Real-Life Sea Monsters (On My Own Science)

Jango-Cohen/ Durney

LONG AGO, SAILORS TOLD TALES ABOUT TERRIBLE MONSTERS THAT LURKED IN THE SEA. Many of their stories may have been based on amazing—but real— sea creatures. Giant squid catch their food with tentacles and fight huge sperm whales. Manatees breathe air and must eat 100 pounds of food every day. Fifty-foot-long oarfish have silvery, snakelike bodies. What monsters could they have inspired? Find out more about these real-life sea monsters and the scary stories sailors told about them!

On My Own Science titles Ben Franklin’s Big Shock The Flyer Flew! The Invention of the Airplane Mystery Fish: Secrets of the Coelacanth Packed with Poison! Deadly Animal Defenses Real-Life Sea Monsters

The Search for Antarctic Dinosaurs Shipwreck Search: Discovery of the H. L. Hunley SuperCroc Found Volcanoes Inside and Out Why Does It Rain? Woolly Mammoths

Saber-Toothed Cats Saving the Whooping Crane

Millbrook

j

J Millbrook Press/Minneapolis

Text copyright © 2008 by Judith Jango-Cohen Illustrations copyright © 2008 by Lerner Publishing Group, Inc. All rights reserved. International copyright secured. No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means— electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise—without the prior written permission of Lerner Publishing Group, Inc., except for the inclusion of brief quotations in an acknowledged review. Millbrook Press, Inc. A division of Lerner Publishing Group, Inc. 241 First Avenue North Minneapolis, MN 55401 U.S.A. Website address: www.lernerbooks.com

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Jango-Cohen, Judith. Real-life sea monsters / by Judith Jango-Cohen ; illustrations by Ryan Durney. p. cm. — (On my own science) Includes bibliographical references. ISBN-13: 978–0–8225–6747–9 (lib. bdg. : alk. paper) ISBN-10: 0–8225–6747–4 (lib. bdg. : alk. paper) 1. Sea monsters—Juvenile literature. 2. Dangerous marine animals—Juvenile literature. I. Durney, Ryan, ill. II. Title. III. Series. QL89.J37 2008 591.77—dc22 2006009817 Manufactured in the United States of America 1 2 3 4 5 6 – JR – 13 12 11 10 09 08

eISBN-13: 978-1-58013-685-3

To Eliot—who helps me slay my monsters

Thanks to Professor John Olney, ichthyologist at the Virginia Institute of Marine Science in Gloucester Point, and to Carol Hinz, editor, for her enthusiastic partnership —J.J.-C.

To my cousin, Danny Bardell, who was more like a brother to me. I will always remember the fun we had at the ocean, jumping the waves and running from jellyfish. —R.D.

Introduction Once upon a time, sailors whispered strange stories. They told tales about monsters with terrible tentacles that tackled ships. They warned of creatures that whipped waves into storms. They spoke of sea serpents with sharp fangs and bloodred eyes. Do sea monsters like this truly exist? Or do they live only in the world of stories? Read on and learn the truth behind the tales.

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The Mighty Kraken Curious sailors stare into the black, bubbling sea. What kind of creature is hiding beneath? Suddenly, a beast rises from the waves. The sailors freeze in horror. It is the mighty Kraken. The Kraken’s glowing eyes glare at the sailors. Its 10 slimy arms squirm like angry snakes. The monster lunges and lashes out its arms. It snatches the ship. Then the mighty Kraken slowly sinks beneath the sea.

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No one has proven that this ship-sinking sea creature exists. But scientists do know of a huge animal that looks like the Kraken. This animal sometimes washes up onshore.

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The largest body ever measured was 57 feet long. That’s about the length of 10 adults lying head to toe. This amazing creature is the giant squid.

The giant squid has eight arms and two longer tentacles. Inside the ring of arms and tentacles is a sharp, beaked mouth. The giant squid catches food by f linging out its tentacles. Suckers with jagged edges line the tentacle tips and arms. The suckers work like suction cups to grip fish and crabs.

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Giant squid have a funnel near their head. The squid sucks water into the funnel and then shoots it out. The jets of water push the squid through the ocean.

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A gentle puff sends it scooting along. But a blast of water helps it rocket away from danger. The squid’s funnel can also squirt ink. Squid make the ink in their bodies. They spray the ink when a predator comes near. The cloud of ink confuses the predator. This gives the squid time to escape.

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An adult giant squid’s only predator is the sperm whale. Sperm whales can grow up to 60 feet long. In 1965, a crew of whalers watched the two giants battle. The whale seized the squid in its gigantic jaw. But the squid smothered the whale’s head with its arms and tentacles. Both animals sank below the sea. Later, the whalers found the dead whale with a tentacle around its throat. The squid’s head was inside the whale’s stomach.

