Types of deep-sea fish. Unusual underwater inhabitants: who lives at the bottom of the ocean

Oceans cover about 70 percent earth's surface and provide about half of the air we breathe thanks to microscopic phytoplankton.

Despite all this, the oceans remain the biggest mystery. Thus, 95 percent of the world's oceans and 99 percent of the ocean floor remain unexplored.

Here are examples of the most unimaginable creatures that live in the depths of the ocean.

1. Smallmouth macropinna

Smallmouth macropinna(Macropinna microstoma) belongs to a group of deep-sea fish that have developed a unique anatomical structure in order to suit your lifestyle. These fish are extremely fragile, and specimens of the fish that have been collected by fishermen and researchers are deformed due to pressure changes.

Most unique characteristic What makes this fish unique is its soft, transparent head and barrel-shaped eyes. Being usually fixed in an upward direction with green "lens caps" for filtration sunlight, the eyes of the Smallmouth macropinna can rotate and extend.

In fact, what appear to be eyes are sensory organs. The real eyes are located under the forehead.

2. Bathisaurus

Bathysaurus ferox sounds like a dinosaur, which is actually not far from the truth. Bathysaurus ferox belongs to the deep-sea lizardheads that live in the tropical and subtropical seas of the world, at a depth of 600-3,500 m. Its length reaches 50-65 cm.

He is considered the deepest living super predator in the world and everything that comes in his way is immediately devoured. As soon as the jaws of this devil fish slam shut, the game is over. Even her tongue is lined with razor-sharp fangs.

It is hardly possible to look at her face without shuddering, and it is even more difficult for her to find a mate. But this does not bother this formidable underwater inhabitant too much, since it has both male and female genital organs.

3. Viper fish

The viper fish is one of the most unusual deep-sea fish. Being known as common hauliod(Chauliodus sloani), it is one of the ocean's most ruthless predators. This fish is easily recognized by its large mouth and sharp fang-like teeth. In fact, these fangs are so large that they do not fit in her mouth, curling closer to her eyes.

The viper fish uses its sharp teeth to pierce its prey, swimming towards it at a very high speed. Most of these creatures have a stretchable stomach, which allows them to swallow fish larger than themselves in one sitting. At the end of its spine is a luminous organ that the fish uses to attract its prey.

It lives in tropical and temperate waters in different parts light at a depth of 2,800 m.

4. Deep Sea monkfish

Deep sea monkfish ( Deep Sea Anglerfish) looks like a creature from a science fiction world. It may be one of the ugliest animals on our planet and lives in the most inhospitable environment - the lonely, dark seabed.

There are more than 200 species of monkfish, most of which live in the murky depths of the Atlantic and Antarctic oceans.

The monkfish lures its prey with its elongated dorsal spine, curving it around the bait, while the end of the spine glows to attract the unsuspecting fish to its mouth and sharp teeth. Their mouth is so large and their body so flexible that they can swallow prey twice their size.

5. Piglet squid

Known as Helicocranchia Pfefferi, this cute creature is a real outlet after the terrifying toothy fish, which are associated with deep-sea spaces. This species of squid lives about 100 m below the ocean surface. Due to its habitat in the deep ocean, its behavior has not been well studied. These inhabitants are not the fastest swimmers.

Their body is almost completely transparent, with the exception of some cells containing pigments called chromatophores, thanks to which these inhabitants acquire such a charming appearance. appearance. They are also known for their luminous organs called photophores, which are located under each eye.

6. Japanese spider crab

The spider crab's leg span reaches 4 meters, with a body width of about 37 cm and a weight of about 20 kg. Japanese spider crabs can live up to 100 years, as do the largest and oldest lobsters.

These subtle inhabitants of the seabed are ocean cleaners, dealing with the dead deep sea inhabitants.

The Japanese crab's eyes are located at the front with two horns between the eyes that shorten with age. As a rule, they live at depths of 150 to 800 m, but most often at a depth of 200 m.

Japanese spider crabs are considered a real delicacy, but lately The catch of these crabs is declining thanks to a program to protect these deep-sea species.

