The ocean can be a dangerous place
        
        
          and sea creatures have developed
        
        
          a number of clever techniques to
        
        
          increase their chances of staying alive.
        
        
          Survival in the sea
        
        
          
            Stonefish
          
        
        
          have lumpy,
        
        
          mottled skin that blends
        
        
          perfectly with the sea floor.
        
        
          
            Pipefish
          
        
        
          swim upright,
        
        
          making them almost
        
        
          invisible amongst seagrass.
        
        
          
            Leopard sharks
          
        
        
          have a
        
        
          patterning on their skin
        
        
          that helps them to hide.
        
        
          
            Blending in
          
        
        
          Many of the ocean’s
        
        
          inhabitants are masters
        
        
          of disguise.
        
        
          
            Survival in the sea
          
        
        
          
            181
          
        
        
          
            On guard!
          
        
        
          Some sea creatures will sting or attack
        
        
          if threatened. Lionfish spines
        
        
          contain venom that can stop a
        
        
          fish moving or kill it. Divers are
        
        
          careful not to touch lionfish.
        
        
          
            Lost in
          
        
        
          
            the crowd
          
        
        
          Many fish swim
        
        
          together in shoals.
        
        
          When they all start
        
        
          moving at the same speed
        
        
          and in the same direction
        
        
          to confuse predators, it is
        
        
          called “schooling”.
        
        
          Jellyfish are survivors. There were jellyfish in the oceans 650 million years ago.