Cross-cutting · Marine

Marine animal groups

Marine life can be grouped by where animals live in the sea — on reefs, in the open water column, on the seafloor, or in the deep. These are cross-cutting groupings that overlap with the vertebrate and invertebrate categories.

They pair with FaunaHub's ocean fauna by depth layer. Deep-sea groups are described from authoritative sources and are a priority for future dedicated profiles.

Reef Animals
Partial coverage
Animals associated with coral reefs — reef fish, corals, and invertebrates.
On FaunaHub (8)
clownfish pufferfish seahorse octopus moray eel grouper lionfish coral
On the roadmap (not yet profiled)
sea anemone, parrotfish, reef shark, wrasse
Deep-Sea Animals
Partial coverage
Animals of the ocean's dark, high-pressure depths. Described on FaunaHub's ocean depth pages, with a growing set of dedicated profiles.
On FaunaHub (6)
giant isopod dumbo octopus coelacanth giant squid anglerfish frilled shark
On the roadmap (not yet profiled)
vampire squid, gulper eel, barreleye, viperfish, fangtooth, yeti crab
Open-Ocean Animals
Partial coverage
Animals of the open water column — fast pelagic predators and ocean wanderers.
On FaunaHub (11)
shark tuna whale dolphin sea turtle ray orca common dolphin pilot whale great white shark+1 more
On the roadmap (not yet profiled)
marlin, swordfish, flying fish, ocean sunfish
Seafloor Animals
Partial coverage
Bottom-dwelling marine animals on shallow and deep seabeds.
On FaunaHub (4)
crab lobster starfish octopus
On the roadmap (not yet profiled)
sea cucumber, sea urchin, flatfish, hermit crab
Planktonic Animals
Planned expansion
Drifting animals of the water column, from tiny zooplankton to drifting jellyfish.
On FaunaHub (1)
jellyfish
On the roadmap (not yet profiled)
krill, copepod, salp, comb jelly

Sources

Catalogue of Life — Global index of the world's known species
GBIF — Global Biodiversity Information Facility — International biodiversity data network
ITIS — Integrated Taxonomic Information System — Authoritative taxonomic information (U.S. partnership)
Animal Diversity Web — University of Michigan — Peer-edited reference accounts for animal species

Coverage is representative, not a complete inventory. Taxonomy changes as science improves, and species counts vary by source.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why do deep-sea groups have no profiles yet?

FaunaHub does not yet publish profiles for deep-sea specialists. The ocean depth pages describe their life from authoritative ocean-science sources, and a Deep-Sea Species batch is a high priority on the roadmap.

Do these groups overlap?

Yes. A single animal can belong to several groupings — for example a shark is a vertebrate, a fish, and an open-ocean animal. These categories are lenses for discovery, not exclusive boxes.

Last updated: 2026-06-16

Reef Animals

Deep-Sea Animals

Open-Ocean Animals

Seafloor Animals

Planktonic Animals

Sources

Frequently Asked Questions