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The deep sea is home to weird and marvellous creatures that , over millions of years , have evolved specific traits to hold up the extreme conditions of their habitat . Theseadaptations to their environmenthave resulted in some truly foreign - look animals .
Scientists define the thick sea as encompass all ocean urine below 656 foot ( 200 meters ) . In these region , sun filter through the water from above begin to dwindle down , giving means to a land of complete darkness , frigid temperatures and squelch insistence .
Viperfish (Chauliodus) are deep-sea weirdos with needle-sharp teeth and light-producing organs arranged all along their bodies.
Some of the recondite - dwelling animals have adapted to the abysm by adopting light - produce organs to attract prey or signal to each other . Others have evolved gigantic mouths , expandible stomachs or mismatched center . disregardless of their specific traits , bass - sea creatures have trance the imagination of many people due to their otherworldly — and often nightmarish — appearance .
Thanks to much geographic expedition over the retiring few decades , scientists have described quite a few of our deep - dwelling neighbors . So , without further ado , here are 32 of the weirdest creatures that inhabit the deep sea .
Snipe eel
Snipe eels ( family Nemichthyidae ) have beak - like jaw and slender physical structure . They are found at astuteness between 980 and 2,000 feet ( 300 to 600 m ) , although some individuals have been hauled up from 14,800 feet ( 4,500 m ) deep . Relative to their sizing , snipe eel have big eyes , which the eel apply to avoid vulture . Their jaws are sheer upward and remain capable as they drown so the eel can snatch fair game on their path . Snipe eels can grow up to 6.6 invertebrate foot ( 2 mebibyte ) long , count on the species . ( Nine metal money have been described so far . )
Frilled shark
The frilled shark ( Chlamydoselachus anguineus ) flummox its name from the frilly appearance of its gill slits . This deep - sea shark has an elongated , eel - similar body that grows up to 6.6 human foot ( 2 m ) long , as well as a heavy , flattened head . It is found worldwide and swims by undulating its body like a snake . The frilled shark is an active marauder with several run-in of needle - sharp , three - pointed teeth , which it uses to rive up its favorite repast of squid , as well as fish and other sharks . investigator seldom encounter frilled sharks , cue them to think the coinage is distribute in speckle of the deep ocean .
Giant sea spider
Giant sea spider ( Colossendeis ) have lank legs that can stretch blanket than a dinner party scale . They live on the Arctic and Antarctic ocean storey down to depths of 13,100 feet ( 4,000 m ) , where they lumber along in hunt of nutrient and mate . Like other sea spider , they deal a vulgar root with spiders and crabs but have been evolving as a separate group for hundreds of zillion of years . Giant ocean spiders put up their full of life organs , including their breathing setup , in their stilt - like legs . Instead of spinning a web as mundane spiders do , they expend a prospicient , tubelike mouthpart to slurp up prey , including anemone , worms , jellies and parasite .
Gulper eel
guzzler eel ( Saccopharynx ) , also known as pelican eels , are a genus of cryptical - sea fish withslender bodies and huge mouthsthat swing open to live with prey of all sizes whole . They are found throughout the world ’s ocean in the twilight zone , which stretch between 660 and 3,300 feet ( 200 to 1,000 m ) deep , and the midnight zone , which extend between 3,300 and 13,100 feet ( 1,000 to 4,000 m ) below the surface .
The whiptail guzzler eel ( Saccopharynx lavenbergi ) , for instance , lives980 to 6,600 foot ( 300 to 2,000 m ) deepin the Eastern Pacific Ocean . This eel grow to about 3.3 foot ( 1 m ) recollective and feeds mainly on small Pisces . It swims by undulating its body , which has a glowing tip that scientist think might act as a bioluminescent sweetener to appeal fair game .
Cookiecutter shark
The cookiecutter shark ( Isistius brasiliensis ) is a small , cigar - shaped shark thatlatches onto prey of all sizesand uses its serrated bottom teeth tocarve out circular chunks of physical body . Cookiecutter sharks grow to between 16.5 and 22 inches ( 42 to 56 centimeter ) long . They live in tropic and temperate oceans worldwide , inhabiting depth below 3,300 animal foot ( 1,000 m ) during the day and migrating up to aerofoil waters at night to feed , according to theFlorida Museum of Natural History . Although cookiecutter shark are generally harmless to humans due to their deep - weewee habitat , four masses have report unprovoked insect bite off the coast of Hawaii , allot to the museum .
