There are so many amazing aquatic species out there, it’s practically impossible for any one person to see them all, even if they dedicated their entire life to marine biology research. To that end, I reckon every good marine bio enthusiast needs a Bucket List of species to strive to see before they die. I’m being really exclusive here – seeing it dead at a market or live in an aquarium counts to the life list. I’ve been lucky enough to see some incredible animals, but here’s the ten species I haven’t seen yet and am determined to before I shuffle off this mortal coil:
10. Humpheaded parrotfish – Bolbometapon muricatum
The largest of all parrotfish, these bad-boys can cruise across a reef like a pack of bulldogs, crunching everything in their path and leaving in their fecal wake the beautiful white beaches we all love so much. Next time you’re kicking back with your Kindle and a pina colada, say a quiet thank-you, or they may just decide to crunch your tarsals next time you go for a dip.
9. Basking shark – Cetorhinus maximus
I’ve been working on whale sharks for a few years now, but I’ve never been lucky enough to see the next-most famous filter feeding shark, the more temperate basking shark. What a mouth!
8. Blue marlin – Makaira nigricans/mazara
The fabled king of billfish, I’d love to reel in a Zane Grey class beast, grab a photo and send it on it’s way to continue terrorising bait balls. 
7. Ribbon seal – Histriophoca fasciata
I’ve been lucky enough to work with walrus and even touched a leopard seal once, but the ribbon seal still fascinates me. It’s the Commerson’s dolphin the of the pinniped world 
6. Geoduck – Panopea generosa
Partly for the name, partly for the bizarre habits and partly to taste one, I’d love to dig a duck one day. 
5. Leatherback turtle – Dermochelys coriacea
Not a little one either. I want to see a grizzled old giant who could tell me what the pelagic zone was like a half a century ago. What a magnificent animal.
4. Oarfish – Regalecus glesne
Probably the longest of all bony fish, I want to see one while blue water diving one day: 30 foot of silver slab rising vertically (which is their normal orientation) from the depths. Wouldn’t that be awesome? 
3. Wonderpus – Wunderpus photogenicus
It’s a near tie between the wonderpus and the mimic octopus, but I have to give it to this most incredible octopod. I will see one one day, oh yes, I will see one. It means diving in the heart of the coral triangle, which I haven’t yet done. Reasons to live… 
2. Flying squid – Todarodes pacificus
Maybe while I’m over that way I’ll also be lucky enough to see a flying squid. When I first heard of these, I thought they were a joke. No joke, and proof that cephalopods can do anything a fish can do, and more. 
1. Blue whale – Balaenoptera musculus
It doesn’t matter where you fall on the cetaceans vs. the rest debate, there is no denying the blue whale. Move over Jurassic Park, this is the largest animal to have lived on this planet. Ever. You can bet if an opportunity ever comes up to see one of these 100 ft, 200 ton behemoths, I’ll drop whatever I’m doing and grab it.
That’s my marine biology bucket list. What’s on yours?
EDIT – I thought I’d add in some of the other fantastic reader suggestions for a marine biologist’s Bucket List:
Coelacanth – Latimeria spp.
In theory a “living fossil” but that phrase is loathed by most professional biologists. Certainly an important step on the path to tetrapody
Ping pong tree sponge – Chondrocladia spp.
Several species of bizarre deep-sea sponges that look more like Christmas ornaments than animals
Garden eels –Heteroconger, Gorgasia, Taenioconger
We have two species of these in the aquarium collection, so I can check this one off, but it sure would be cool to see a whole field of them in their natural setting
Leafy sea dragon – Phycodurus equus
You can see these in most major public aquariums these days. Totally spectacular Aussie seahorse relative
Galapagos iguana – There are two species of iguana in the Galapagos, the long faced one Conolophus subcristatus, which is terrestrial, and the marine short-faced one Amblyrhynchus cristatus, which uses that stubby profile to help crop macroalgae in the surf zone. The only known amphibious marine lizard.
Giant tube-worm – Riftia pachyptila
Keystone species in many deep-sea hydrothermal vent communities
Dumbo octopus – Any of several deep midwater dwelling pelagic octopus that have funky accessory flaps on their mantle, rather like elephant ears, that aid in propulsion:
Christmas Island red crab – Geocarcoidea natalis
One of the most amazing migrations known consists of a teming horde of these little guys swarming across the Australian territory of Christmas Island in the Indian Ocean
Yeti crab – Kiwa hirsuta
A hydrothermal vent specialist
Thresher shark – Alopias vulpinus
Easily the most amazing tail of any shark.
Bioluminescence. I chose firefly squid – Watasenia scintillans
great list, i’d kill to see some Giant Australian Cuttlefish. I’ve always wanted to see a box jelly as well (that may not end well, but would still love to see one)
You know I had box jelly and scrubbed it!
