Marine Megastars - Planet Ocean - DiscoverySchool.com

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The ocean food chain is a delicate balance of organisms, starting with plankton and ending with top predators like killer whales and sharks. Each ocean animal has a unique and often cunning way of getting its chow. Which food chain professional wins your vote?

Killer Whale
Killer whales eat everything from fish to seals to birds. Some even eat dolphins and other whales. These well-organized hunters hunt in a group called a pod. They have a special trick for knocking a plump seal off a piece of floating ice. One whale bumps into the ice until it tips over, spilling the helpless seal into the waiting jaws of the other members of the pod.

Moray Eel
By day, the moray eel peers from its lair in a rock or coral cave, waiting for unsuspecting prey. At night, it roams the reef, using its keen sense of smell to find a bite to eat. Squeezing its long narrow body into nooks and crannies, a moray eel can ambush hidden crabs or a sleeping fish. Few reef creatures can elude a hungry moray.

Frogfish
This lumpy fellow may look more like a sponge than a fierce predator, but frogfish have a unique way of capturing prey. They "fish" for fish. Part of the frogfish's spine sticks out from its body like a fishing rod with a fleshy tip at the end. Frogfish dangle this tip like a lure until another fish comes by to take the bait. Then, their jaw snaps open and shut quicker than you can say "reel 'er in."

Vote for the best Grub Getter!

Pictures: Jeffrey Jeffords (top) | NOAA | Jeffrey Jeffords | Ken Usami/Photodisc

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