Captivating Creatures of the Deep
Did you know about 70 percent of our Earth’s surface is covered by the ocean? Bursting with an incredibly diverse ecosystem, from tiny microbes, to blue whales which are the largest animal on earth, the ocean is critical to our planet’s well-being. The ocean is powerful, epic, and mysterious, yet little is still known about its depths — we have a better understanding of the planet Mars than we do our own ocean floor! Grab your snorkels and meet the real life creatures of The Rainbow Fish!
Starfish: Their name is very misleading because, believe it or not, starfish are not actually fish! Although starfish live underwater, they are in fact not considered fish because they do not have a backbone, gills, scales, or fins. Instead starfish belong to a species called, invertebrates. Many scientists prefer to call them “sea stars” instead of starfish. You won’t find any starfish in Minnesota because they cannot survive in fresh water.
They move around with tiny tube feet. Incredibly, they are over 1,600 different species of starfish living in our ocean! They can live in many different habits, including warm tropical waters and icy polar regions of the ocean. Not all starfish look like a star with five arms, in fact, one species known as the sun star, can have up to 40 arms! Can you imagine having 40 arms?
If starfish are ever hurt by a predator and lose one of their arms, they are able to regrow a new arm thanks to their extraordinary ability to regenerate. It takes about a year for the new arm to grow back completely. Another interesting fact about these marvelous creatures is that they do not have blood, like us humans. Instead, they have a circulatory system made up primarily of sea water — yes, you read that correctly! You may also be surprised to find out that starfish can see with eyes at the end of each arm. With their many eyes, starfish can sense light and darkness which is very helpful to them when navigating around the ocean.
Check out these photographs below representing just a few of the different types of starfish found in our ocean. In order to help protect them from predators, which include types of fish, sharks and manta rays, starfish have an armor-like skin protection that is prickly. Their bright colors help them camouflage with coral and other plant life so that they can essentially disappear without a trace.
Starfish aren’t much for hanging out with friends. They prefer to live alone. The only time they are found socializing is when they eat together during certain times of the year. Starfish like to eat clams, oysters, and snails. The way they eat is fascinating. Starfish attach to their meal and then extend their stomach through their mouth.
Octopus are one of the most distinctive creatures of the ocean and known for their intelligence. Considered the “monster of the deep”, octopuses are famous for their rounded bodies, bulging eyes, and eight long arms complete with powerful suctions. They live in all parts of our world’s oceans but are plentiful in warm, tropical waters. They love deep, dark waters and live in dens built from rocks. They build the rock dens using their suction arms.
They posses an uncanny ability to blend into their surroundings. Octopuses are able to change their color to gray, brown, pink, blue or green in order to blend into their surroundings and keep a low profile. Octopuses can also shoot an inky fluid that darkens the water around them and makes it easier to escape.
In addition to their eight arms, octopuses have three hearts! One heart pumps blood throughout their bodies including their arms. The second and third heart pump blood through their gills, which enable octopuses to breathe underwater. Did you know octopuses have blue blood instead of red?
The reason why is the primary component of octopuses blood is hemocyanin, which contains copper. When they are swimming one of their hearts stops beating which exhausts the octopus and is the reason why they like to crawl on the ocean floor instead of swim.
Octopuses are carnivores. They eat small fish, crabs, clams, snails, and even other octopuses. They range in size and can weight 6 to 22 pounds on average. However, the giant Pacific octopus is quite larger. They can grow up to 16 feet long and weight as much as 110 pounds or more! There was one giant Pacific octopus discovered that weighed a whopping 600 pounds — can you image seeing one of these giants in real life?
Jellyfish: Jellyfish have inhabited our oceans for over 500 million years; that is longer than dinosaurs lived on Earth! Most jellyfish are clear but others can be are pink, yellow, blue, or purple. Like in The Rainbow Fish, some are bio-luminescent, which means they produce their own light. But beware: they can sting using their tendrils! A jellyfish sting can be painful to humans. They only sting humans when people accidentally touch them.
