Coral reef animals 19 riddles for kids, with the answers

Riddles

Who am I? Guess the animal

Read a riddle to a friend, one clue at a time. How many clues do they need? The last clue gives it away. Tap Show me to check the answer.

1. ?Riddle 1

   1. 1

      I live on warm coral reefs and swim around all day with my group.

   2. 2

      When I get scared, I dive into a crack in the coral and squeeze in tight.

   3. 3

      I swim by flapping my side fins, like rowing a boat, not by wagging my tail.

   4. 4

      I have a sharp spine on each side of my tail, like a doctor's tiny knife.

   5. 5

      I'm bright blue with a yellow tail, and a forgetful fish like me helps look for Nemo.

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   It's the blue tang! Blue tang facts for kids

2. ?Riddle 2

   1. 1

      I live in warm, shallow seas near Asia and Australia, on bright coral reefs.

   2. 2

      I make popping and clicking sounds with my teeth when we argue about who is the boss.

   3. 3

      I wave my fins over my eggs so they get fresh water to breathe.

   4. 4

      My slimy coat keeps me safe inside a home that stings other fish.

   5. 5

      I'm bright orange with three white bands, and I starred in a famous cartoon about a lost little fish.

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   It's the clownfish! Clownfish facts for kids

3. ?Riddle 3

   1. 1

      I live in warm seas all over the world, together with my family group.

   2. 2

      I sleep with only half my brain at a time, so I never forget to breathe.

   3. 3

      I have my very own special whistle, and my friends use it just like a name.

   4. 4

      Underwater, I blow rings of bubbles and play with them, just for fun.

   5. 5

      I'm grey with a friendly smile, and I love to leap out of the waves beside boats.

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   It's the dolphin! Dolphin facts for kids

4. ?Riddle 4

   1. 1

      I live in seas near the coast, all over the world.

   2. 2

      I catch food in sticky slime on my body, and tiny hairs sweep it to my mouth.

   3. 3

      Once, more than two thousand tiny ones like me flew into space.

   4. 4

      I have no brain, no heart, no blood and no bones at all.

   5. 5

      I'm a soft, see-through bell that drifts in the sea, and if you swim too close, I can sting.

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   It's the jellyfish! Jellyfish facts for kids

5. ?Riddle 5

   1. 1

      I live in the sea and hide in a cosy den among the rocks.

   2. 2

      I have no bones at all, so I can squeeze through a hole the size of a coin.

   3. 3

      I can change my colour in less than a second.

   4. 4

      I have three hearts, and my blood is blue.

   5. 5

      I have eight long arms covered in suckers.

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   It's the octopus! Octopus facts for kids

6. ?Riddle 6

   1. 1

      I live in warm, shallow seas all over the world, often among seagrass.

   2. 2

      I have no stomach, so I must eat tiny shrimp almost all day long.

   3. 3

      My eyes move on their own, so one looks for food while the other watches for danger.

   4. 4

      I swim very slowly, so I hold on tight to seagrass with my square tail.

   5. 5

      In my family, the dad carries the eggs in a pouch on his belly and gives birth to the babies.

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   It's the seahorse! Seahorse facts for kids

7. ?Riddle 7

   1. 1

      I live in ponds, rivers and warm seas, almost everywhere in the world.

   2. 2

      I lived alongside the dinosaurs, and I'm still here long after they're gone.

   3. 3

      When I live in the sea, I cry salty tears to get rid of the extra salt.

   4. 4

      My babies, small as bottle caps, find the sea by heading toward the brightest sky.

   5. 5

      I can never crawl out of my hard shell, because my ribs and backbone are joined to it.

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   It's the turtle! Turtle facts for kids

8. ?Riddle 8

   1. 1

      I breathe air, but I spend my whole life in deep oceans all over the world.

   2. 2

      I have no teeth, so I strain tiny shrimp called krill from huge gulps of seawater.

   3. 3

      My tongue alone can weigh as much as a whole elephant.

   4. 4

      Even though I'm giant, my throat is too narrow to ever swallow a person.

   5. 5

      I'm the biggest animal that has ever lived, even bigger than any dinosaur.

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   It's the whale! Whale facts for kids

9. ?Riddle 9

   1. 1

      I live in warm, shallow seas near coral reefs and sandy beaches.

   2. 2

      I have no bones at all, my skeleton is made of the same bendy stuff as your ears.

   3. 3

      I grow new teeth my whole life, so every tooth I lose gets replaced.

   4. 4

      I often swim in water so shallow that the fin on my back sticks out of the sea.

   5. 5

      All my fins look dipped in black ink, especially the tall one on my back.

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   It's the blacktip reef shark! Blacktip reef shark facts for kids

10. ?Riddle 10

    1. 1

       I live in warm, shallow, sunny sea water near Australia and Asia.

    2. 2

       Once I settle down on the reef, I stay in that same spot for my whole life.

    3. 3

       Tiny living specks in my soft lips make food for me from sunlight.

