Twelve Days of Christmas

"On the twelfth day of Christmas, my true love gave to me, Twelve great whites hunting,

Eleven whales breathing,

Ten parrot fish smiling, 

Nine mantas feeding,

Eight lookdowns looking,

Seven sea hares swimming,

Six crabs-a-crawling,

Fiiiiiiive manateeeeeee!!!!! 

Four banded shrimp,

 Three sea tur-tles, 

Two slipper lobsters 

and a worm that looks like a Christmas Tree!!!!"

Great White Shark

Carcharodon carcharias

Young great white sharks eat fish, rays, and other sharks. Adults eat larger prey, including sea lions, seals, small toothed whales, otters, and sea turtles. They also eat dead animals that they have found floating dead in the water. Great whites do not chew their food. Their teeth rip prey into mouth-sized pieces which are swallowed whole. A

big meal can satisfy a great white for up to 2 months. 

"Twelve Days of Christmas"

Twelve Days of Christmas

"On the eleventh day of Christmas, my true love gave to me, Eleven whales breathing,

Ten parrot fish smiling, 

Nine mantas feeding,

Eight lookdowns looking,

Seven sea hares swimming,

Six crabs-a-crawling,

Fiiiiiiive manateeeeeee!!!!! 

Four banded shrimp,

 Three sea tur-tles, 

Two slipper lobsters 

and a worm that looks like a Christmas Tree!!!!"

Whales

Whales are large aquatic mammals that are highly intelligent. They breathe air through blowhole(s) into lungs (unlike fish who breathe using gills). Whales have sleek bodies that move easily through the water. They are the only mammals, other than manatees, that live their lives in the water and have adapted to life in the open oceans.

"Twelve Days of Christmas"

Twelve Days of Christmas

"On the tenth day of Christmas, my true love gave to me, Ten parrot fish smiling, 

Nine mantas feeding,

Eight lookdowns looking,

Seven sea hares swimming,

Six crabs-a-crawling,

Fiiiiiiive manateeeeeee!!!!! 

Four banded shrimp,

 Three sea tur-tles, 

Two slipper lobsters 

and a worm that looks like a Christmas Tree!!!!"

Parrot Fish 

Parrot fish are named for their numerous teeth that are arranged tightly close together on the outer surface of their jaw bones. This forms a parrot-like beak with which they scrape algae from coral and other rocky surfaces.

"Twelve Days of Christmas"

Twelve Days of Christmas

"On the ninth day of Christmas, my true love gave to me, Nine mantas feeding,

Eight lookdowns looking,

Seven sea hares swimming,

Six crabs-a-crawling,

Fiiiiiiive manateeeeeee!!!!! 

Four banded shrimp,

 Three sea tur-tles, 

Two slipper lobsters 

and a worm that looks like a Christmas Tree!!!!"

Manta Ray

Manta spp.

Manta rays are the largest of the rays and are closely related to sharks. As filter feeders, manta rays eat large quantities of zooplankton in the form of 

shrimp, krill and planktonic crabs. When foraging, it slowly swims around its prey, herding it into a tight "ball" and then speeds through the bunched organisms with a wide-open mouth.

"Twelve Days of Christmas"

Twelve Days of Christmas

"On the eighth day of Christmas, my true love gave to me, Eight lookdowns looking,

Seven sea hares swimming,

Six crabs-a-crawling,

Fiiiiiiive manateeeeeee!!!!! 

Four banded shrimp,

 Three sea tur-tles, 

Two slipper lobsters 

and a worm that looks like a Christmas Tree!!!!"

Lookdown Fish

Selene vomer

Lookdowns are silvery, round fish with a blunt forehead weighing about two pounds. The name comes from the lookdown's facial expression, which reminds one of a snobbish or disapproving human expression.

"Twelve Days of Christmas"

Twelve Days of Christmas

"On the seventh day of Christmas, my true love gave to me, Seven sea hares swimming,

Six crabs-a-crawling,

Fiiiiiiive manateeeeeee!!!!! 

