Can You Name All of These Sea Animals?

By: Teresa McGlothlin
Estimated Completion Time
4 min
Can You Name All of These Sea Animals?
Image: Michael Zeigler / E+ / Getty Images

About This Quiz

If you can name all 40 of the sea animals in this quiz from a photo, you are probably a marine biologist! With species of marine creatures out there we haven't found yet, it's hard to imagine what some of them will look like. As you'll see in our photos, some of them have a face only a mother could love—and others are cute enough to want to squeeze! How many of them do you think you can name despite their outward appearance? 

From porpoises to giant shellfish, the ocean harbors just as much, if not more, animal life than the dry parts of the earth. During this quiz, we are going to show you a photo of some of the more interesting creatures we could find. If you feel like you're stuck in a lifeboat without an oar, just make your best guess! You might be surprised! 

Instead of letting you off easy, we've dug up some specific names that we think you'll enjoy identifying. Once you see the tasseled wobbegong, you'll never be able to forget it. Enjoy your voyage around the world's oceans, and be thankful you'll be out of reach of the 10-foot long tentacles of the sea wasp! Will you do as well as you think you will?


Horseshoe crab
Daniela Duncan / Moment / Getty Images
It's not really a crab, but what is it called?
Horseshoe crab
Hermit crab
Atlantic blue crab
Red king crab
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Although it has a shell, the horseshoe crab is not really a crab at all! Known for its distinctive shell and a long, barbed tail, this crab is from the same family as spiders and scorpions. Some fossilized horseshoe crabs date back over 450 million years.

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Narwhal
Corey Ford/Stocktrek Images / Stocktrek Images / Getty Images
Which name is given to this unicorn of the sea?
Hammerhead shark
Narwhal
Bottle-nosed dolphin
Beluga whale
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Measuring up to 15 feet long as adults, narwhals are found living in the Arctic Ocean. When they are young, they are sometimes confused for beluga whales. It's around the age of one that the horn begins to form on the male of the species.

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Harp seal
Tom Brakefield / DigitalVision / Getty Images
Can you seal the deal by identifying this sea animal?
Elephant seal
Harbor seal
Gray seal
Harp seal
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

When harp seals are young, they are solid white. As they grow and turn darker, they develop a pattern on their backs that resemble a harp. They might be cute, but they are known for being ferocious predators that will eat almost anything.

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Blue marlin
Wiki Commons by NOAA
Do you know the name of the monster fish you see here?
Goliath grouper
Bluefin tuna
Blue marlin
Common fangtooth
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Weighing in at up to 1,800 pounds, the blue marlin is known for both its size and its speed. Capable of traveling from the Atlantic to the Indian oceans, blue marlins rarely stay in one place. Sport fishermen consider it one of the most exciting fish to catch.

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Olive sea snake
Brandi Mueller / Moment Open / Getty Images
This creature takes its name from the color of its skin, but what is it?
Olive sea snake
Laticauda
Yellow-lipped sea krait
Black-banded sea krait
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

The olive sea snake lives along the coast of Australia and has no fear of approaching adventurous divers. The olive sea snake's bite is highly venomous, but it rarely bites people. It tends to save the venom for its nocturnal fish hunts.

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Flatback turtle
Wiki Commons by Purpleturtle57
Are you able to choose the correct name of this type of turtle?
Painted turtle
Loggerhead sea turtle
Flatback turtle
Archelon
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

The flatback turtle's shell lacks the arch of the shells of other types of turtles, and that's how it gets its name. Only coming ashore to lay their eggs, flatbacks prefer to spend their lives in the water off the coast of New Guinea.

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King eider
Mike Powles / Photodisc / Getty Images
What's the name of this colorful Arctic bird?
Kelp gull
Arctic tern
Wandering albatross
King eider
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

The king eider takes its name from the colorful feathers that make up its crown. Preferring to eat shellfish and crustaceans, the king eider prefers to live life in pairs on the shores of the Arctic. There, both the males and the females serve to incubate their eggs.

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Sand tiger shark
Steve Woods Photography / Cultura / Getty Images
Which of these sharks is also known as the gray nurse shark?
Sand tiger shark
Great white shark
Hammerhead shark
Sawshark
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Growing up to 350 pounds and 11 feet in length, the sand tiger shark can be a quite intimidating sight for surfers. It is the only shark known to turn itself into a buoy by holding air within its stomach. Sadly, they are facing extinction.