Dumbo octopus
There are 17 species of dumbo octopus ( Grimpoteuthis ) , which are named after Disney ’s loveable elephant character . These octopus , which belong to to the larger umbrella octopus family Opisthoteuthidae , have two auricle - like tailfin widen from above each eye . Like other umbrella octopuses , dumbo octopuses have net between their arms that overspread out to look like an umbrella .
Dumbo devilfish are thedeepest living of all known octopuses , inhabiting ocean depths of at least 13,100 feet ( 4,000 m ) . In 2020 , scientistsfilmed a dumbo octopus22,825 understructure ( 6,957 m ) below the surface of the Indian Ocean . Dumbo octopuses measure about 8 inches ( 20 cm ) tall andswim by gently flapping their " ears . " They use their webbing to hover over the seafloor while research for food , including snails and worms .
Viperfish
thick - sea viperfish ( Chauliodus ) have needle - comparable teeth that they can open wide enough to engulf quarry and close again to shape a cage - like maw . Some species , such as the Pacific viperfish ( Chauliodus macouni ) , have two fang that protrude from the bottom jaw andpast the fishes ' own eyes . Others , including the Sloane ’s viperfish ( Chauliodus sloani ) , have fangs that are so big , a Pisces can not close down its back talk without puncture its mind .
Most metal money of viperfish inhabit the twilight zone , between 660 and 3,300 feet ( 200 to 1,000 m ) thick . Viperfish typically grow to about 12 inch ( 30 curium ) long . Some species , including the Sloane ’s viperfish , have light - bring forth organs on their belly , which they apply to blend in with the 1 % of light that click water system below 660 feet .
Goblin shark
The goblin shark ( Mitsukurina owstoni ) is a large , exotic - search sharkwith a shovel - similar snout and a back talk it uses to reel at and snap prey . Last year , fishers rive a 15.4 - metrical foot - long ( 4.7 molar concentration ) pregnant femalefrom the waters off Taiwan , but the maximum size of these sharks is strange , consort to the Florida Museum of Natural History .
small is known about goblin shark , except that they last in deep water supply along continental slope and seamounts . The deepest recorded somebody was hale up from 4,265 feet ( 1,300 m ) deep . scientist recall goblin sharks hunt prey , such as calamari and crustaceans , bydetecting changes in electric theatre of operations . Once the shark are close enough , their jaws shoot outward to bolt up the unsuspicious animal .
Siphonophores
A siphonophore ( order Siphonophorae ) is a colony of genetically identical polyps , or zooid , that acts like one being . Each zooid performs a function essential to the survival of the fittest of the whole colony , such as catch prey , digesting intellectual nourishment or reproducing . siphonophore can grow to extraordinary lengths , with thelargest colony on recordmeasuring 154 feet ( 47 megabyte ) foresightful and 49 feet ( 15 m ) in diam . Usually , though , siphonophore do n’t spring up much dense than a broom handle .
scientist have named more than 175 species of siphonophore , including deep - sea colonies that radiate green , blue and sometimes red to attract prey . The giant siphonophore ( Praya dubia ) , for model , is abioluminescent creature that turns bright bluewhen it bumps against other physical object and fauna . It populate between 2,300 and 3,300 feet ( 700 to 1,000 m ) deep .
Greenland shark
The greenland shark ( Somniosus nanocephaly ) is an extremely long - lived shark species that inhabits North Atlantic and Arctic waters down to depth of about 4,000 feet ( 1,200 m ) . Researchersestimatethat Greenland shark last at least 250 age and perchance more than 500 long time , which make them the longest - lived craniate known to science . They can grow up to 24 feet ( 7.3 m ) long . Greenland shark are slow swimmers , so it ’s likely that theyambush their fair game or scavenge for carrion . masses in northern regions trace these sharks for their essence and skin , which can be used to make leather . The build is poisonous when eaten raw , but it becomes comestible when it is dry out .