I’d want to see these all in the wild, well except for 10 — my list would be: 10. vent crabs 9. mimic octopus 8. any Nudibranchia , 7. Dumbo Octopus 6. Leafy sea dragons 5. Stonefish 4. All of the crabs on Christmas Island 3 the unofficially named “Hoff Crab” (type of Yeti crab) 2. Harlequin Shrimp & 1. BLOBFISH! (Before it goes extinct :< )
I guess the problem isnt seeing box jellies, its NOT seeing box jellies!
Off the top of my head:
– Coelacanth
– Weedy Seadragon
– The Bloop
– This Crew: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xeOSXtBCY30
– Giant Pacific Octopus, for a hug: https://fbcdn-sphotos-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-snc7/422358_10150557971047482_5835757481_8893097_1014563323_n.jpg
– Sea Pens in the tannin-stained waters of the Sunken Valley
– Any critter found in a stretch of water-filled cavern between two cenotes in Mexico, preferably near Chichen Itza (had to throw a freshie in there)
– Sharktopus (I kid..I kid!!) make that a cookie-cutter shark
– Colossal squid
– Daryl Hannah (though Merbellas would be an acceptable substitute)
– Nessie (okay, another freshie)
oooh, how could i forget coelacanth!
My bucket list:
(Which is more action than observation).
Swiming with Anthias in the Red Sea.
Observing Riftia at a hydrothermal
vent (vs vent crabs).
Swimming with Whale Sharks; if riding in the
pressure wave is even close to surfing, I’m in.
And not in any particular order:
Galapagos Marine Iguana while
eating his algae lunch.
Polar Bear (underwater of course).
Items stolen from others:
Leafy Sea Dragons
Coelacanth
Basking Shark
Blue Marlin
and the Flying Squid which
I heard of the first time here.
Thanks. I fun making this list.
My own bucket list:
Humboldt squid
Any cone snail
Spanish dancer
Great white shark
Whale shark
Leafy seadragon
Coelacanth
Leatherback turtle
Orca
Blue whale
See? Everyone picks the leafy seadragon. That’s one reason I picked the weedy seadragon for my first tattoo. ;)
As for the cone snail, I actually “caught” one while skindiving in the waters of Belize. I took off my fin and bootie, filled the bootie with air, and used it like a slurp-gun. Probably not the smartest thing I ever did.
These are awesome lists!
My additions:
nautilus
horseshoe crab
yeti crab
ping pong tree sponge
mantis shrimp
vase sponge
thrasher shark
giant manta ray
that super old seagrass meadow in the Mediterranean
garden eels
Already Listed Above:
marine iguana
whale shark
orca
oarfish
coelacanth
I’d like to in the midst of baitball action, birds diving from above, sharks coralling from below, David Attenborough narrating next to me.
Neptune Grass…. good call
1 – a living Polychelidae, seing them in alcool isn’t sufficient
2 – a horseshoe crab (too bad, they don’t live on European coast)
3 – an Architeuthis dux or/and an Humbolt squid.
4 – a dancing yeti crab
5 – bioluminescence of mesopelagic critters in situ
6 – a large mantis shrimp
7 – a whale shark
8 – a blue whale
I’m gonna bum you out just a little: there isn’t much bow wave on a whale shark. They’re so streamlined that you don’t even feel them before contact is made; I have taken surprise bumps on a number of occasions. You can get a *little* lift if you swim above their pec fin, but you really shouldn’t be that close anyway: that tail is like a swinging ping pong table and can do you some damage if you aren’t extremely careful
I was lucky enough to see a juvenile basking shark in the waters of my hometown in South Devon a couple of years ago. Just seeing that unmistakable shadow – with its mouth open! – gliding alongside the boat was enough to send me into such excitement to take a photo I tripped over a step and was bruised for a week. Worth it.
I’m with you on the blue whale. While I’m not wild about this guy’s approach, the shot at 2:13 onwards is incredible: http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=HVtw94PJ8XA#!
1 – Spikefin Goby – Discordipinna griessingeri
2 – Bearded Filefish – Anacanthus barbatus
3 – Spawning Christmas tree worms (really, the image is beautiful)
The blanket octopus Tremoctopus violaceus is a personal must that hasn’t been mentioned yet!
For blue whale sightings, try the south coast of Sri Lanka. The local whale-watching boat trip has had daily sightings for the last month.
This Monday, I saw five of them. I almost cried.
If you’re in the US and can’t travel to Sri Lanka (SO JEALOUS, Ed…sounded AMAZING) you can also come here to SoCal! Blue whales are frequently off Santa Barbara in summer, and we frequently see them just off La Jolla (San Diego) as well. Here’s a video I took this spring.
but the ocean is on the wrong side, over there!
Swimming with Whale Sharks; if riding in the
pressure wave is even close to surfing, I’m in.
And not in any particular order:
Galapagos Marine Iguana while
eating his algae lunch.