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Dugong
Kerstin Meyer / Moment / Getty Images
Can you correctly name the type of sea cow seen in this photo?
West Indian manatee
Dugong
African manatee
Amazonian manatee
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Growing up to 14 feet in length and weighing up to a ton, the dugong is from the same family as the manatee. As the only marine herbivore, the dugong prefers to live in saltwater munching on seaweed and grass. Unlike other sea cows, it never enters freshwater.

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Bluebanded goby
Hal Beral / Corbis / Getty Images
This reef dwelling fish is known by what name?
Clownfish
Bluebanded goby
Discus
Killfish
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Named after the stripes adorning their small bodies, the bluebanded goby is one of the only fish that never leaves the coral reefs found in the Pacific Ocean. Small but mighty, the goby hides in the crevices of the reef and nurtures it with its bodily functions.

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Geoduck
Wiki Commons by Jeff
It's considered a delicacy, but do you know what it's called?
Sea urchin
Cockle
Periwinkle
Geoduck
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Geoducks, or "gooey ducks" as it's pronounced, are the only type of shellfish with a smaller shell than their body. Though the shell usually measures around eight inches, the meaty part can grow over three feet long! It's a delight for culinary hunters living on the American Pacific coast.

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Flameback
Youtube via Deep Look
Which kind of sea slug do you see pictured here?
Flameback
Spanish dancer
Blue glaucus
Black sea hare
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

A member of the nudibranch family, the flameback sea slug uses its colorful body to keep predators away. Once the flameback lays its string of oblong eggs, both parents abandon it and leave their young to fend for themselves.

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Tasseled wobbegong
Ethan Daniels/Stocktrek Images / Getty Images
Are you able to choose the correct name for this flat fish?
Dabs
Tasseled wobbegong
Tonguefish
American sole
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

The tasseled wobbegong is a member of the carpet shark family. It loves to stay on the bottom of the ocean posing as a rock until prey comes close enough for it to grab. At only four feet long, it is one of the sea's smallest sharks.

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Sea cucumber
Joao Inacio / Moment / Getty Images
What name is the correct name for this strange sea animal?
Sea slug
Electric eel
Sea cucumber
Banded krait
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

From a family of echinoderms, the sea cucumber is from the same family as jellyfish and sea slugs. Known as the vacuum of the sea, sea cucumbers like to clean the bottom of the ocean. They separate all the edible material from the inedible material and leave behind a trail of fresh sand.

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Emperor penguin
Paul Souders / DigitalVision / Getty Images
Can you waddle your way to identifying this type of penguin?
Emperor penguin
Gentoo penguin
Galapagos penguin
Adelie penguin
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Living in Antarctica, the emperor penguin likes to forage for edible marine life. They stand around three feet all, and both the male and the female are responsible for hatching their eggs. After the female lays the egg, the male takes over the duty of incubating it.

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Atlantic cod
Wiki commons by Peter
Do you know the name of this lobster-loving fish?
Butterflyfish
Sturgeon
Atlantic cod
Wrasse
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

With their love for hunting and eating lobster on the ocean floor, the Atlantic cod has discriminating tastes. As the only fish to have distinctive anal fins, cod is one of the most loved fishes for dinner tables around the world.

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Spotted eagle ray
James R.D. Scott / Moment / Getty Images
Don't get stung by incorrectly naming this sea animal—what is it?
Pacific angel shark
Box jellyfish
Moon jelly
Spotted eagle ray
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

With a wingspan of 11 feet, the spotted eagle ray is one of the largest rays found in the sea. Although they have live births, their young are nourished by yolk sacs rather than umbilical cords.

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Acorn barnacle
Ed Reschke / Stockbyte / Getty Images
Which kind of crustacean do you see here?
Krill
Woodlouse
Acorn barnacle
Prawn
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

The acorn barnacle is the only kind of crustacean that cannot move once it reaches adulthood. They are able to live out of the water by tightly closing their shells to avoid drying out in the sun.

