Deep-sea environments are home to a vast array of bizarre and fascinating creatures that defy explanation. From the pelican eel’s massive mouth to the fangtooth fish’s enormous teeth, these deep-sea dwellers have evolved unique adaptations to survive in the harsh conditions of the ocean floor.
The Bizarre World of Deep-Sea Creatures
Deep-sea environments are home to a vast array of creatures that are unlike anything found on land. These bizarre beings inhabit the dark depths of the ocean floor ecosystem, which can reach up to 35,876 feet (10,935 meters) deep.
The deep sea is a vast, largely unexplored environment that covers over 70% of the Earth's surface.
It extends from about 200 meters to 11,000 meters below sea level.
The deepest part of the ocean, the Mariana Trench, reaches a depth of approximately 11,034 meters.
This region is characterized by extreme pressure, near-freezing temperatures, and total darkness.
Despite these conditions, unique ecosystems thrive in the deep sea, including giant tube worms, deep-sea fish, and hydrothermal vent creatures.
The Unexplored Deep Sea
The deep sea remains one of the planet’s largest and most unexplored ecosystems. It is filled with marine snow, a shower of organic materials that fall down from the shallow waters, providing food for many deep-sea organisms. Despite its vast size, much of the ‘deep sea’ remains unmapped and unexplored.
10 Bizarre Deep-Sea Creatures
Here are 10 creatures that inhabit the deep floors of the Pacific, Antarctic, Atlantic, and Indian Oceans:
Pelican Eel
The pelican eel is a gulper eel that uses its large, pelican-like mouth to gulp up its prey. It has a body that can expand to fit the prey it swallows whole. The pelican eel lives in the mesopelagic zone, at depths of 9,000 feet (2,700 meters) and more.
Fangtooth Fish
The ‘fangtooth fish’ is a rarely spotted deep-sea fish with two long sharp teeth that protrude from its upper jaw. Its teeth are the largest of any sea creature relative to its body size. The fangtooth fish hunts small crustaceans, cephalopods, and other deep-sea fishes by opening its mouth and sucking in.
The fangtooth fish (Anoplogaster cornuta) is a deep-sea species found in tropical and subtropical waters worldwide.
It has large, fang-like teeth and a mouth too small to close completely.
Fangtooths are nocturnal feeders, using their powerful jaws to capture prey in the dark depths.
They can grow up to 30 cm (12 in) in length and weigh up to 1 kg (2.2 lb).
Fangtooths are poorly understood due to their deep-sea habitat, but research suggests they play a crucial role in maintaining ocean ecosystems.
Japanese Spider Crab
The Japanese spider crab has a leg span of up to 12 feet (3.8 meters), making it the biggest crab in the world. It lives in the Pacific Ocean’s mesopelagic zone at depths from 660 to 1,800 feet (200 to 550 meters). The Japanese spider crab spends its days walking along the sea floor, scavenging for dead animals and plants.
Sea Cucumber
Sea cucumbers can survive in both shallow waters and the deep ocean. They use their tube feet to gather tiny bits of algae and decaying organisms on the sea floor. Sea cucumbers are part of the echinoderm family, which includes sea stars, sea urchins, and crinoids.
Frilled Shark
The ‘frilled shark‘ is a deep-sea dweller that looks more like an eel than a shark. It ranges from the pelagic to the benthic zones, with an upper limit of 164 feet (50 meters) below sea level and a lower limit of around 5,000 feet (1,500 meters) deep.
Giant Isopod
The giant isopod is a deep-sea crustacean related to roly-polys and pill bugs. It ranges in size from 3 to 20 inches (8 to 51 centimeters) long and lives from 550 to 7,020 feet (170 to 2,140 meters) deep.
Giant isopods are large crustaceans that inhabit the deep waters of the world's oceans.
They belong to the family Kiwaidae and can grow up to 76 cm in length, making them one of the largest isopod species.
These marine animals have a flat, oval-shaped body and a pair of claws for defense and feeding.
Giant isopods are found in deep-sea environments, including hydrothermal vents and shipwrecks, where they feed on decaying organic matter.
Giant Sea Spider
The giant sea spider has long, delicate legs extending from a smaller body. It prefers to live at the bottom of the ocean rather than in the corners of your ceiling. Some species of sea spiders are tiny, but the giant sea spider can be up to 20 inches (51 centimeters) long.
Sea Pig
Sea pigs are some of the weirder-looking deep-sea animals. They are not related to pigs but are instead a type of sea cucumber. Their other resemblance to pigs is that they will eat almost anything.
Deep-Sea Anglerfish
Anglerfish refer to around 200 deep-sea fish species found at various depths and in many sizes. They attract bioluminescent bacteria to a light-up lure, which attracts prey. The females of the species do all the hunting and are much larger than males.
Sea Angel
The sea angel is a type of swimming snail without a shell. Its transparent body is exposed, hence the name Gymnosomata, or ‘naked body.’ Sea angels prey on other swimming snails using a tentacle-like appendage to scoop the flesh out of the shell. Despite their predatory habits, sea angels are small, just 0.4 to 0.78 inches (1 to 2 centimeters) long.
These creatures are just a few examples of the bizarre and fascinating deep-sea animals that inhabit our planet’s largest ecosystem.
- howstuffworks.com | 10 Deep Sea Creatures That Are (Almost) Too Bizarre to Be Real