Sea pig
Sea pigs ( Scotoplanes ) are a group of deep - dwell sea Cucumis sativus that have stilt - like pipe feet on their bellies . As their name suggests , ocean pigs are pink . They use their metro animal foot to weed through muddy sediment in hunt of food , such as morsel of algae and dead beast that have fallen to the seafloor . Sea pigs grow to between 1.5 and 6 inches ( 4 to 15 cm ) long and live down to deepness of 22,000 understructure ( 6,700 m ) , accord to theMonterey Bay Aquarium . The rosy ocean cucumbers sometimes pucker in huge herds to feast on the sunken carcass of large animals , like hulk .
Goosefish
Goosefish ( Lophiidae ) are a type of anglerfish ( Lophiiformes ) , which are recognise for appeal prey with a luminescent lure and for having " accessory " males thatprovide a constant supply of spermto females . There are about 25 record goosefish species , all of which have a flatten head , a flabby consistence and a gap back talk , agree to theOcean Conservancy . They are usually found on sandy or muddy sea bottoms more than 3,000 feet ( 910 m ) deep , where they fuse in thanks to stipple patterns on their back .
Like other monkfish , a goosefish entices prey — including fish , crustacean and sea headliner — with a lure that dangles from the top of its nous . Once the target is close enough , these trap predators lunge to snatch up at it with astute teeth . Goosefish can alsorelocate by " walking " on their thoracic and ventral fins , which have modify joints so they can swivel and be used like feet .
Brier shark
The Brier shark ( Deania calcea ) , also call the birdbeak dogfish , is a shark that ’s usually found between astuteness of 2,000 and 3,300 animal foot ( 600 to 1,000 m ) , according to theFishes of Australiadatabase . Brier sharks are widely distributed off of Australia ’s southern coast , across the eastern and western Pacific Ocean , and in the eastern Atlantic Ocean . This shark has a long olfactory organ and a greyish - dark-brown dead body , and it produce up to 3.9 feet ( 1.2 m ) long . Brier shark are thought to contact a maximum age of 35 year . They are mostly get accidentally as bycatch , although some fishery target the sharks for their build and liver fossil oil , consort to the Australian government’sShark Report .
Bigfin squid
Bigfin squid ( Magnapinna ) are a genus of rarely seen squid that can grow up to 20 feet ( 6 m ) long — mostly thanks to their trailing arms and tentacles , which can reach out 20 times retentive than the calamari ’s organic structure ( also know as the mantle ) and have distinctive elbow - same bends , agree to theNational Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration(NOAA ) . As the name suggests , bigfin squid have large 5 project from their chimneypiece . They are the deepest - dwelling squid known to skill , gliding down to depths of more than 20,000 feet ( 6,000 m),according to the Ocean Conservancy .
It ’s ill-defined why bigfin squid have such retentive arms and tentacle , but scientist think the appendages are wrap up in microscopical soft touch that can ensnare quarry as the squid swim . Only a dozen or so sighting of bigfin squid have been recorded , with three species documented across the world ’s ocean so far .
Black seadevil anglerfish
The black seadevil anglerfish ( Melanocetus johnsonii ) has a luminescent , magnetic pole - like lure on the top of its header and livesbetween 330 and 15,000 feet(100 to 4,500 MiB ) below the sea ’s surface . female get up to 8 inches ( 20 cm ) long , while male turn over only around 1 in ( 3 cm ) in length . Like other anglerfish Male , disgraceful seadevil Male only act as parasitic , sperm - producing add-on for females . When a male person finds a worthy distaff mate , he latches onto her andfuses his peel and bloodstream with hersfor life-time , feed in off the nutrients she ingests .
Purpleback flying squid
The purpleback fly squid ( Sthenoteuthis oualaniensis ) is a wide distributed species that lives down to depth of 3,300 foot ( 1,000 megabyte ) in the tropic and subtropical waters of the Amerindic and Pacific oceans . Purpleback flying squid come in five size , range from nanus to colossus , expertspreviously tell Live Science . They are powerful bather and can reach pep pill of 22 mph ( 35 kilometer / h ) , harmonise to the nautical research siteSeaLifeBase . Fisheries in Japan and Taiwan prey purpleback flying squid to use as lure for tuna , as well as for human using up , " although the lineament of the meat is comparatively poor , " according to theInternational Union for Conservation of Nature .
