A brief slideshow showing animals that live in the estuary. I do not own the pictures. Enjoy!

2. A brief introduction on estuaries

3. An estuary is a partly enclosed body of water where fresh
water coming down the rivers meets with salt water from
the sea.
Estuaries are fascinating places. They are the most
productive ecosystems on the planet. Therefore, they
have tons and tons of wildlife such as breeding fishes,
birds (some migratory), and many reptiles and mammals.
The estuaries are home to lots of animals, especially fish,
because they come to lay eggs. It is also home to many
more types of birds, mammals, and plants as well.

4. Estuaries are temporary landforms and don’t
last very long. Rivers carry sediment eroded
from the land into them, and tides bring in
sand from the sea floor. If there are more
sediments coming in than flushing out,
eventually an estuary will age and die. In fact,
it fills up with so much sediment that it turns
into dry land.
Now, since you have at least an idea about
what an estuary is, let’s explore the wildlife
around here.

6. Estuaries are often called the nurseries of
the ocean. Many fish species lay their eggs
in estuaries. The abundant plant life in
estuaries provides a safe place for young
fish to live.
Catfish, sheepshead, silver perch and grouper also live in
estuaries. Spiny lobsters, shrimps, crabs, oysters and clams claim
the estuaries as well. The estuary supports lots of fish due to
having both the salt water (of the ocean) and the flow of fresh
water (from the river).

8. Cherry Salmon
(台灣馬蘇大麻哈魚
(櫻花 吻鮭) )
The Cherry Salmon is a
member of the Salmon
family. The Cherry salmon
is classified as Critically
Endangered (CR), facing an
extremely high risk of
extinction in the wild.
The cherry salmon has an
average length of around
20 inches.
In the sea, the cherry
salmon feeds on
crustaceans, less often on
young fish.
.

9. Catfish
Catfish are abundant in the
world. In fact, one out four
freshwater fish (25%) and
one out of ten of the world’s
fish (10%) are catfish.
One catfish can lay up to
4,000 eggs a year .
Raised Catfish are mostly
raised in fresh water ponds
only about 4 – 6 feet deep.
Farm raised catfish are
taught to eat food pellets
that float on top of the
water. Wild Catfish eat from
river bottoms and other
food.

10. Bay Pipefish
Pipefish are common
in eelgrass of bays
and estuaries, and are
sometimes found in
shallow offshore
waters. Pipefish feed
on crustaceans.
Females are larger
than males.

11. Flounders
Flounders (alternative
name Fluke) are
ocean-dwelling
flatfish species that is
located off the
Canadian and U.S.
east coast of the
Northern Atlantic,
and the Pacific
Ocean. They thrive in
coastal lagoons and
estuaries. They can
camouflage.

13. Dungeness Crab
Dungeness Crabs are delicious.
In fact, they are considered the
best tasting seafood.
They live in the eelgrass beds
and the bottom of the water.
They are found living in North
America, mostly along the
west coast.
The Dungeness Crab often can
blend into its surroundings
very well. So well that they are
undetected. They often stick
their heads into the sand when
they feel there is some type of
danger around them.
They also can bury their entire
bodies in the sand if there is
enough time.

14. Hermit Crab
Hermit Crabs are nocturnal, which means they are not
active in the daytime. They mostly move in the nighttime.
Hermit Crabs have many natural predators. It is thought
that therefore Hermit Crabs hide among other animals
such as sea anemones for protection. Their predators
include sharks, squid, big fish, cuttlefish, and octopuses.
Although they have a snail – like appearance, Hermit
Crabs are relatives of crabs. However, they are not
considered true crabs.
The Hermit Crab always has an outer shell to help protect
its soft inside body (or shall I say, under body). What is
interesting is that the shell they are wearing had belonged
to another animals. Hermit Crabs continuously search for
bigger shells to fit their bodies.

15. Hermit Crab Facts
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: A rthropoda
Class: Malacostraca
Order: Decapoda
Family: Paguroidea
Common Name: Hermit Crab
Scientific Name: Paguroidea
Found: Worldwide
Diet: Omnivore
Size:2-10cm (0.8-4in)
Weight:200-500g (7-18oz)
Number of Species:500
Average Lifespan:1-10 years
Conservation Status: Threatened
Color: Green, Red, Blue, Yellow, Orange, Brown, Pink, White
Skin Type: Shell
Favorite Food: Fish
Habitat: Coastal waters
Main Prey: Fish, Worms, Plankton
Predators: Bigger Fish, Sharks, Cuttlefish
Special Features: Long body shape and lives in protective shell

16. Purple Shore Crab
The shell is smooth and
usually purple, but sometimes
greenish yellow or reddish
brown.
Purple Shore Crabs are very
common and are a likely sight
when you flip over a rock at
the beach.
The Purple Shore Crab is very
sensitive, so when its hiding
rock is turned over, it will
scurry away immediately.
They are similar to Green
Shore Crabs but they are
bigger and mostly they have
large red or purple spots on
their pincers.

18. Nautilus
Nautilus Pompilius (shown
in the pictures) are the
largest and most common
of about six species known
to exist. Like
the coelacanth, it has
remained unchanged for
over 400 million years.
During prehistoric times,
there were about 10,000
different species of
nautilus, but only a small
handful are known to
survive today. The size of
Chambered Nautiluses
range from 10 to 8 inches
and they live in the Pacific
& Indian Ocean..You would
have to dive down about
18000 feet to find these
wonderful animals.

