Fauna of the Black Sea

The fauna of the Black Sea is represented by 2500 species of animals. Of these, 500 species are unicellular, about 200 species of vertebrates - fish and mammals, 500 species of crustaceans, 200 species of molluscs, the rest are invertebrates of various kinds. There are no starfish, sea urchins, sea lilies, octopus, cuttlefish, squid, corals.

Who lives at the bottom of the Black Sea?

The bottom of the Black Sea is home to mussels, oysters, the scallop Flexopecten glaber ponticus, and the predator clam rapana venosa.

Arthropods of the Black Sea 

Numerous crabs and shrimps live in the crevices of the coastal rocks and between the stones. 

Zooplankton of the Black Sea

Several species of jellyfish are found in the Black Sea. The most common are Rhizostomae and Aurelia aurita. Sea anemones and sponges are also common.

The most common fish in the Black Sea

Among the fish found in the Black Sea: various species of gobies , Azov hamsa, Black Sea hamsa, spiny dogfish, river flounder, scophthalmus maeoticus, mullet of five species, bluefish, merluccius merluccius, black scorpionfish, mullus barbatus, mackerel, common horse mackerel, Caspian-Black Sea herring, Black Sea sprat, garfish, seahorse and others. Sturgeons (beluga, starry sturgeon, Russian and Atlantic sturgeons) and Black Sea salmon are found in the sea.

Dangerous inhabitants of the Black Sea

Dangerous fish in the Black Sea include the Greater Weever (the most dangerous - the barbs on the dorsal fin and gill covers are poisonous), the Black Scorpionfish, one of the stingray species, the Common Stingray, which has poisonous spines on its tail. Another stingray, the thornback ray, is not venomous but is covered with spines and has barbs on its tail. It can inflict a large number of punctures and scratches in defence.

Mammals of the Black Sea

Few species of mammals are found in the Black Sea. The permanent inhabitants of the Black Sea are one species of seal (Mediterranean monk seal) and three species of dolphin (common dolphin, bottlenose dolphin, harbour porpoise). 

Sharks of the Black Sea 

There are only two species of shark in the Black Sea. The first is the spiny dogfish, which feeds on small fish. The second is the small spotted catshark, which feeds on molluscs and other invertebrates. There are no recorded cases of them attacking humans.