From a shark that inspired legendary tales of sea serpents to a fish with a see-through
head--Today we look at the 12 Most Epic Deep Sea Creatures On Earth!
Number 12.
"Stargazer" The Stargazer fish, commonly found at the
bottom of the Atlantic Ocean is a frightening sight for fish and humans alike.
What looks like the face of a zombie hiding in the sand is actually one of the ocean's
most dangerous predators.
The stargazer evolved eyes on the top of its head and is perfectly camouflaged with skin
the color of sand so that it can lie on the bottom of the sea and wait for unsuspecting
prey to get close.
It also has evolved an appendage looks like a wriggling worm which it uses to further
lure in its dinner.
Predators aren't safe from the stargazer either as it has two large spines on top of its fins
that can either fill attackers with a potent venom or electrocute them with a powerful
jolt of electricity.
Number 11.
"Frilled Shark" The frilled shark is one of the world's oldest
species and is so rare that scientists have gone through periods where they believe it
to be extinct only for one of these creepy creatures to make an appearance in the deep.
Thought to be one of the inspirations for ancient legends of sea serpents, the frilled
shark has a slender body that can grow up to 7 feet long and probably were much larger
in the past.
At the end of its snake-like body is a vicious mouth that is filled with over 300 jagged
teeth which it uses to shred any fish it finds in its habitat--over 5,000 feet below the
ocean's surface.
Number 10.
"Vampire Squid" This umbrella-shaped deep-water creep doesn't
suck blood but it is one of the most striking and terrifying looking creatures on Earth.
Because they are the only known species of their kind and displays traits of both squids
and octopuses, it is thought that it may be the evolutionary link between these two orders
of cephalopods.
The Vampire squid can be distinguished by its deep crimson color, the webbing that connects
its tentacles and the two fins on its head that look like elf-ears.
They move about the ocean using fin propulsion, seeing in the dark depths by shooting puffs
of luminescent particles out of organs called photophores.
Even more light is produced by the bioluminescent organs located at the tip of each tentacle
and on its head.
Vampire squid feed on bits of organic waste known as marine snow by catching it with glutinous
fibers that extend from its body.
Number 9.
"Giant Clam" The Giant Clam doesn't dwell too deep in the
sea as it prefers warmer waters, like those found in Australia's Great Barrier Reef but
it is one of the most epic creatures on the planet.
As the biggest mollusk ever discovered, Giant Clams have been found weighing over 500 pounds
and over 4 feet wide.
In order to keep their gargantuan bodies nourished they use their forceful siphon to slurp up
unsuspecting plankton.
They supplement their diet with proteins and glucose excreted by the algae that live on
and inside them.
This diet must be working to great effect as giant clams can live to be well over one-hundred
years old.
Though they are generally harmless to humans there are many cultures that have legends
involving giant clams that are big enough to suck people into their siphons.
Number 8.
"Barreleye" Unique to say the least, the Barreleye Fish
that roam the eastern Pacific ocean at depths upwards of 3,000 feet look like an alien submarine
that was made out of a fish.
Though it sports bioluminescent organs throughout its entire body (which averages half a foot
in length) it's the Barreleye's transparent head that makes it a bizarre spectacle.
This fascinating product of deep-sea evolution, needs its head to be transparent as it has
no eyeholes.
Its upward facing eyes are located completely inside the animals body but are able to see
using bioluminescence to light up the ocean outside the clear dome.
The Barreleye has two large nostrils above its mouth that are often mistaken for eyes
and when seen as such make it look like a depressed dolphin.
Barreleyes feed mainly on jellyfish and other small creatures that it sneaks up on from
underneath.
Number 7.
"Goblin Shark" The goblin shark is truly the stuff of nightmares
as it looks as though a swordfish and shark had an ugly baby, with a long snout above
a gnarly tooth-filled mouth.
These sharks are another odd species that are believed to have lived deep in the ocean
since prehistoria.
These rare sharks are mainly found off of Japan's western coast and can grow up to almost
500 pounds with an average length of around 10 feet.
Goblin sharks owe their name to the big-nosed goblins of Japanese folktales which they bear
an uncanny resemblance to.
Their diet consists mainly of squid which they snatch with their jaws that can extend
over 3 inches from their bodies, only adding to the shark's ugly terror-inducing visage.
Number 6.
"Giant Isopod" As one of the largest crustaceans on Earth
the fourteen legged bug-looking Giant Isopod has a physical appearance that will make your
skin crawl.
A product of deep-sea gigantism normal isopods have an average length of about two inches
while Giant Isopods can grow up to two and a half feet long and weigh almost four pounds.