20. American Wigeon
American Wigeons live in
shallow freshwater
wetlands, including
ponds, marshes, and
rivers.
The American Wigeon
breeds in northwestern
North America and is
found throughout the rest
of the continent in
migration and in winter.
Their diet includes
aquatic plants, with some
insects and mollusks
eaten during the breeding
season.

21. Green Heron
Green Herons are opportunistic
feeders, but they mostly prefer
fish. Crayfish and other
crustaceans are a regular
source of food. They also hunt
for aquatic insects,
grasshoppers, frogs, rodents
and snakes.
The way Green Herons catch
their meal (fish) is very
interesting. It commonly drops
bait onto the surface of the
water and grabs the small fish
that are attracted. It uses a
variety of baits and lures,
including crusts of bread,
insects, earthworms, twigs, or
feathers.

22. American Coot
American Coots are
noisy members of the
rail family and they are
they are medium-sized
diving birds with a white
bill, yellow legs, and
lobed toes. American
Coots are opportunistic
and hungry feeders -
they eat what they can
find. Coots mainly eat
plants, but they will also
feed on insects, fish,
tadpoles, snails, worms,
and eggs of other birds.

23. Great Blue Heron
The great blue heron is
an interesting bird. This
heron is the largest
heron or egret in North
America and the biggest
bird in most swampy
areas. The great blue
heron lives many places
on Earth. It stands three
to four feet tall and has
a wingspan of almost six
feet. It is also the
largest heron in Canada.

24. Canada Goose
In some places, the highly
adaptable Canada goose is
so successful and
numerous that people
consider them a
disturbance. One reason:
They can produce a LOT of
poop. Just 50 Canada geese
can generate more than
two tons of manure in one
year! The birds' waste can
cause poor water quality
where they live.
These geese also eat a lot,
which could harm local
farm crops or cause a not
balanced food chain.

30. Asian Small – Clawed
Otter
Asian small-clawed
otters are threatened in
the wild by habitat
destruction, hunting,
and pollution. In the
wild, they live in the
rivers, creeks, estuaries
and coastal waters of
Southeast Asia, from
northern India to
southeastern China, the
Malay Peninsula and
parts of Indonesia.

31. River Otter
River Otters are mammals
that are relatives of the
stoats, weasels, mink,
badgers and wolverines.
River Otters are
carnivorous. They eat a
variety of animals, including
fish, crustaceans,
amphibians, snakes, water
insects, snails, worms, small
mammals, birds, eggs,
frogs, turtles, and any
aquatic invertebrates.
Rivers otters are generally
solitary, except for females
with their young, and do not
associate except during the
mating season.

32. Sea Otter
The Sea Otter is the
largest of all otters
and is a marine otter.
It spends lots of time
in the water.
It was once
extensively hunted
for its warm coat a
long time ago.
Currently, they are
listed as EN
(endangered), facing
a rick of extinction in
the wild.

34. Northern Fur Seal
The main diet of the
Northern Fur Seal consists
of lantern fish or herring.
However, when food is
scarce, other food can be
eaten.
The seals must be careful in
both land and water
however, as they are preyed
upon by sharks,
orcas, Steller Sea Lions and
even Arctic Foxes.

35. Miditerranean Monk
Seal
The Mediterranean Monk
Seal is one of the Phocidae
family.
There are only 400 to 450
individuals of these seals
known to exist today.
This is one of the most
endangered species out of all
mammals. Now, it is found in
the Eastern Atlantic Ocean,
the Mediterranean Sea, in
some estuaries and rivers of
the world, and also near the
Tropic of Cancer.

36. Harbor Seal
Harbor seals are curious
but shy animals that
prefer quiet, unpopulated
areas. At the slightest
sign of danger they will
slip back into the water
and swim away.
They are found in coastal
waters of the northern
Atlantic and Pacific
Oceans as well as the
Baltic and North Seas,
making them the most
wide – ranged pinnipeds
(walruses and seals).

37. Hawaiian Monk Seal
The Hawaiian Monk Seal lives in
the warm waters of the North-
western part of the Hawaiian
islands. It got its name because
its head with the small hairs looks
like the head of a typical monk.
Also, the Hawaiian Monk Seal
lives a solitary life (like monks)
when compared to other seals.
They can stay under water for 20
minutes without coming to the
surface at a depth of 600 feet.
The Hawaiian Monk Seal is one of
the endangered species of seals.
With the Mediterranean Monk
Seal they struggle for survival to
prevent extinction like the
Caribbean Monk Seal, which
became extinct in the 1950s.

39. California Sea Lion
- California Sea Lions are friendly
animals often seen doing a
variety of tricks in zoos,
amusement parks, etc.
- The California Sea lion is the
most intelligent sea lion in the
world. California sea lions are
often used by the U.S. Navy to
help tasks that need to be
completed underwater.
-California Sea Lions are
carnivorous. They are not very
picky eaters, though. They like to
eat large amounts each day.
-- hen fully grown, the males can
be about 1,000 pounds while
females will only be about 350
pounds. For the length, the
average for males is 7 feet and the
average for females is 6 feet.

40. Hooker’s Sea Lion (or
New Zealand Sea Lion)
The New Zealand Sea Lion The
New Zealand sea lion or
Hooker’s sea lion is a protected
marine mammal. It is listed as
VU (vulnerable) and is
considered to have a high risk
of extinction in the wild.
The New Zealand Sea Lion has
many different namings. The
females are called 'cow' and
males are called bulls. A New
Zealand Sea Lion group is
called a pod, colony, crash,
flock, harem, bob, herd,
rookery, or team.
The New Zealand Sea Lion is
only found in New Zealand and
is one of the rarest seal species.