7. Drop fish

This fish lives off the coast of Australia and Tasmania at a depth of about 800 m. Considering the depth of the water in which it swims, the blob fish does not have a swim bladder, like most fish, as it is not very effective under high water pressure. Her skin is made of a gelatinous mass that is slightly denser than water, which allows her to float above the ocean floor without any hassle. The fish grows up to 30 cm in length, feeding mainly sea ​​urchins and shellfish that swim by.

Even though this fish is inedible, it is often caught along with other prey such as lobsters and crabs, putting it at risk of extinction. Distinctive external characteristic fish drop is her unhappy facial expression.

8. Tongue-Eating Woodlice

Surprisingly, the snapper himself does not suffer much from this process, continuing to live and eat after the woodlouse found him permanent place accommodation.

9. Frilled Shark

People have rarely encountered the frilled shark, which prefers to stay in the ocean depths of about 1,500 m below the ocean surface. Considered living fossils Frilled sharks actually share many of the characteristics of ancestors that swam the seas back to the time of the dinosaurs.

Frilled sharks are thought to capture their prey by bending their body and lunging forward like a snake. Its long, flexible jaw allows it to devour its prey whole, while its many small, needle-sharp teeth prevent its prey from escaping. It feeds mainly on cephalopods, as well as eelfish and sharks.

10. Lion Fish

It is believed that the first lion fish or Pterois, with beautiful colors and large spiny fins, appeared in sea ​​waters on the shores of Florida in the early 90s of the last century. Since then they have spread throughout Caribbean Sea, becoming a real punishment for sea ​​creatures. These fish eat other species, and they seem to eat constantly. They themselves have long poisonous spines, which protects them from other predators. In the Atlantic Ocean, lion fish are not familiar with them and do not recognize the danger, and the only species here that can eat them is the lion fish themselves, since they appear not only aggressive predators, but also cannibals.

The venom that their spines release leaves very painful bites on people, and for those who suffer from heart disease or allergic reactions, it can become fatal.

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Almost the entire surface of the Earth has been studied by humans. But the depths of the sea hold mysteries that are revealed gradually. With the advent of opportunities to dive deeper into the abyss, we find unusual deep-sea creatures there. We would like to present some of them to you. Not all of them are beautiful to look at, but they cannot be denied their originality.

Jellyfish Atoll- a rather predatory creature living at a depth where sun rays do not penetrate, let alone divers. Its peculiarity is the ability to glow bright red. This happens when the jellyfish senses danger is approaching.

Blue Angel- a very small creature that can easily fit in the palm of a person. It has an amazing shape and color: it looks like a soaring angel, or a miniature dragon, blue on top and silver underneath. This camouflage helps him protect himself from predators, both in water and in the air. An angel can easily float to the surface of the sea by swallowing an air bubble.

One more thing sea ​​creature- Sponge-harp. As the name suggests, it is shaped like a harp, which clings to sea mud and uses its upper sticky tips to catch small prey.

Funny octopus Dumbo got its name due to its resemblance to the baby elephant from the Disney cartoon, although it is much smaller in size than an earthly mammal. When an octopus swims, it waves its fins, which are exactly like elephant ears. There is very little information about it, since its habitat is very deep.

In the cold depths of the sea oh lives the hairy Yeti crab. Its claws are covered with fur, making it look like a crab. Bigfoot. Living at great depths, where there is no light, made the yeti completely blind.

Strange fashionable fish The pipistrelle bat lives at a depth of 200 meters. She does not know how to swim, but only moves her shell-covered body along the bottom, using her fin legs to move. She is called a fashionista for the bright red color of her slightly protruding lips, making her look quite funny.

Handsome slug Felimare Picta lives among. What makes it extravagant is its coloring and body shape: rich blue-yellow color body framed by a frill. It does not have its own house (like an ordinary mollusk), because it uses a special remedy for protection - acidic sweat secreted throughout the body. It is unlikely that anyone would want to get involved with such prey.

A mollusk lives in the Atlantic Ocean, which was nicknamed "Flamingo Tongue". He is inseparable from his shell, which he carefully protects with his own body and into which he hides in case of danger.