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Chambered Nautilus
FlamingPumpkin / E+ / Getty Images
What name is given to this cephalopod?
Cuttlefish
Chambered nautilus
Giant squid
Cranchildae
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

A master of buoyancy, the chambered nautilus can float by filling the extra chambers of its shell with gases. As the only kind of cephalopod to have a shell, the chambered nautilus is quite different from the other five types of the nautilus.

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Marine otter
Michael Mike L. Baird flickr.bairdphotos.com / Moment Open / Getty Images
Can you correctly name this marine mammal?
Marine otter
Hawaiian monk seal
Walrus
Vaquita
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Unlike its weasel cousin the sea otter, the marine otter prefers to spend its life on land. Living on the west coast of South America, the marine otter likes to forage for food. It is even known to scavenge through human supplies for food!

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Walrus
David Merron Photography / Moment / Getty Images
What is the name of the pinniped in this photo?
Walrus
True seal
Sealion
Eared seal
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Easily identified by its tusks, the walrus is the only one of its kind to survive years of evolution. Closely related to both eared seals and true seals, the walrus prefers to live its life near the beach eating worms, fish and mollusks.

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Stonefish
Colin Baker / Moment / Getty Images
Do you know the name of the highly venomous fish you see here?
Stonefish
Pufferfish
John Dory
Pacific angelfish
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Stonefish live near the ocean floor and among coral reefs, but you want to do your best to avoid them. Their venom is highly toxic and it can render a fatal result in less time than it takes to swim back to shore!

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Stoplight loosejaw
Wiki Commons by NOAA Northeast Fisheries Science Center
Which relative of the dragonfish is seen here?
Viperfish
Orca
Stoplight loosejaw
Ahi tuna
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

The stoplight loosejaw prefers to live up to 13,000 feet below the surface of the sea. Named after their hinged, skinless jaw, the animal hunts by opening its mouth wide and utilizing its needle-like teeth to snag prey.

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Laughing gull
Vicki Jauron, Babylon and Beyond Photography / Moment / Getty Images
This coastal dwelling bird is given what name?
Laughing gull
Albatross
Osprey
Red-footed booby
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Unlike the other 50 types of seagulls, the laughing gull sticks to the coast and never goes upstream into inland waterways. It takes its name from the cackling sound it makes when it calls to members of the flock.

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Leafy seadragon
Alastair Pollock Photography / Moment / Getty Images
Are you able to identify this organic-looking sea animal?
Leafy seadragon
Red lionfish
Spotted ratfish
Whiptail gulper
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

The Australian leafy seadragon might live in the ocean, but they are terrible swimmers. They rely on their camouflaging skills to hide from predators. When it comes to eating, they like to use their big heads to angle their mouths so that they can suck in their prey.

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Giant triton
Wiki Commons by James St. John
You can make trumpet sounds with its shell, but what is its name?
Giant triton
Chambered nautilus
Sea snail
Cockle
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Also known as Triton's Trumpet, the giant triton can grow up to 18 inches long! Although starfish do not have many predators, the giant triton thrives on hunting them. Their taste for starfish is helping to preserve the world's coral reefs.

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Cushion star
Wiki Commons by Nhobgood
Which name belongs with this blobby ocean animal?
Grooved brain coral
Eccentric sand dollar
Cushion star
Lobe coral
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Although the cushion star starts off life with five arms like a starfish, its arms grow together and inflate over time. When the cushion star wants to eat, it introverts its entire stomach!

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Bluebottle
Holly Hildreth / Moment / Getty Images
What is the correct name of this siphonophore?
Physalia
Lensia
Bluebottle
Abylidae
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

The Indo-Pacific man-of-war, or the bluebottle, might be a beautiful color, but it uses its tentacles to sting prey into submission. Unlike its cousin the Portuguese man-of-war, the bluebottle is not known to have ever caused any human deaths.

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Atlantic trumpetfish
Stephen Frink / Image Source / Getty Images
Do you know what this long creature is called?
Atlantic trumpetfish
Oarfish
Pacific blackdragon
Slender snipe eel
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Native to the Caribbean, the Atlantic trumpetfish likes to sit near coral reefs and seagrasses. Measuring over three feet in length, it takes its name from its triangular-shaped head that resembles the bell of a trumpet.