Using long antennae to navigate dark ocean abysses they use their weight to their advantage
devouring squid, fish and their close relatives: crabs and shrimp.
Like other crustaceans, they have a hard exoskeleton but unlike a crab's shell, the giant isopod's
exterior is made up of several shell segments that overlap.
This is so that when a giant isopod is threatened by a predator they can curl up in a ball like
an armadillo to protect their vulnerable underbelly.
Number 5.
"Fangtooth" Though it might not be high on a list of natural
beauty due to its horrifying grin, the Common Fangtooth is one of the most remarkable creatures
on the planet.
The Fangtooth is one of the most well-adapted creatures in the ocean with the ability to
survive upwards of 17,000 feet deep.
Although they don't get very big, maxing out at around 8 inches in length, fangtooth strike
fear in the hearts of creatures even bigger than them with their oversized mouths filled
with teeth that are the longest of any fish in proportion to their bodies.
Using their incredible sense of smell they hunt and consume everything from large fish
to crustaceans.
Number 4.
"Big Red Jellyfish" Only discovered as recently as 2003, the Big
Red Jellyfish is one of the most distinct types of jellyfish ever seen.
Dwelling deep in the Pacific Ocean, Big Red Jellyfish has been classified its own unique
species in its own subfamily due to its distinction of having large arms where most jellyfish
have thin tentacles.
It's arms have clusters of nematocysts or stinging cells which it uses for defense or
to stun its prey.
Because there have only been a few dozen ever observed not much is known about about the
creatures mannerisms or anatomy other than that they can grow extremely large as far
as jellyfish go measuring well over two feet in diameter.
It is believed that the Big Red Jellyfish use their arms for feeding and may predominantly
hunt other jellyfish.
Number 3.
"Gulper Eel" The gulper eel which can be found throughout
the world's oceans living anywhere from 500 to over 5,000 feet deep has one of the weirdest
anatomies of any animal land or sea.
The Gulper Eel is also commonly referred to as the Pelican Eel and with one quick glance
you can see why--It has a disproportionately oversized lower jaw that looks as though it
is barely hanging on to the rest of its body.
Just like a pelican, it uses this jaw to scoop up its food in the form of squid, fish and
crustaceans then swallow them whole.
However unlike a pelican, the gulper eel can swallow creatures over twice their size as
they possess a stomach that can stretch extremely wide as if it were made out of elastic.
The eel also boasts a very long and thin tail which is tipped with a bioluminscent photophore
that normally lights up a dull pink sometimes flickers bright red.
It is believed that the eel uses this a type of bait to lure in its prey, dazzling it in
front of them and then swiftly gobbling them up when they get close.
With underdeveloped eyes the gulper eel is mostly blind so it uses its sense of smell
to traverse the deep.
Number 2.
"Chimaera" The chimaera which is believed to mainly be
found in the Pacific Ocean in depths over 6,500 feet goes by many names, among them
ratfish, water bunny and most popularly 'ghost shark'.
Despite its many nicknames chimaeras had never been seen alive until a geology expedition
accidentally came upon one in 2016.
The name Chimaera comes from the fact that the creatures are distant relatives of both
rays and sharks--having traits similar to both.
Its body most resembles a shark, with a long slender body, dark black eyes and prominent
dorsal fin.
It also seems to have similar intelligence capabilities of sharks displaying curiosity
when approached rather than fleeing immediately, as most deep-sea creatures do.
However if you look inside a chimaeras mouth you won't see sharp teeth like in a shark
but rather tooth plates similar to that of some species of rays.
Like rays their diet consists mainly of shrimp, clams, worms and sometimes small fish which
they suck up and crush with their tooth plates.
Number 1.
"Giant Squid" Immortalized in legends and popular culture
for centuries the Giant Squid was once thought to either just be a myth or long extinct,
but as man has stretched the limits to how deep we can dive the truth about this deep-sea
behemoth has come to life--It is very real and very big.
Giant squid had been found in fishing nets and washed ashore over the years but the first
recording of a live one in 2006.
With eyes the size of basketballs and a beak bigger than your fist, the squid are thought
to grow up to 50 feet long and way well over a metric ton at their largest.
Not only are they humongous they are theorized as being reasonably intelligent with incredibly
elaborate brains which is shaped like a lifesaver--with a hole in the middle.
The giant squids diet consists mainly of smaller squids and large fish with some evidence showing
that they even cannibalize other giant squids.
Their only known predator is the sperm whale which have been found with giant squid remains
in their stomachs.
But the giant squid can more than hold their own against an attacking whale as some giant
squid caracasses that have washed ashore have scars that match sperm whale teeth.