Four banded shrimp,

 Three sea tur-tles, 

Two slipper lobsters 

and a worm that looks like a Christmas Tree!!!!"

Sooty Sea Hare

Aplysia brasiliana

Sooty sea hares are commonly found in east central Florida.  They have robust, soft-bodies that reach 8 - 10 inches in length.  Their body color ranges from red-brown or red-purple to lighter shades of brown with white to yellowish splotches and spots covering the body surface.  A pair of  lateral, wing-like pieces of skin are used for swimming.  

"Twelve Days of Christmas"

Twelve Days of Christmas

"On the sixth day of Christmas, my true love gave to me, Six crabs-a-crawling,

Fiiiiiiive manateeeeeee!!!!! 

Four banded shrimp,

 Three sea tur-tles, 

Two slipper lobsters 

and a worm that looks like a Christmas Tree!!!!"

Giant Hermit Crab

Petrochirus diogenes

The giant hermit crab, is one of the most distinct hermit crab species in Florida. Due to its large size and distinct red coloration giant hermit crabs are  unlikely to be confused with other species of hermit crabs found within its range.

"Twelve Days of Christmas"

Twelve Days of Christmas

"On the fifth day of Christmas, my true love gave to me, Fiiiiiiive manateeeeeee!!!!! 
Four banded shrimp,

 Three sea tur-tles, 

Two slipper lobsters 

and a worm that looks like a Christmas Tree!!!!"

West Indian Manatee

Trichechus manatus

 Manatees are large aquatic relatives of the elephant. They are grayish brown in color and have thick, wrinkled skin where often, a growth of algae is found. Their front flippers help them steer, or sometimes crawl, through shallow water. They also have powerful, flat tails that help propel them through the water. Manatees take up residence primarily in Florida’s coastal waters during winter. Some individuals migrate as far north as the Carolinas or as far west as Louisiana in summer. Manatee are endangered and have been of great conservation concern to federal, state, private, and non-profit organizations in order to protect these species from natural and human-induced threats.

"Twelve Days of Christmas"

Twelve Days of Christmas

"On the fourth day of Christmas, my true love gave to me, four banded shrimp,

 three sea tur-tles, 

two slipper lobsters 

and a worm that looks like a Christmas Tree!!!!"

Coral Banded Shrimp

Stenopus hispidus

Coral banded shrimp are known as "Boxing Shrimp" because of the large pinchers on their third set of legs. These pinchers are often held erect and gives the shrimp the appearance of a boxer ready to fight.

"Twelve Days of Christmas"

Twelve Days of Christmas

"On the third day of Christmas, my true love gave to me, Three sea tur-tles, 

Two slipper lobsters 

and a worm that looks like a Christmas Tree!!!!"

Sea Turtles

Sea turtles or marine turtles, are turtles that live in every ocean except the Arctic. There are several species of sea turtles, but most are endangered. 

"Twelve Days of Christmas"

Twelve Days of Christmas

"On the second day of Christmas, my true love gave to me, Two slipper lobsters 

and a worm that looks like a Christmas Tree!!!!"

Slipper Lobsters

Scyllarides latus 

 Slipper lobsters are instantly recognized by their enlarged antennae, which project forward from the head as wide plates. 

"Twelve Days of Christmas"

Twelve Days of Christmas

"On the first day of Christmas, my true love gave to me, 

a worm that looks like a Christmas Tree!!!!"

Christmas Tree Worms

Spirobranchus giganteus

 These beautiful creatures are tube-dwelling worms with magnificent twin spirals of plumes used for feeding and respiration.

"Twelve Days Of Christmas"

Twelve Days of Christmas

The holidays are in full swing and so is Avery Adventures! Starting Friday, we're counting down 12 days of gift giving, from my "true love," the scuba diver! Enjoy as we transform the "12 Days of Christmas" song into something.....oceanic! 

See you Friday, December 13th!