Fauna of the Sulu Sea

Inter-island sea in the Pacific Ocean, bounded on the west, north, and east by the islands of the Philippines and on the south by the northeastern coast of the Malaysian state of Sabah on the island of Kalimantan. The sea is about 490 miles (790 km) long from north to south and 375 miles (600 km) long from west to east. Salinity ranges from 32.5-33.5‰. The surface temperature is 27-28°C; at depths above 400 m, the temperature and salinity are uniform throughout the year, about 10°C and 34.5‰. Tides are irregular semidiurnal, 1-2 m high.

Trade and commerce in the Sulu Sea

Sea fishing is very developed among the coastal inhabitants. Trepangas, turtle eggs, pearls and mother-of-pearl are mainly harvested. Indigenous fisheries include tuna (yellowfin, skipjack, albacore, bigeye), mackerel (Indian mackerel, escolar), giant trevally, Bombay duck, cobia, milkfish and barramundi. These high quality fish products are usually exported to international markets. Aquarium fish (Ocellaris clownfish, Moorish idol, Yellow-dotted butterflyfish, Indian parrotfish, Blue-throated fairy-wrasse, Indian ocean humbug) are supplied to Hong Kong and China. Mussels, shrimps, seaweed and oysters are farmed in Indonesia, Malaysia and the Philippines. They are supplied to European countries. 

Sulu Sea National Park 

Tubbataha Reef National Marine Park is located in the Sulu Sea. It is one of the UNESCO World Heritage Sites. This natural park is home to at least 600 species of fish, 360 species of corals, 11 species of sharks, 13 species of dolphins and whales, and 100 species of birds. The reef is also a nesting site for the Hawksbill and Green turtles.

Common Inhabitants of the Sulu Sea

There are 22 species of mammals. Some of the larger inhabitants that have taken up residence in the sea include the extinct Dugong, Irrawaddy Dolphin, Stingrays (Spotted Eagle Ray, Jenkins' Whipray, Pink Whipray), Swordfish, Atlantic Blue Marlin, Black Marlin, Giant Moray, Humphead Wrasse, Largehead Hairtail. There are many colorful tropical marine habitats in the sea, such as the coral reefs surrounding the islands. They are home to a wide variety of colorful reef fish and other inhabitants. The waters of the Sulu Sea are home to prehistoric species of Indonesian coelacanth.

Sharks in the Sulu Sea

The Sulu Sea is home to almost all species of sharks. Blacktip and grey reef sharks are the most common. They are usually not dangerous to humans if not touched. The warm waters of the sea create comfortable living conditions for such predators as whale shark, blacktip shark, leopard shark, winghead shark, great hammerhead shark, tiger shark, Indonesian wobbegong and many others.

The dangerous inhabitants of the Sulu Sea

The Box Jellyfish (Sea Wasp and Irukandji Jellyfish), Conus geographus, the highly venomous Blue-ringed Octopus, Great barracuda, Red Lionfish and Crown-of-thorns starfish are among the animals common in the Sulu Sea that are dangerous to humans. Encounters with these creatures can result in injury, poisoning and even death.