Splash Zone: Kelp Forest Animals

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Rockfish

KELP FOREST HOME

These spiny fish live in many parts of the ocean, including the kelp forest. Some rest in rocks and crevices near the ocean floor, while others sway among the kelp fronds.

Fun fact: These slow-growing fish live a long time—some in the Gulf of Alaska are over 200 years old. That means a rockfish that's swimming the seas today might have been alive during the Civil War.

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Scary spines

Rockfish come in lots of different sizes and colors—there are over 100 different kinds. They have bony plates on their heads, and sharp, venomous spines on their fins. To scare off intruders, they raise their spines to make themselves look larger.

Going with the flow

Rockfish

can hover in place without sinking or floating. A gas-filled sac called a swim bladder helps them stay put without using lots of energy. When rockfish aren't feeding, they spend most of their time just "hanging out," drifting with the gentle surge.

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