering: are there many mammals in Crimea? Who can you meet in the forest while walking along the path? Most likely, no one, because... diurnal animals are very careful and will certainly try to avoid meeting a person. And yet the Crimean forests are inhabited. Brown hares, rabbits, martens, foxes, badgers, raccoon dogs, squirrels, weasels, and ferrets live here. It must be said that of all the animals, martens and weasels are the most “crazy”. If you have ever been bitten by a wild marten, which the young people for some reason decided to keep in a living corner, you know how fearless and decisive martens are. If she grabs someone, she holds them in a death grip. The same can be said about the small but brave weasel, which can single-handedly gnaw the throat of an entire chicken coop in the heat of the hunt and will crawl through any crack.

The winter of 2006 was very cold, and about 35 wolves came across the ice from the Kherson region to the Crimean Peninsula (although there are no wolves in Crimea, they were killed before the war. Most likely, these newcomers will also be destroyed). Sometimes moose enter the Crimean forests.

Of the insectivores, hedgehogs and 5 species of shrews live in Crimea. Hedgehogs can sometimes be seen in the evenings in the city, somewhere in a park or on a quiet street where there are no cars. It is almost impossible to see a shrew: they are very small, no larger than a mouse, and almost do not appear on the surface of the earth. It is easier to meet one of the rodents: a gopher, a hamster, a jerboa or a mouse.

Bats live in caves and grottoes; There are about 18 species of them in Crimea, but half are listed in the Red Book. Bats do not like to be disturbed while resting. Despite the fact that it is not so easy to catch and even see a bat resting under the cave roof, they are not happy with visitors. For example, in the grotto, where tourists are always taken during an excursion to the New World, you can only hear bats “talking” somewhere high in the dark, as if they were tuning a walkie-talkie. In addition, some droppings may fall on you, but you will never see the mice themselves. All these bats, bats, bats and horseshoe bats are extremely useful animals, nocturnal and secretive. Naturally, not vampires; feed on insects.

The largest animals in Crimea are artiodactyls: red deer (up to 700 individuals) and roe deer (up to 2,000 individuals), wild boar, bison, Corsican mouflon, fallow deer.

Wild boars were brought to Crimea in 1949 from the Ussuri region, and they took root here.

Of the 57 species of Crimean mammals, 17 are classified as extremely rare animals. Unfortunately, no one else will be able to see monk seals in Crimea; they were completely exterminated, although this species was included in the Red Books of the IUCN, USSR and Ukrainian SSR. On the Black Sea coast of Crimea, the monk seal was found at the beginning of the 20th century. To restore this species, back in Soviet times it was proposed to begin the re-acclimatization of seals on Tarkhankut, but this is hardly possible, because these cautious animals did not tolerate human presence, and the number of people on Tarkhankut grows every year. Even if seals were preserved in Crimea, they would not like to live next to vacationers and scuba divers. It's a shame they don't exist anymore...

In the Black Sea, life boils at a depth of up to 200 meters - where there is light, air and no hydrogen sulfide. Only bacteria that feed on hydrogen sulfide can live in the depths. But this does not mean that there is nothing and no one to see in the Black Sea. Two species of dolphins live here - the white-sided dolphin and the bottlenose dolphin. Off the coast of Karadag, Sudak, Balaklava they can sometimes be seen from a boat or even from the beach. Here they are, jumping out of the water, their silver backs shining in the sun! Where there are fish, there are dolphins. They actually accompany the boats, and then they can be seen especially well. Bottlenose dolphins perform in many dolphinariums. Previously, there was a large military dolphinarium in Balaklava, where dolphins were trained under special programs to work during combat operations. The phrase “dolphin hunting” sounds wild. However, dolphin fishing in the Black Sea was banned only in 1966. A new method of treating children is beginning to develop in Crimea – dolphin therapy. Children with delayed development and suffering from cerebral palsy enjoy communicating with dolphins, talking to them, and dolphins have a positive effect on the nervous system of sick children.

As you know, a dolphin is a mammal, not a fish. But the Black Sea is also home to many species of fish. In the Black and Azov Seas, up to 200 species of fish are found, some live in these seas permanently, while others enter by migrating through the Bosphorus. The Black Sea is fresher than the Mediterranean, so we do not have Mediterranean species. Fish of the Black Sea: red mullet (red mullet), gobies, mullet, rays (sea fox, sea cat), flat fish - Kalkan, sole, river flounder (glossa). The oldest fish of the Black Sea are sturgeon. They can hunt at all depths, but due to poaching there are few of them now. Off the coast of the Caucasus, the Black Sea sturgeon goes to spawn in the Don, Kuban, and Rioni.

In the 1980s, there was a huge amount of anchovy and sprat in the Black Sea, but uncontrolled fishing and the invasion of the ctenophore Mnemiopsis led to the fact that both anchovy and sprat ran out. Fortunately, the population is currently recovering, and where there is anchovy, there are also predatory pelagic fish (that is, those living in the upper layers of the sea) - for example, horse mackerel. Large (and rare) predators of the Black Sea are bluefish and bonito. Mackerel and tuna no longer enter the waters of the Black Sea, for environmental reasons. They say that there were cases when a hammerhead swordfish came from the Marmara Sea to the Black Sea, but there are no sharks in Crimea, except for the katran (it is not dangerous, and its meat is even served in restaurants). The katran never enters shallow water.

There are about 36 species of fish in the fresh waters of Crimea. Most of them are acclimatized, which took root in Crimea after the opening of the North Crimean Canal: crucian carp, carp, perch, pike perch, silver carp, pike. The Auzun-Uzen River is home to rainbow trout (it can only live in very clean running water). American rainbow trout is raised in a trout farm on the Alma River, and yet it is a rare fish in Crimea.

It is impossible to tell here about all the diversity of forest, steppe, and marine animals of Crimea. If you manage to see any of them, watch, rejoice and take care, as much as you can, that there are not fewer animals in Crimea.

Enjoy your walks around Crimea!