Seahorses whose bodies are “seated” with many leaves, they are called deciduous dragons. They are one of the best masters of mimicry. The leaves do not interfere at all and do not help it swim; the dragon moves with the help of two small fins.

Today I propose to look at what fish live on the bottom of the world's oceans, you know many of them, but I think you will be interested in learning more about them. who is too lazy to read in the first video everything is there)))
I hope you like it!http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=BU7dD-4sbKM

Footbalfish - "soccer ball" fish

Footbalfish is a family of deep-sea fish of the order Anglerfish, found in tropical and subtropical waters of the world's oceans. Due to its rounded shape, resembling a ball, English speaking countries The name “football fish” was assigned to the fish.

Like other anglerfish, this family is characterized by pronounced sexual dimorphism - female fish are large, almost ideally spherical in shape. The length of an adult female can exceed 60 cm. Males, on the contrary, are very small - less than 4 cm, and the body is slightly elongated. Both males and females are dark in color - from reddish-brown to completely black.

Footbalfish was first discovered in the early 20th century while searching for flounder habitats. The habitat of these anglerfish begins at a depth of 1000 m and below. Fish are not very active.

Meshkorot

large deep sea fish, living in all oceans, with the exception of the North Arctic Ocean. Poorly studied.
The bagmouth should not be confused with the bagworm, which is much smaller in size and lives closer to the surface.

Meshkorot (lat. Saccopharynx) – the only one famous family deep-sea fish in the bagmouth family. It lives at a depth of 2 to 5 km. Adult fish can reach 2 meters in length. Coupled with a huge mouth lined with sharp teeth, a person sees the bagworm as a real monster from the depths.
The body of the fish is cigar-shaped, with long tail, which can be 4 times the length of the body. The mouth is large, strong and flexible, with teeth curved inside the mouth. The fish's skull is missing some bones, so it is easy for the bagmouth to open its mouth almost 180 degrees. Even the gills are not like the gills of other fish, and are located not on the head, but on the belly. On great depth there is not always enough food, so the fish has adapted to eat for the future, swallowing more food own weight and size. A bag full of sacks can be long time go without food.

Unicorn comb fish. Unicorn crestfish

Unicorn crestfish - very rare little-studied fish, found everywhere at a depth of 1000 m. It got its name for the horn-like growth on the head.
Crestfish are inhabitants of tropical waters, living at great depths. They are characterized by the presence of a huge dorsal fin, extending from the head to the tip of the tail. All of them have an elongated thin body of silver color. The most important “attraction” of some combs is the ink sacs, which allow the fish, in case of danger, to throw out a cloud of ink, confusing predators and allowing the fish to retreat.

Sticktail (Stylophorus chordatus)

The sticktail (Stylophorus chordatus) is a deep-sea fish with an elongated body and a long caudal fin, which makes up 2/3 of the total length of the fish. Lives in warm waters world ocean.
The sticktail lives at a depth of 300-800 m. At night, the fish rises closer to the surface and returns back at night. The height of daily migrations can be 300 meters.

Sticktail is pretty rare fish, although there are no exact data on the population. The discovery of Stylophorus chordatus occurred in 1791 by the English zoologist G. Shaw, but the next time the animal was in the hands of scientists happened only a century later.

coal fish

Sablefish - deep sea commercial fish, living in the northern part Pacific Ocean, including in Russia.
The coalfish lives on the turbid seabed at a depth of up to 2,700 m. Predatory - hunts small fish, jellyfish, cuttlefish and krill. It grows up to 120 cm. An adult can gain weight of 50 kg.

Sablefish is a commercial fishery object. Fish is especially prized in Japan, where it is served in the most expensive restaurants fried, baked and smoked, and used to make sushi.

Trippod fish

Trippod fish is a deep-sea bottom-dwelling fish known for its long arms on which it “stands” on the bottom.

Truly a tripod fish unique fish. It has very long rays growing from pectoral fins and tail. The fish relies on these rays when it “stands” at the bottom. The length of these rays can be 1 m, and the length of an adult fish is 30-37 cm. It lives in all oceans, with the exception of the Arctic Ocean, at great depths from 800 to 5,000 m.

