They also provide a food source for bigger predators. At around 4 years of age however, the Red Drum migrate offshore and join the spawning populations where they continue to grow to more than 30 pounds while surviving 20 years or more. The Hudson estuary also hosts many migratory fishes. Harbor seals often bask in the sun on the banks of the water and dive in for herring and salmon. Canada geese use estuaries as feeding places. This type of fish … Their bills are adapted for eating fish, worms, crabs, and other invertebrates. Forty-three species live in the estuary basin. Organisms living in estuaries have adaptations to deal with the variations of salinity and temperature as well as tidal fluctuations and local weather patterns. Estuaries are very important to the lives of many animal species. The majority of recreationally and commercially caught fish, crustaceans, and shellfish spend at least part of their lives in these estuaries. Thousands of species of birds, mammals, fish, and other wildlife depend on estuarine habitats as places to live, feed, and reproduce. Adult whitebait or īnanga ( Galaxias species) come down rivers to lay their eggs among the plants of the upper estuaries in late summer and autumn, and then die. They serve as gateways through which the fish must pass to complete their life cycle. The harbor seal, a cousin of the walrus, spends part of its life in the water but is dependent on estuary land to give birth and raise its young. You can find them in brackish water, coastal water, and even salt marshes. Some fish come into the estuary to breed as the calm waters provides good habitat for the eggs and small fish to thrive. The river otter feeds on estuary fish, amphibians, crustaceans, snakes, insects, frogs, turtles and any aquatic invertebrates. Florida Bay Florida Bay mangroves. Coastal and estuarine fishes exhibit a wide array of migratory behaviors, including migratory circuits between wintering areas, feeding areas (and refuges), and spawning areas similar to the patterns described for the pelagic fishes. image: Wikimedia Commons This is the very first fish to ever sent to space back in 1973. Many fish species lay their eggs in estuaries. The estuary is an excellent pit stop for mother whales wanting to teach their calves how to catch the fish that have returned in numbers not seen in over a century. These juvenile Reds live in the brackish estuaries feeding on shrimp, crabs, mollusks, small fish, or just about anything else they can catch. They live in almost every water region along Atlantic coast of the United State and Canada. The river's signature species - Atlantic sturgeon, American shad, and striped bass - live the first few months or years of their lives in fresh water before swimming out into the Atlantic to mature.As adults they will return to the river only to spawn. Many marine organisms depend on estuaries at some point during their juvenile development; it is estimated that more than 600 commercial fish species spend some part of their lives in an estuary. Birds. They are often called the “nurseries of the sea” because numerous animal species rely on estuaries for nesting and breeding. Instead, the young fish seek protection within eelgrass meadows and beds of marine algae that grow within the estuary. The abundant plant life in estuaries provides a safe place for young fish to live. Estuaries are vital to the 17 native fish that migrate between fresh and salt water. 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