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 FaunaHub now publishes a substantial set of dedicated deep-sea profiles — from anglerfish and vampire squid to giant tube worms, yeti crabs, and glass sponges.

Reef Animals
Strong coverage
Animals associated with coral reefs — reef fish, corals, and invertebrates.
On FaunaHub (21)
clownfish pufferfish seahorse octopus moray eel grouper lionfish coral brain coral staghorn coral+11 more
On the roadmap (not yet profiled)
reef shark, damselfish, butterflyfish, angelfish marine
Deep-Sea Animals
Strong coverage
Animals of the ocean's dark, high-pressure depths. Described on FaunaHub's ocean depth pages, now with a substantial set of dedicated, source-backed profiles.
On FaunaHub (17)
giant isopod dumbo octopus coelacanth giant squid anglerfish frilled shark lanternfish vampire squid gulper eel barreleye fish+7 more
On the roadmap (not yet profiled)
viperfish, fangtooth, deep sea amphipod, tripod fish, cookiecutter shark
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
Strong coverage
Bottom-dwelling marine animals on shallow and deep seabeds.
On FaunaHub (24)
crab lobster starfish octopus sea cucumber sea urchin hermit crab giant isopod glass sponge deep sea coral+14 more
On the roadmap (not yet profiled)
flatfish, brittle star, sea pen, tripod fish
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

Does FaunaHub profile deep-sea specialists?

Yes. FaunaHub now publishes dedicated, source-backed profiles for deep-sea specialists — including anglerfish, gulper eel, barreleye, hatchetfish, black dragonfish, snailfish, yeti crab, hydrothermal-vent tube worm, glass sponge, and deep-sea coral. The ocean depth pages link these profiles and place each cautiously in the zone(s) it is documented to occur in.

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