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Scientists believe that giant squid live in most of the world’s oceans. But scientists almost never see living giant squid. Because of this, many mysteries remain. For example, we do not know if giant squid live in groups or alone. We do not know how big they can get or how fast they can swim.

One day, we may find better ways to explore the deep sea. Until then, the mighty Kraken will keep its secrets.

Bewitching Mermaids A sailing ship glides through the waves where mermaids sing. The mermaids send spells swirling into the sky and sea. Clouds as black as smoke appear. Waves spring up and lick at the ship like flames. The water claws at the sailors and swallows them. Later, the mermaids will gather the dead sailors’ bones. They will carve them into haunted harps.

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Long ago, people believed in mermaids, creatures that are half human and half fish. Stories warned of wicked mermaids. One was Jenny Green Teeth, who drowned children.

Sailors thought that evil mermaids stirred up storms. Many sailors, including Christopher Columbus, claimed that they saw mermaids. Columbus did not think the mermaids were pretty. He said, “They have a face like a man.”

What did Columbus see? He might have seen an animal that modern sailors sometimes mistake for a person swimming in the water. As sailors get closer, they realize that the creature is a manatee. Like a mermaid, the manatee has a long, fish-shaped tail.

But manatees are not fish. They are mammals. All mammals must breathe oxygen from the air. That is why people sometimes spot manatees at the water’s surface. Usually, manatees poke out just the tops of their snouts to breathe.

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The average manatee is about 10 feet long. It weighs more than 1,000 pounds. Manatees must eat about 100 pounds of food each day. They nibble on the stems, roots, and leaves of water plants.

They also gulp down acorns that have fallen into the water. A manatee uses its two f lexible f lippers to push plants into its mouth. Its upper lip is divided into two parts to help it grab and grip its food.

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Manatees spend much of their time alone. But sometimes they form groups. Manatees squeak and chirp as a way of talking to one another.

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Mother manatees and their calves nuzzle noses. They hold one another with their f lippers.

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Manatees only live in warm, shallow water near land. These areas are also popular with people. This causes serious problems for manatees. Motorboats can ram into manatees or cut them with their propellers. Manatees also get killed by eating trash, such as plastic bags.

But there is hope for the manatee. Marine parks are being set aside. In the parks, manatees can live in peace. Scientists are studying new ways to protect manatees. Many people are working together to help these modern-day mermaids survive.

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lighten art behind type

Sinister Sea Serpents On a beach, a crew of sailors is making a fire. They do not notice a sea serpent lurking near the shore. The serpent raises its head, topped with a blazing red mane. Then it slithers from the water. The serpent springs upon a sailor and coils around him. It twists tighter and tighter. The gasping sailor stares into the serpent’s red eyes. Then the monster digs its fangs into the sailor’s neck.

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People have told stories of sea serpents for more than 2,000 years. Even in modern times, reports about sea serpents continue. Late one night in 1963, a woman was walking her dog along a California beach. Suddenly, she began to scream. Neighbors came running. On the beach was the dead body of an 18-foot “sea serpent.”

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Police called in scientists to examine the beast. They identified the creature as an oarfish. 33

Oarfish look a lot like sea serpents. They have blue heads and silvery, snakelike bodies. Some of them are 50 feet long. Oarfish have a bright red fin that runs from their heads to their tails. Oarfish ripple this fin to swim. Unlike most fish, the oarfish swims upright in the water.

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The oarfish has long spines on its head. They look like a red crown. The oarfish also has one long, red spine on each side of its body. The tips of these spines look like paddles. Oarfish rotate them, similar to the way a person uses oars to row a boat. But some scientists think that these “oars” are not used for swimming. They believe that the oarfish uses them to sense chemicals in the water. This may help it find food such as tiny fish, shrimp, and jellyfish. To eat these creatures, the oarfish sticks out its upper jaw and sucks them in.

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We do not know a lot about oarfish because humans rarely see them. Oarfish sometimes wash up onshore after a storm. People also find oarfish with damaged tails near the sea’s surface. Scientists believe that boats may cause these injuries.

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Normally, oarfish live between 60 and 3,000 feet underwater. That is why people don’t see healthy oarfish very often. Those who do meet these silvery, shimmering creatures are always impressed. Some people describe the oarfish as the most beautiful creature they have ever seen.

Mysteries Remain Have scientists solved all the sea monster mysteries? No, not all of them. We still have stories of creatures that cannot be explained. People have reported seeing beasts with alligator heads, f lippers, and bristly manes. Could there be real-life sea monsters that scientists have not yet found, described, and named? Some people believe it is possible.

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Humans have explored just a tiny part of Earth’s oceans. If all the world’s oceans were contained in 100 equal-sized tanks, we would have 95 left to explore.

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Every year, scientists find more than 100 new species of ocean life. Some species are quite large. In 1976, scientists discovered the 14-foot-long megamouth shark. Before then, no one had any idea that such a shark existed.

