The Intriguing Multicellular Nature Of Green Sea Turtles

is a green sea turtle multicellular

The green sea turtle (*Chelonia mydas*) is a species of large sea turtle found in tropical and subtropical waters worldwide. It is the only species in the genus *Chelonia*, and its range extends across the Atlantic, Indian, and Pacific Oceans. Green sea turtles are easily recognised by their shell, which covers most of their body, except for their flippers and head. They have paddle-like limbs that enable them to move swiftly and effortlessly through the water. These turtles are highly migratory and undertake complex migrations between feeding grounds and hatching beaches. They are also long-lived, with some individuals reaching maturity and living up to 90 years in the wild. Given these characteristics, the question arises: are green sea turtles multicellular?

Characteristics Values
Scientific Name Chelonia mydas
Common Name Green sea turtle, green turtle, black (sea) turtle, Pacific green turtle
Description Single pair of prefrontal scales, small and blunt head, serrated jaw, bony carapace without ridges, large non-overlapping scutes, paddle-like flippers
Size Adults: 3-4 ft in carapace length (83-114 cm), up to 5 ft in length, weight: 110-420 lbs (68-190 kg)
Weight Up to 700 lbs
Diet Juveniles: omnivores, eat insects, crustaceans, seagrasses, algae, worms; Adults: herbivores, eat seagrass and algae
Habitat Tropical and subtropical coastal waters, near coastline and islands, bays, protected shores, seagrass beds
Nesting Every 2 years, 3-5 times per season, 75-200 eggs per nest, incubation period: 60 days
Range Temperate and tropical waters worldwide
Status Endangered
Threats Commercial harvest for eggs and food, hunting, caught in fishing gear, loss of nesting beach sites

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The green sea turtle's shell is not always green

The green sea turtle (Chelonia mydas) is a species of large sea turtle. Despite its name, a green sea turtle's shell is not always green. The shell, which covers most of the animal's body except for its flippers and head, is typically a blend of different colours, including brown, olive, grey, or black. The underside is a yellowish-white colour. The green sea turtle's head has brown and yellow markings.

The green sea turtle's shell is heart-shaped and smooth, with a pair of large, paddle-like flippers. These dense, heavy animals can reach three to four feet in length and weigh up to 350 pounds. They are found in warm subtropical and tropical ocean waters worldwide and nest in over 80 countries.

The colour of a green sea turtle's shell can vary depending on the population. In the Atlantic, Indian, and Pacific Oceans, there are populations with different colourings and markings. For example, in the eastern Pacific populations, parts of the carapace can be almost black. Additionally, the hatchlings of green sea turtles have mostly black carapaces and light-coloured plastrons, while the carapaces of juveniles turn dark brown to olive. As they mature, their shells become entirely brown, spotted, or marbled with variegated rays.

The green sea turtle's name comes from the greenish colour of the fat found beneath its shell, which is a result of its diet of strictly seagrass. This fat layer is only found in a layer between their inner organs and their shell.

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They are highly migratory and undertake complex movements

Green sea turtles are highly migratory and undertake complex movements and migrations. They migrate long distances between feeding grounds and hatching beaches, with some swimming more than 1,600 miles to reach their spawning grounds.

Green sea turtles are found in tropical and subtropical seas worldwide, with two distinct populations in the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans, and a presence in the Indian Ocean. They nest in over 80 countries and live in the coastal areas of more than 140 countries.

In the United States, green sea turtles are most commonly found in the Hawaiian Islands, Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, and the east coast of Florida. Less frequent nesting occurs in Georgia, South Carolina, and North Carolina. Globally, the largest populations of sea turtles are in the Great Barrier Reef in Australia and the Caribbean Sea.

Green sea turtles move across three habitat types, depending on their life stage. They lay their eggs on beaches, and mature turtles spend most of their time in shallow, coastal waters with lush seagrass beds. Adults frequent inshore bays, lagoons, and shoals with seagrass meadows. Entire generations often migrate between one pair of feeding and nesting areas.

Green sea turtles typically swim at 2.5-3 km/h (1.6-1.9 mph). They are solitary, nighttime nesters.

The life history of green sea turtles involves a series of stages of development from hatchling to adult. After emerging from the nest, hatchlings swim to offshore areas, where they live for several years in pelagic habitat. Juveniles eventually leave the open ocean and travel to nearshore foraging grounds in shallow coastal habitats, where they mature into adulthood and spend the rest of their lives. Adults migrate every 2-5 years from their coastal foraging areas to the waters off the nesting beaches where they originally hatched to reproduce.

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They are endangered and threatened by overharvesting of their eggs

Green sea turtles are endangered and face various threats, including overharvesting of their eggs. The green sea turtle (Chelonia mydas) is a species of large sea turtle native to warm, tropical waters. They are highly migratory and undertake complex movements and migrations.

Female green sea turtles only breed every three to four years, and when they do, they make a long migration back to their natal beach – the beach where they were born. There, they dig a hole in the sand and lay anywhere from 75 to 200 eggs. After about two months, the eggs hatch, and the hatchlings make their way to the water.