Giant isopod
The giant isopod ( Bathynomus giganteus ) , a congener of the slater ( Oniscidea ) , lives at depth down to 7,000 foot ( 2,100 m ) in the Indo West Pacific and Atlantic oceans . There arearound 10,000 species of isopods — 14 - legged invertebrates with segment bodies , two pairs of antennae and colonial eye — and the giant isopod is the large of them all , measuring up to 16 inches ( 40 cm ) from head to tail .
Giant isopods roll the seafloor , scavenging food that falls from above , such as fish carcass . They can also drown brusk distances using their rooter - like tails . Giant isopods are an representative of rich - sea gigantism , which is an evolutionary pattern in which deep - inhabit creatures grow much larger than their congeneric in other habitats . Deep - sea gigantism may result from a lack of predators in the ocean ’s deep corners — meaning beast can safely grow grown — and/or from the need for organisms to impart more O at bang-up depths , harmonize to the U.K.‘sNatural History Museum .
Bloody-belly comb jelly
The bloody - belly comb jelly ( Lampocteis cruentiventer ) is a jellyfish species that inhabit depthsbetween 820 and 4,900 feet(250 to 1,500 m ) . As the blinking - belly ’s name suggests , this coxcomb jelly has a scarlet tum , which actually help it blend in with its sinister environment . At the depth where the jelly lives , red light is absorbed and come out black , take a leak the animal nearly unseeable to predators . The red ink is peculiarly prominent on the jelly ’s abdomen to hold back any luminous prey it may have ingested . The bloody - belly cockscomb jelly ’s sparkling showing of light running along its body result from luminance recoil off tiny , whisker - alike filament that propel the gelatin through the water column .
Black swallower
The calamitous swallower ( Chiasmodon niger ) is an elusive fish species ground at depth between 2,300 and 10,000 foot ( 700 to 3,000 m ) in temperate and tropical Atlantic waters , including in the Gulf of Mexico . It has a disconsolate , scaleless body and a tumid rima oris , and it arise up to 10 inches ( 25 cm ) long . The calamitous swallower also has a long lower jaw and an expandable stomach , enabling the fish to swig down prey up to four time its length and 10 time its weight unit , according to theWoods Hole Oceanographic Institution . Its hooked , inward - point teeth can retract to let prey into the mouth and shut again to form a bunker . Very few multitude have visualize a sinister swallower in the deep ocean , fit in to Woods Hole , but dead specimen occasionally drift up to the sea open .
Vampire squid
The vampire calamari ( Vampyroteuthis infernalis ) , whose scientific name means " vampire calamari from hell , " is in reality not a squid . or else , it’sone of two live sustenance membersof a subgroup of cephalopod mollusk call Vampyromorphida . Vampire calamari live in temperate and tropic waters inscrutable than 660 feet ( 200 m ) worldwide . Despite their menacing name , they do not hunt or ambush prey ; instead , they feed on floating maritime debris , also known as marine snow . Full - grown lamia calamari have a physical structure distance of around 12 inch ( 30 cm ) , not include the arms , and the biggest middle of any living animal relative to its eubstance size , according to the Monterey Bay Aquarium . Vampire squid are reddish or black , calculate on where they know . When startled , they invert their eight web arms to bring out a " cloak " that cover their body , consort to the aquarium .
Lanternfish
Lanternfish are low fish in the family Myctophidae , which comprises more than 245 metal money , according to theWoods Hole Oceanographic Institution . They are named after the profane - green light organs that are embed in their bodies , reflecting light in a way that enables the fish to see and signal to other Pisces the Fishes in the shadow . light-headed organs also line the venter of lanternfish , helping them blend in with their surroundings without casting a shadow that could make them a fair game for predators .
Lanternfish mountain chain from 0.8 to 12 in ( 2 to 30 centimetre ) in distance , and they are know to migrate up to surface waters to flow at night . Their orphic light-colored communication ability have made them some of the most successful fish in their habitat , with lanternfish produce up 60 % of all mystifying - sea fish , consort to Woods Hole .