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Oarfish
Youtube via Animal Wire
It's the largest bony fish in the sea, but what's the right name it?
Atlantic cod
Northern red snapper
Patagonian toothfish
Oarfish
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

The largest oarfish on record is 35 feet long, but sailors tell tales of seeing them reach up to 50 feet! Also called the King of Herrings, this large-eyed species prefers to live at least 3,000 feet below the surface.

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Hermit crab
With love of photography / Moment / Getty Images
Will you be crabby if you can't identify this sea animal?
Hermit crab
Blue king crab
Horseshoe crab
Fiddler crab
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Living along the coasts of warm regions, hermit crabs are named for their shyness. Instead of fighting off predators, hermit crabs completely retract into the shells they've scavenged. Thanks to their elusiveness, they are still a thriving species.

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Striped pyjama squid
Wiki Commons by Scubagirl85
Can you pick out the name of this poisonous cephalopod?
Tiger prawn
Dumbo octopus
Striped pyjama squid
Shortfin squid
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Found on the bottom of the Indo-Pacific region, striped pyjama squid only reach about seven centimeters when they are fully grown. During the daytime, they like to use their signature stripes to camouflage themselves near broken shells while they sleep.

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Sea wasp
Humberto Ramirez / Moment / Getty Images
Its tentacles can reach up to 10 feet long—what is the right name for it?
Sea wasp
Lion's mane jellyfish
Moon jelly
Carpet octopus
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

A member of the box jellyfish family, the sea wasp has over 50 stinging tentacles. Although they are formidable enough to kill a human with their poison, leatherback turtles consider them one of their favorite foods.

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Hourglass dolphin
Wiki Commons by Lomvi2
Do you know the name of this mammal that's sometimes confused with the orca?
Hourglass dolphin
Minke whale
Risso's dolphin
Humpback whale
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

The hourglass dolphin is one of the most colorful of the species. Traveling in groups that average 14 members, they prefer to stay in colder water. In fact, they consider 32 degrees to be a little too warm!

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Vaquita
Wiki Commons by Paula Olson
Which name is the right name for this harbor porpoise?
Finless porpoise
Vaquita
Dall's porpoise
Bottlenose dolphin
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

The vaquita is the smallest of all types of porpoise. Growing only up to five feet and weighing in at 100 pounds, vaquita can be found swimming only near the Gulf of California in Mexico.

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Southern giant petrel
Kelly Cheng / Moment / Getty Images
It's funny to watch this bird take off—what name does it have?
Little auk
Southern giant petrel
Kelp gull
Herring gull
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

When the Southern giant petrel wants to take flight, it runs and flaps its wings until it has enough momentum to get off the ground. Preferring to live in the southern hemisphere, the giant petrel's wings can span up to seven feet across!

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Leatherback turtle
red_moon_rise / E+ / Getty Images
Which name is given to this omnivore?
Leatherback turtle
Hawksbill turtle
Olive Ridley turtle
Hawksbill turtle
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Reaching a weight of up to 2,200 pounds, the leatherback turtle is one of the only turtles to have a cartilage shell. Leatherbacks are also one of the only sea reptiles that can maintain their body temperature in cold water!

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Elkhorn coral
Humberto Ramirez / Moment / Getty Images
What name is given to this rare type of coral?
Elkhorn coral
Ivory bush coral
Grooved brain coral
Chilean basket star
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Found in the Caribbean, Florida and parts of the Gulf of Mexico, the Elkhorn coral was once abundant. Because of rising sea temperatures and pollution, it is nearly extinct.

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Mexican lookdown
Carolyn Hebbard / Moment / Getty Images
Can you correctly name the silver fish swimming here?
Orange roughy
Pink salmon
Mexican lookdown
Summer flounder
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

The Mexican lookdown has one of the best camouflaging tricks in the ocean. When you look at it from above, it is so thin it is barely visible. When you look at it from a side angle, it appears as wide as an angelfish. It only needs to turn its body to leave predators unsure of approaching.

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Brown pelican
Rodrigo Friscione / Image Source / Getty Images
It's the symbol of the Gulf of Mexico, but what name is it given?
Osprey
Kelp gull
Least storm petrel
Brown pelican
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Identified by its brown body, the brown pelican likes to eat small fishes like sardines. Instead of diving for them, the brown pelican likes to swoop into the school and take large gulps of water containing the fish.

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You Got:
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Michael Zeigler / E+ / Getty Images