The overharvesting of green sea turtle eggs is a significant threat to this endangered species. Poachers hunt for green turtle eggs, and the eggs are also used in ceremonies and medicinal remedies in some parts of the world, such as West Africa. The overharvesting of eggs, along with the hunting of adults, being caught in fishing gear, and the loss of nesting beach sites due to coastal development, all contribute to the decline of the green sea turtle population.

In addition to overharvesting, green sea turtles face threats such as bycatch, climate change, and natural predators. Hundreds of thousands of green sea turtles are accidentally caught in fishing nets each year, and climate change can cause rising sea levels and altered water temperatures, disorienting the turtles and introducing new predators.

Conservation efforts are underway to protect green sea turtles, including the enactment of laws and regulations, such as the Endangered Species Act in the United States, and the development of marine protected areas to ensure safe nesting and feeding sites for the turtles. Despite these efforts, the green sea turtle population continues to decrease, and they remain endangered.

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Green sea turtles are the only herbivores among sea turtle species

Green sea turtles (Chelonia mydas) are the only herbivores among sea turtle species. They are also the largest hard-shelled sea turtles and are found in tropical and subtropical waters worldwide. Their name comes from the greenish colour of their body fat, not their shells, which are usually olive to black.

The diet of green sea turtles consists mainly of seagrass and algae, although they may also eat sponges, invertebrates, and discarded fish. Their jaws are serrated to help them chew these plants easily. This diet is thought to contribute to their slow growth rate due to its low nutritional value. As a result, it takes green sea turtles 20 to 50 years to reach sexual maturity, and they can live up to 90 years in the wild.

Green sea turtles play an important ecological role by maintaining the health of seagrass beds. They do this by trimming only the top of the seagrass, leaving the roots intact. This promotes the growth of the seagrass and provides habitat and food for many species of fish and crustaceans.

Green sea turtles have a complex life cycle. After hatching, they rarely return to land and instead feed in offshore areas. Juveniles eventually leave these open ocean habitats and migrate to nearshore foraging grounds in shallow coastal waters, where they mature into adults. Adults then migrate back to their natal beaches—the beaches where they were born—to reproduce.

Green sea turtles are highly migratory and can travel long distances, even across oceans, to return to their preferred breeding sites. They are strong swimmers, reaching speeds of up to 40 miles per hour. However, they are vulnerable to threats such as bycatch in fishing gear, climate change, hunting, and loss of nesting beach sites due to coastal development. As a result, they are classified as an endangered species.

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They are named for the greenish colour of their fat and cartilage

The green sea turtle (Chelonia mydas) is a species of large sea turtle. Its name is derived from the greenish colour of its fat and cartilage, rather than the colour of its shell, which is typically olive to black. The green sea turtle is the only species in the genus Chelonia and is found in tropical and subtropical seas worldwide.

The green sea turtle's diet consists of seagrass and algae, which is reflected in the greenish hue of its fat. This diet is unusual among sea turtles, as the green sea turtle is the only species within the Cheloniidae family that is strictly herbivorous as an adult. The turtles maintain the health of seagrass beds by biting off the tips of the blades, which promotes growth. This also provides habitat and food sources for various fish and crustacean species.

The green sea turtle's body is dorsoventrally flattened, with a teardrop-shaped carapace and paddle-like flippers. The carapace, or shell, is typically heart-shaped and can be brown, olive, grey, or black. The underside of the shell is yellowish-white, and the turtle's head has brown and yellow markings.

The green sea turtle's fat is not the only greenish part of its body; its cartilage also has a greenish tint. This colouring is due to the turtle's consumption of vegetation. Over time, the turtle's body fat turns green from eating plants, algae, and seagrass.

The green sea turtle's scientific name, Chelonia mydas, reflects the unique characteristics of this species. The genus Chelonia refers to the fact that it is the only species in its genus. The species name, mydas, likely signifies the turtle's diet and resulting green fat, which is a distinguishing feature among sea turtles.

Frequently asked questions

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A green sea turtle is a species of large sea turtle, typically recognised by its shell. It is the only species in the genus Chelonia and is found in tropical and subtropical waters worldwide.

The shell of a green sea turtle is heart-shaped and smooth, without ridges. It is usually olive to black in colour, but can also be brown, grey, or a blend of colours with stripes. The underside is yellowish-white.

Green sea turtles are large, heavy animals, weighing between 150-419 lbs (68-190 kg) on average, with some individuals reaching weights of up to 694 lbs (315 kg). They can grow to be 5 ft (152 cm) long.

Adult green sea turtles are herbivores and feed on seagrass and algae. Juvenile green turtles are omnivores and also eat meat, including crabs, jellyfish, and sponges.

Yes, green sea turtles are listed as an endangered species. They are threatened by overharvesting of their eggs, hunting, accidental capture in fishing gear, and loss of nesting beach sites due to coastal development.

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