Sea Life of the Maldives – Magnificent Creatures in the Arabian Sea

A type of fish that has a characteristic bright orange appearance, the clownfish is a fascinating marine creature that can be observed in Maldivian marine habitats, especially near sea anemones. Clownfish share a symbiotic relationship with sea anemones where both species benefit from each other. A clownfish depends on sea anemone for its diet by consuming leftover algae and other small fish from their surface. In return, the sea anemones get better water circulation around them as clownfish employ a fanning motion from their fins when swimming around. Clownfish are the only marine species that can survive living inside sea anemones as they have a slimy mucus covering on their body, which helps them not to get stung from sea anemones. An interesting fact about clownfish is that they are hermaphrodites, which means that they start their lives as a male and becomes a female when matured.

Unlike other turtles of its species, such as the Hawksbill Sea Turtle, the Green Sea Turtle is herbivorous. It is among the top largest sea turtles in the world whose primary food source consists of seagrasses and algae. However, the young Green Turtles are omnivorous and includes an array of plants and animals in its diets such as crustaceans, seagrasses, and worm. One may think that this species of turtles are named after its appearance, which is not the case, as Green Turtles are named for the colour of its cartilage and fat. Its façade may appear a blend of many other colours such as olive-grey, brown, or black. After a Green Sea Turtle hatches and goes into the sea, it rarely returns to the shore, unless it's their breeding season. These creatures are recorded to migrate hundreds of miles to get back to the beaches that they were born for the females to breed.

The Great Barracuda is a long torpedo-like fish that relies on a diet of smaller fish for its survival. Although it is equipped with a set of razor-sharp teeth, the Great Barracuda is quite harmless for humans. Its lower jaw juts past its upper jaw, and both are filled with extremely pointy teeth; some of these teeth are slanted backwards to prevent small fish slipping out from its grip. It can be found in temperate and tropical waters and can be spotted around the sea surrounding the Maldives during one of your underwater excursions. The Great Barracuda is the largest of the barracuda species, and it can grow up to three metres in length – females much larger than males.

One of the two identified manta ray species in the world, Reef Manta Ray is a large cartilaginous fish that has two triangular fins that resemble the wings of a bird. They usually grow up to a width of three metres from the tip of each wing. Reef Manta Rays are much smaller than the Giant Oceanic Manta Rays, but both species feed on a variety of zooplankton. During your stay at Maldives island resorts the likes of Hard Rock Hotel Maldives, you can expect to visit nearby reefs to observe these magnificent creatures.

Lagoon Triggerfish can be found living close to the coral reefs where it feeds on just about anything that comes it's way. They are extremely protective of their territories, especially when they are guarding their eggs. Their eggs are hatched within a day of spawning, and it is usually the female Lagoon Triggerfish that guards the eggs, remaining above the eggs for at least 12-14 hours, chasing potential predators away.