The tripod fish spends most of its time standing on its arms on the seabed.

Observations of fish have shown that the eyes of Trippod fish are poorly developed and do not take part in the feeding process. In complete darkness they would not have helped. The fish uses its long front pectoral fins to locate prey. They act like hands, constantly feeling the space around them. Having caught an object and determined that it is edible, the tripod fish sends it directly into its mouth.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=yOKdog8zbXw

Make a mistake

Oshibni are a family of deep-sea fish whose name comes from the Greek "ophis", meaning "snake". They are found in temperate and tropical waters of the world's oceans.

Bugs live near the bottom. Most of these fish were found at great depths of 2000 m and below. One species of bug, Abyssobrotula galatheae, was caught at a record depth for bony fish - 8,370 m in the deep-sea Puerto Rico Trench in the Atlantic Ocean.
Unlike their closest relatives - fish from the Brotula family, bugs are not viviparous, but lay eggs. The small things that appear grow close to the surface, merging with the zooplankton that is abundant in the tropical region.
Let's look at some of the most interesting views more wrong.
Abyssobrotula galatheae

Pink cusk-eel

Giant Grenadier or Giant Grenadier

The giant grenadier or giant grenadier is a deep-sea fish from the order Gadidae, found only in the North Pacific Ocean. Has commercial value.
The giant grenadier is most often found in the cold waters surrounding Russia - the Sea of ​​Okhotsk, the coast of Kamchatka, near the Kuril and Commander Islands. Here it is known as the "little-eyed longtail" or "little-eyed grenadier", although in other countries it is commonly called the giant grenadier.

The size of the fish is truly gigantic compared to other deep-sea fish. Adults can reach 2 meters in height and weigh 20-30 kg. The maximum recorded age of an adult fish was 56 years, but it is believed that the giant grenadier can live even longer.

Lasiognathus - skilled fisherman

Lasiognathus is a fish from the genus of monkfish that lives in the Pacific and Atlantic oceans. Known among ichthyologists under the unofficial name “skillful fisherman”

Lasiognathus got its nickname as a fisherman for a reason. This deep-sea fish has an almost real fishing rod, with which it hunts other fish and invertebrates. It consists of a short fishing rod (basal bone), fishing line (modified ray of the dorsal fin), hook (large skin teeth) and bait (luminous photophores). This gear is truly remarkable. In different subspecies of Lasoignatus, the structure of the fishing rod can vary from short (up to the middle of the body) to long (exceeds the length of the body).

Bagworm or black eater

The bagworm is a deep-sea representative of perciformes from the suborder chiasmodidae. This small fish grows up to 30 cm in length and is found everywhere in tropical and subtropical waters.

This fish is called a sac swallower for its ability to swallow prey that is several times larger than itself. The fact is that it has a very elastic stomach, and there are no ribs in the stomach that would prevent the fish from expanding. Therefore, he can easily swallow a fish four times his length and 10 times heavier!

Macropinna microstoma is a fish with a transparent head.

Macropinna microstoma is a small deep-sea fish known for its transparent head, through which it sees with eyes located inside the soft tissues of the head. Lives in cool waters The Arctic and Pacific oceans, at a depth of over 500 meters.

This fish was first shown to the public quite recently, only in 2004. It was then that photographs of Macropinna microstoma were obtained. Before this, only zoologists showed interest in the fish, who speculated about how this fish, with such a strange visual mechanism, was able to see at great depths in almost complete darkness. And is she even capable? As we already know from the example of other deep-sea fish, vision at such depths is not of great importance.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=RM9o4VnfHJU

Sea bat

Sea pipistrelles are a family of deep-sea bottom fish that have adapted in a special way to live in high blood pressure. They practically cannot swim, moving along the bottom on their modified fins, which have become similar to the legs of land animals.