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What else may be living in the dark, deep seas? About 250 years ago, a scientist said that the ocean hides many things. That also means that there is much for us to find.

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Glossary c a l v e s ( C AV Z ) : baby manatees f i n ( F I N ) : a thin body part that helps fish move, balance, and steer f l i p p e r s ( F L I P - p u r z ) : wide, f lat body parts that help underwater animals swim and eat m a m m a l s ( M A H - m u l z ) : warm-blooded animals that have backbones, fur or hair on their bodies, give birth to live young, and make milk to feed their young m a r i n e ( m u h - R E E N ) : something relating to the sea o x y g e n ( O X - i - g i n ) : a chemical that mammals need to breathe in the air p r e d a t o r ( P R E H - d u h - t u r ) : an animal that hunts and eats other animals s n o u t s ( S N O W T Z ) : noses s p e c i e s ( S P E E - s e e s ) : a type of animal t e n t a c l e s ( T E N - t i h - k u l z ) : long, armlike body parts that animals use for feeling or grasping food and other objects w h a l e r s ( WA L E - u r z ) : people who work on a ship hunting whales 46

Fun Facts about Sea Monsters A squid called the colossal squid has swiveling hooks on its suckers. Scientists believe it may be even larger than the giant squid. Scientists know more about many dinosaurs than they do about the giant squid. In September 2005, Japanese researchers became the first scientists to photograph a living giant squid. Their robotic camera took the pictures almost 3,000 feet below the surface of the North Pacific Ocean. Female manatees will adopt a baby manatee that has lost its mother. They will stay close to it, protect it, and feed it their milk. Scientists believe that ancient relatives of manatees were land animals closely related to elephants. Some kinds of manatees have elephant-like “toenails” on the tips of their f lippers. Part of the scientific name for the oarfish—Regalecus— comes from a Latin word meaning “royal.” Japanese fishermen call it king of the palace under the sea. A relative of the oarfish scares off predators by producing an electric shock. Scientists do not know if the oarfish can do the same.

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Selected Bibliography Cherry, John, ed. Mythical Beasts. San Francisco: Pomegranate Artbooks / British Museum Press, 1995. Coleman, Loren, and Patrick Huyghe. The Field Guide to Lake Monsters, Sea Serpents, and Other Mystery Denizens of the Deep. New York: Jeremy P. Tarcher / Putnam, 2003. Ellis, Richard. Monsters of the Sea. New York: Knopf, 1994. Ellis, Richard. The Search for the Giant Squid: The Biology and Mythology of the World’s Most Elusive Sea Creature. New York: Penguin, 1999. Heuvelmans, Bernard. In the Wake of the Sea-Serpents. Translated by Richard Garnett. New York: Hill and Wang, 1968. Powell, James. Manatees. Stillwater, MN: Voyageur Press, 2002.

Further Reading and Websites Climo, Shirley. A Treasury of Mermaids: Mermaid Tales from around the World. New York: HarperCollins Publishers, 1997. Dussling, Jennifer. Giant Squid: Mystery of the Deep. New York: Grosset & Dunlap, 1999. Edwards, Katie. Myths and Monsters: Secrets Revealed. Watertown, MA: Charlesbridge, 2004. Innes, Brian. Water Monsters. Austin, TX: Steck-Vaughn Company, 1999. Markle, Sandra. Outside and Inside Giant Squid. New York: Walker, 2003. Walker, Sally M. Manatees. Minneapolis: Carolrhoda Books, Inc., 1999. Creature Feature: West Indian Manatees http://www.nationalgeographic.com/kids/creature_feature/0307/manatees. html In Search of Giant Squid http://seawifs.gsfc.nasa.gov/squid.html Monsters of the Deep http://www.seasky.org/monsters/sea7a.html Oarfish http://www.amonline.net.au/FISHES/fishfacts/fish/rglesne.htm

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Jango-Cohen/ Durney

LONG AGO, SAILORS TOLD TALES ABOUT TERRIBLE MONSTERS THAT LURKED IN THE SEA. Many of their stories may have been based on amazing—but real— sea creatures. Giant squid catch their food with tentacles and fight huge sperm whales. Manatees breathe air and must eat 100 pounds of food every day. Fifty-foot-long oarfish have silvery, snakelike bodies. What monsters could they have inspired? Find out more about these real-life sea monsters and the scary stories sailors told about them!

On My Own Science titles Ben Franklin’s Big Shock The Flyer Flew! The Invention of the Airplane Mystery Fish: Secrets of the Coelacanth Packed with Poison! Deadly Animal Defenses Real-Life Sea Monsters

The Search for Antarctic Dinosaurs Shipwreck Search: Discovery of the H. L. Hunley SuperCroc Found Volcanoes Inside and Out Why Does It Rain? Woolly Mammoths

Saber-Toothed Cats Saving the Whooping Crane

Millbrook

j