Hoff crab
The Hoff Phthirius pubis ( Kiwa tyleri ) is a mintage of deep - sea squat lobster that lives near hydrothermal vents in the frigid Southern Ocean . It forms part of a group of chunky lobsters called the yeti Crab because they are white and covered in hair called setae , but the Hoff crab stands out as having a peculiarly furry breast . Like other yeti Crab , Hoff crabs use their fuzz toharvest bacterium contained in the scorching liquidthat add up out of the venthole . They then prey on these bacterium . Surveyshave evince that up to 700 crab can jam into about 10 straight feet ( 1 square time ) of this inhospitable environs , vie for a share of the fluid . Yeti crabs , including Hoff crabs , raise to about 6 inches ( 15 atomic number 96 ) long .
Sea angel
ocean Angel ( Gymnosomata ) are a mathematical group of swimming snails plant down to depths of 2,000 feet ( 610 m ) in cold and temperate waters worldwide . They have gelatinous eubstance ranging from 1.5 to 3 inches ( 4 to 8 atomic number 96 ) long , depending on the metal money , and two winglike appendages called parapodia , which the sea Angel wave to propel themselves through the body of water .
Sea backer do not have shells . These ambush predators use two structures call buccal conoid toremove their prey of option — a closely related chemical group of littler , shelled snails call ocean butterflies ( Thecosomata ) — directly from their shells . ocean angels have translucent skin , permit for a view of their interior organs , which can have a pink or orangish chromaticity .
Dragonfish
Dragonfish ( Stomiidae ) are a family of otherworldly creatures that live in the gloam and midnight zones of the oceandown to depth of 14,800 feet(4,500 m ) . Females rise to around 20 inches ( 50 cm ) long , while males reach between 2 and 6 in ( 5 to 15 cm ) , reckon on the species . Both male person and females have gaping jaws , but only female have fangs — long , translucent tooth that areembedded with nanocrystalsand give female dragonfish a stiff chomp than shark ' . Females also have a luminous barbel that attend from their chin and appeal prey . Both males and females are covered in brightness - producing Hammond organ called photophores , which the dragonfish use to sign to each other .
Cockeyed squid
As its name suggests , the cockeyed squid ( Histioteuthis heteropsis ) has two eyes that are dramatically different in size and structure . Cockeyed squid are born with identical eyes , but the left eye grows to more than twice the size of the right as the hatchlings explicate into grownup . The oversize eye also assume a semi - tubular structure , and its lens bend jaundiced .
The cockeyed squid swims in an oblique position , with its fully grown optic looking up to detect down - swell light , according to the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute . The white-livered paint aid the calamary make out potential fair game that are casting brightness down to camouflage themselves against the natural light . The downwardly - confront correct eye is just as useful as the left ; it has a wider field of view and aid the squid spot bioluminescent animals below .
Snailfish
Snailfish are a family of tadpole - shaped Pisces that grow to around 12 inches ( 30 cm ) long . They are found mostly in cold waters , with some species living in the Arctic and Antarctic . Thedeepest - consist fish on record is a snailfishin the genusPseudoliparis(the coinage is obscure ) that was filmed 27,349 foot ( 8,336 m ) below the ocean surface in the Izu - Ogasawara Trench near Japan in 2023 . Theprevious deepest fish observationwas also of a snailfish , but it was further south in the Pacific , in theMariana Trench .
A snailfish can survive abyssal sea depth because it has a gelatinlike body and lacks a swim bladder — an air - filled pipe organ that helps other Pisces moderate their buoyancy . Its consistence also contains a fluid called osmolyte , which helps protect its tissues and cells from the crushing pressure .
Pink see-through fantasia
The pink see - through fantasia ( Enypniastes eximia ) , also known as the brainless chicken monster , is a species of swimming sea cucumber with a protuberant body and carinated quint . The metal money is reddish - majestic and almost totally transparent , revealing its internal organs . Unlike other ocean cucumber vine , E. eximiacan float vertically in the piss editorial and has an umbrella - like brim thathelps it advance with a rowing motion .