Jellyfish aren’t actually fish — they are invertebrates, meaning they do not have backbones. Jellyfish also do not have a brain, heart, bones, teeth, or blood! They like to eat fish, crabs, and tiny plants. Jellyfish are able to quickly digest their food in order to keep floating and not sink by the weight of their food.
Another interesting fact about jellyfish is that some scientists have found that certain types of jellyfish are able to reverse aging — we aren’t quite sure how jellyfish are able to do this. They reproduce by making clones of itself. The largest jellyfish ever found was a Lion’s Mane Jelly with a diameter of 7 feet 6 inches.
Firefly Squid: Firefly squids produce a cobalt blue color which allows them to communicate, confuse predators, and escape danger. Their special light-producing organs are called photophores. These photophores emit a deep blue light and thousands are found through their bodies, on the tips of the tentacles as well as around the eyes.
They use their bright lights to catch their prey which is normally planktonic crustaceans, small fishes, crabs, and shrimps. As their prey comes closer to their bright lights and the squids prepare to attack.
Firefly squids move around in the ocean using their tentacles. They live deep in the ocean, from 600 to 1,200 feet below sea level, but at night they like to swim to surface. They are found throughout the western Pacific Ocean.
In Japan, believe it or not, the firefly squid is a very popular delicacy. Millions of these creatures gather every year off the coast of Japan which creates a beautiful light show! How amazing would it be to see the ocean lit up by millions of firefly squids?! Typically, they don’t grow more than 3 inches; however, there is evidence to suggest that these tiny creatures might be able to see color like humans.
Rainbowfish: This small and energetic fish gets its name from its many colors and is part of the melanotaeniidae species. Their genus is Melanotaenia. While they are born a silver-white color, they grow more vibrant as they age and have a life span of about five years. They are a schooling fish, which means that they like to live in groups. Rainbowfish live in tropical climates and eat insects floating at the top of the water.
Rainbowfish are found in waters around northern and eastern Australia, New Guinea, and the islands of Indonesia and Madagascar! They are very popular fish for aquariums and fish tanks. Rainbowfish love to live with other fish and are very social creatures. When they are alone they get very lonely and don’t thrive. They are vertebrates, which means they have bones, and like other fish, they breathe oxygen in the water through gills. How cool would it be to be able to breathe underwater?
There are more than 70 species of rainbowfish grouped into several different families. That’s a lot of rainbows! They average about 4–6 inches long, and they have thin bodies.
Rainbowfish are omnivores, meaning they eat both plants and animals. They prefer bloodworms and tiny shrimp. When they eat a balanced diet they are brighter in color and healthier fish. As they get older, they start to take on the vibrant colors for which they’re named. Interestingly, males grow to be more colorful than the females.
This original stage adaptation of Marcus Pfister’s colorful stories uses innovative puppetry, striking scenic effects, and delightful original music that will mesmerize the entire family. Together, you’ll travel with the beautiful Rainbow Fish through the great unknown deep sea, discover new worlds, meet a wise octopus and a helpful starfish, and learn what it means to share your most prized possession. Experience this original stage adaptation of Marcus Pfister’s colorful stories using innovative puppetry, striking scenic effects, and delightful original music with your family March 10 — April 5, 2020 at CTC!
For tickets visit our website!
Produced by Mermaid Theatre of Nova Scotia
Written and Illustrated by Marcus Pfister
Directed and Designed by Jim Morrow
Composed by Steven Naylor
Best enjoyed by all ages
Lap passes will be available for children 3 years of age and younger.
Run time: One hour, with no intermission. Run time and other details are subject to change during rehearsal process.
Things to Know About the Show
- This show was created by Mermaid Theatre in Nova Scotia, Canada. It is based on the books The Rainbow Fish, Rainbow Fish Discovers the Deep Sea, and Opposites by Marcus Pfister.
- The puppets are painted with fluorescent paint, so they glow under black light! Along with visual storytelling, the show features pre-recorded music and narration of the stories.
- You may remember Mermaid Theatre from our 2013–2014 Season, in which they presented The Very Hungry Caterpillar and Other Eric Carle Favorites!
— Article by Tyler Quam
