From giant-mouthed sharks to glow-in-the-dark octopus, we count 15 deep sea creatures bothfascinating and often times terrifying found thousands of metres below the ocean surface15 – Fangtooth (or Ogrefish), • Although these ones are too small to harmhumans, they have a nightmarish face you’ll find commonly developed in the deep sea• Their teeth are known to be the largest of any sea creature, so big in fact that aFangtooth can never close their mouths fully • They’re also one of the deepest-livingfish, found as far as 5,000 metres below the surface of the ocean14 – Stargazer, • These are fish that have evolved a headtilted forever upwards, and this is because they’re trapdoor predators – they
bury themselvesin sand and shoot upwards to ambush prey that pass overhead• Some species of Stargazer even have a little worm-shaped lure growing out of theirmouths to attract prey before they strike • Likewise, the Stargazer is also deadlypoisonous and have been known to cause
electric shocks from time to time13 – Giant Isopods, • This is like a giant woodlouse, one thatonly appears in the deep ocean as a result of deep-sea gigantism and even curl into arigid ball when threatened • They’re mostly carnivorous feeding ondead whales, fish and squid, but they also hunt slow-moving prey like sea cucumbers,sponges, nematodes and some fish • You’ll mostly find them off the coastof Australia, but they’ve also been sighted in Mexico and India12 – Terrible Claw Lobster, • The scientific name for this one is Dinochelusausubeli, named for its “terrible or fearful” pale-red claws• This is a relatively new species of blind lobster, one of only four discovered betweentwo similar species – both in Australia • The first lobster was found during theAurora mission is 2007 led by the U. S and French natural history museums11 – Dragonfish, • This tiny 6-inch sea creature is, as evidentpurely from its appearance, a deadly predator • It has a large head and rows of jaggedteeth lit by its long
barbel attached to the chin, one with a light-producing organ knownas a photophore • It flicks the light on this organ on andoff to attract unwitting prey, then strikes • You’ll find these 5000 feet below theshoes of small children 10 – Pacific Hatchetfish,• You’ll find these in tropical and subtropical waters of the
Atlantic, Pacific and IndianOceans, and over the years they’ve evolved a peculiar body “hatchet” shape with bioluminescentphotophores used to escape predators lurking in the depths by matching what light thereis for camouflage • Unlike their appearance, they’re perfectlyharmless and only coming in at
5 inches in size – but they’re just another
example ofdeep sea aesthetic craziness 9 – Dumbo Octopus,• This was first discovered in 1999, the deepest-living octopus species seen so farcoming in at 7,000 metres below the surface of the ocean• This one hovers down under tremendous pressure of water, no sunlight, siphoningup snails, crustaceans and the like to feed • The dumbo name clearly comes from itsappearance, one crazy to imagine it can maintain that far below an ocean8 –
Megamouth Shark, • These are an extremely rare species ofshark, in fact only 58 specimens have been found in the entire world to date• They have an enormous jaw used for scooping up plankton and jellyfish• These things can grow up to 5. 5 metres in length and the average size of their mouthalone is 1. 3 meters – seriously not something you want to get swallowed by7 – Pacific Blackdragons, • These ones are peculiar, 60cms long withfang teeth and a long whisker attached to their chin• They don’t have any teeth, no chin barbel and no stomach to process food• But curiously, males survive only long enough to mate – it’s up to the females tohunt other fish and crustaceans in the role of a predator6 – Basking Shark, • Another big-mouthed ocean shark, anotherpassive feeder filtering zoo plankton, small fish and
invertebrates from up to 2,000 tonsof water per hour • These are often mistaken for plesiosaursthe long-necked reptile from the age of the dinosaurs, and these are harmless to humans• However, humans are VERY harmful to the Basking Shark – they’re generally hunted forfood and hide leather, but rapidly declining
numbers have seen this shark close to extinction5 – Red Octopus, • You’ll find these in the deep Atlanticwaters off the U. S Coast, with eight arms connected by a colourful webbing used to swim• It has rows of bioluminescent suckers down its arms that glow in the dark – widelybelieved to attract planktonic prey and insects to the light• Although we’ve known about these for a hundred years, it was only recently we discoveredthey glow 4 – Gulper Eel• This has a mouth loosely hinged to its jaw, like a pelican – but just as with a snake,it can
open it to swallow prey much larger than itself• Not to mention it can stretch its stomach too, which comes in handy when it appearsto swallow your entire family while they sleep • It grows to a total length of two to sixfeet and found all over the world 3-6000 feet below the ocean surface3 – Blobfish • Crazy, ridiculous-looking fish from deepbeneath the ocean – one that looks very much different when in its natural environment• But because it needs to adapt to all that pressure, it has weak muscle tissue and whenexposed to our environment it turns into this crazy mess• It lives off the coast of Australia and
New Zealand, and having gelatinous skin meansit can swim without exerting energy 2 – Squat Lobster• Found at a depth of 4 and a half thousand feet, it looks somewhat like a headcrab butwith large frontal claws and
compressed bodies • They have a large skill-set comprisingdetritus-feeders, algal grazers, scavengers and predators – adapting to their environment• We don’t know much else about this one, it’s still a mystery1 – Colossal Squid • Something from a nightmare, folk talesfrom those lost sea – but it’s very much real • They grow in lengths beyond 14 metres,the size of a long bus, and they’ve been known to attack those giant sperm whales and feedon fish and squid • In 2007, a specimen was found in the RossSea, and is now on display at New Zealand.