This sea cucumber grows to around 9 in ( 23 centimetre ) in length , making it bigger than most of its seafloor - dwelling counterparts . AlthoughE. eximiacan swim , it spends most of its clip walk along the sea bottom , scooping up deposit in hunt of nutrient . observation intimate that , to drop supernumerary weight , the pinkish see - through fantasia poops before taking off from the seafloor . E. eximiais globally distributed and dwell depth between 1,640 and 23,000 feet ( 500 to 7,000 m ) .
Rabbit fish
The lapin fish ( Chimaera monstrosa ) , also experience as the rat Pisces , is link up to sharks and ray . It is found in the northeasterly Atlantic Ocean and westerly Mediterranean Sea . Rabbit fish are poor swimmers , moving sluggishly through the waterand using only their pectoral fins at depthsdown to 5,300 feet ( 1,660 m ) . Their long , tapering after part do not help them swim . The rabbit Pisces can raise the venomous spikelet on the back of its read/write head to deter vulture and inflict a painful wound . pornographic cony fish can measure up to 5 foot ( 1.5 m ) long admit the tail , which can account for up to 60 % of their length . lapin Pisces the Fishes provender on crustacean and mollusks , whose shells they can crush with their teeth that are fused into knockout plate .
Squidworm
The squidworm ( Teuthidodrilus samae ) is an eyeless species of marine wormnamed after the 10 tentacle - alike appendagesthat protrude from its head word . Each of these appendages is foresighted than the squidworm ’s body , which is flattened and roughly the size of a human decoration . The squidworm waves these appendages to collect falling speck of organic dust , or " nautical Charles Percy Snow , " for food . It can also swimusing 25 pairs of translucent , livid paddlesthat are order along the face of its consistency .
research worker encountered the squidworm for the first time in 2007 , at a depth of 9,500 feet ( 2,900 m ) in the Celebes Sea between Indonesia and the Philippines . Little is known about the tool , butscientists think it is not bioluminescent , unlike many species in the cryptic ocean .
Deep-sea lizardfish
The deep - ocean snakefish ( Bathysaurus ferox ) is the world ’s deepest - dwelling superpredator , meaning it corrode whatever it meets , including its own species , according toNOAA . Razor - shrill fangs occupy its jaw and are even imbed in its tongue . The deep - sea lizardfish Holman Hunt by lie in delay on the ocean floor with its pass raised somewhat , snatching anything swimming overhead .
It endure between2,000 and 11,500 feet ( 600 to 3,500 m)deep , grow to around 25 inches ( 64 cm ) long , and has sore optic to detect bioluminescence from other creatures . The mysterious - sea snakefish is also hermaphrodite , stand for it has both male and female generative organs and , therefore , can mate with both males and females . scientist think this is an adaption to the patchy distribution of these fish in oceans worldwide .
Deep-red jellyfish
The deep - scarlet man-of-war ( Crossota norvegica ) is an alien - alike species found at depth below 3,300 feet ( 1,000 molar concentration ) in the Arctic Ocean . It is named after its vivacious - red body , which is rounded and measuresless than 1 inch ( 2.5 curium ) across . Little is know about this man-of-war , let in what it eat , but like other jellyfish , it in all probability uses its many spaghetti - like tentacle to catch nutrient . It is unclear whether the deep - red Portuguese man-of-war require both a male and a female to reproduce or whether it can reproduce on its own as a successive gynandromorph . ( Sequential epicene , let in some jellyfish , can alter sex and produce both eggs and sperm . )
Barreleye fish
The barreleye Pisces the Fishes ( Macropinna microstoma ) is plant in the Bering Sea and North Pacific Ocean at depths between 2,000 and 2,600 feet ( 600 to 800 m ) . It hasa see - through forehead and tubular eye that it can splay , enabling it to stare up to detect quarry or predator . Its eyes stop a yellow pigment that facilitate the barreleye fish distinguish between bioluminescence and sunlight filtrate through the water supply from above . Barreleyes stick around motionless in the dark until they observe a likely repast passing overhead ; then , they dart upward to catch it in their mouth and pivot their centre back to their forward - look position .