    4. 4

       My soft body has hundreds of tiny spots that work like eyes and notice shadows.

    5. 5

       I'm heavier than two grown-ups, and my two huge wavy shells open wide on the reef.

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    It's the giant clam! Giant clam facts for kids

11. ?Riddle 11

    1. 1

       I live in warm seas and spend my days tucked inside a hole in the reef.

    2. 2

       I can't see very well, so I sniff out my food with little tube-shaped nostrils.

    3. 3

       A second set of jaws hides in my throat and shoots forward to grab my food.

    4. 4

       Tiny shrimp pick pests off me, sometimes even from inside my mouth.

    5. 5

       I'm a long snaky fish, I look green, and I keep opening and closing my mouth.

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    It's the green moray! Green moray facts for kids

12. ?Riddle 12

    1. 1

       I live on warm coral reefs, and during the day I like to rest in caves.

    2. 2

       I can go for weeks or even months without eating anything at all.

    3. 3

       I squirt little jets of water at small fish, and that may confuse them.

    4. 4

       I trap small fish against the reef with my wide fins, then swallow them in one fast gulp.

    5. 5

       I'm striped, my big fins look like a mane, and my long spines carry venom.

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    It's the lionfish! Lionfish facts for kids

13. ?Riddle 13

    1. 1

       I live in a burrow I dig in the sand near coral reefs in warm seas.

    2. 2

       My eyes sit on moving stalks and can look in two different directions at once.

    3. 3

       My eyes can see special light that people cannot see at all.

    4. 4

       I smash open snail shells and clams with my two strong hammer arms.

    5. 5

       My punch is so fast that it makes bubbles pop, and it can even crack aquarium glass.

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    It's the mantis shrimp! Mantis shrimp facts for kids

14. ?Riddle 14

    1. 1

       I live in warm, shallow sea water near coral, and I sleep at night.

    2. 2

       I swim by flapping my side fins like wings, and I use my tail to dash fast.

    3. 3

       At night I blow a see-through slime bubble around me, like a cozy sleeping bag.

    4. 4

       I scrape algae off coral, and the bits I swallow come out of me as white sand.

    5. 5

       I'm bright and colorful, and my teeth are joined into a hard beak like a talking bird's.

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    It's the parrotfish! Parrotfish facts for kids

15. ?Riddle 15

    1. 1

       I live in warm seas all over the world, and some of my cousins live in rivers.

    2. 2

       I swim slowly, but I can hover, swim backwards and spin on the spot like a tiny helicopter.

    3. 3

       My teeth are joined into a beak like a parrot's, and I crunch open crab shells.

    4. 4

       Some of us draw giant circle patterns in the sand, and for years nobody knew who made them.

    5. 5

       When I'm scared, I gulp water and swell up like a spiky balloon.

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    It's the pufferfish! Pufferfish facts for kids

16. ?Riddle 16

    1. 1

       I live in warm, clear seas and spend my days hiding in cracks in the reef.

    2. 2

       When I was a baby, I was flat and see-through and floated in the ocean for months.

    3. 3

       To grow, I wriggle out of my hard shell, then hide until my new one gets hard.

    4. 4

       I can scare off hungry fish by rubbing my feelers against my head to make a creaky noise.

    5. 5

       I have ten legs, no big claws, blue-green stripes and very long spiky feelers.

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    It's the spiny lobster! Spiny lobster facts for kids

17. ?Riddle 17

    1. 1

       I live in warm, shallow seas near America, and I look for food mostly at night.

    2. 2

       When I rest, I flick sand over my back until only my eyes peek out.

    3. 3

       Two little holes behind my eyes let me breathe even when my mouth is buried in sand.

    4. 4

       My babies are born rolled up like little burritos, and they can swim right away.

    5. 5

       I glide underwater on wide flat fins like wings, and my long thin tail has a stinging spine.

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    It's the stingray! Stingray facts for kids

18. ?Riddle 18

    1. 1

       I live in warm, shallow sea water near coral reefs.

    2. 2

       I can sit perfectly still for hours, waiting for a snack to swim close.

    3. 3

       I open my huge mouth and suck in a shrimp faster than you can blink.

    4. 4

       Sharp spines on my back carry strong venom, so please never step on me!

    5. 5

       I look so much like a rock covered in seaweed that little fish swim right up to me.

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    It's the stonefish! Stonefish facts for kids

19. ?Riddle 19

    1. 1

       I live in the warm, shallow sea near Asia and Australia, and I'm about as long as your finger.

    2. 2

       I'm busy all day long, and at night I hide in a crack in the reef to sleep.

    3. 3

       I do a bouncy up and down dance so passing fish know my shop is open.

    4. 4

       Even sharks and manta rays swim over to my reef just so I can pick tiny bugs off them.

    5. 5

       Big fish open their mouths wide so I can swim right inside and wash them, and they never eat me.

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    It's the cleaner wrasse! Cleaner wrasse facts for kids