Sea pipistrelles live everywhere in the warm waters of the world's oceans, without swimming into the cold waters of the Arctic. As a rule, they all stay at depths of 200 - 1000 meters, but there are species of pipistrelle bats that prefer to stay closer to the surface, not far from the shores. People are quite familiar with pipistrelle bats, which prefer surface waters.

sea ​​slug

The sea slug is a deep-sea fish species that, together with the bassogigas, are the deepest-sea fish on the planet. In 1970, sea slugs were discovered at a depth of 8 km.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=w-Kwbp4hYJE

Cycloton

Cycloton is a widespread, medium-sized deep-sea fish of the Gonostomidae family. Found everywhere at depths from 200 to 2000 m. Cycloton is the most important element food chain various deep-sea and valuable commercial fish.

Cycloton is a fish that spends most of its life drifting with ocean currents, unable to resist them. Only occasionally do they make small vertical migrations.

Drop fish.

Blobfish is a deep-sea fish that lives in deep waters near Australia and Tasmania. Extremely rare in humans and considered critically endangered.
An adult fish grows up to 30 cm. It lives at depths of 800 - 1,500 m. The body of the fish is a watery substance with a density less than that of water.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=SyodDVT1A40

Opisthoproct.

Opisthoproctus (Barreleye) is a deep-sea fish, also known as “ghost fish”. It is not large and very interesting fish. The scientific name Opisthoproctidae comes from the Greek opisthe ("behind", "behind") and proktos ("anus").

Opisthoproct lives at great depths up to 2,500 m in all oceans, with the exception of the Arctic. Their appearance is unique and does not allow them to be confused with other deep-sea fish.

Sabertooth

Sabertooth is a deep-sea fish that lives in tropical and temperate zones at depths from 200 to 5,000 m. It grows up to 15 cm in length, reaching 120 g of body weight.

Saber teeth grow quite slowly. Scientists suggest that the fish can reach 10 years of age.

Hatchetfish

Hatchetfish are deep-sea fish found in temperate and tropical waters of the world's oceans. They got their name for the characteristic appearance of the body, reminiscent of the shape of an ax - a narrow tail and a wide “axe-body”
Most often hatchets can be found at depths of 200-600 m. However, they are known to be found at depths of 2 km.

Ghost shark or sea chimera

Marine chimeras are deep-sea fish, the oldest inhabitants among modern ones. cartilaginous fish. Distant relatives of modern sharks.

Chimeras grow up to 1.5 m, however, in adult individuals, half of the body is the tail, which is a long, thin and narrow part of the body.
These fish live at very great depths, sometimes exceeding 2.5 km

Deep sea anglerfish

The deep-sea anglerfish is a deep-sea fish from the order Anglerfishes. They live at great depths of the World Ocean, preferring to stay up to 3 km. from the surface of the water.

Female anglerfish feed on others deep sea inhabitants– hauliods, hatchet fish and

This article contains a selection of the most unusual inhabitants of the world's oceans. Of course, these amazing representatives underwater world You're unlikely to catch it while fishing. Even if you have special fishing gear available, purchased on the website. In addition to fishing products, you can read a lot here interesting articles about fishing and learn useful tips, which will be useful to every fisherman.

Ambon scorpionfish

Opened in 1856. Easily identified by its huge “eyebrows” - specific growths above the eyes. Able to change color and shed. Conducts a “guerrilla” hunt - camouflaging at the bottom and waiting for the victim. It is not uncommon and has been quite well studied, but its extravagant appearance simply cannot be ignored!

Psychedelic frog fish

Opened in 2009. Very unusual fish- the caudal fin is curved to the side, the pectoral fins are modified and look like the paws of land animals. The head is large, the widely spaced eyes are directed forward, like in vertebrates, due to which the fish has a peculiar “facial expression”. The color of the fish is yellow or reddish with sinuous white-blue stripes diverging into different sides from the eyes blue color. Unlike other fish that swim, this species moves as if jumping, pushing off the bottom with its pectoral fins and pushing water out of the gill slits, creating jet thrust. The tail of the fish is curved to the side and cannot directly direct the movement of the body, so it oscillates from side to side. The fish can also crawl along the bottom using its pectoral fins, moving them like legs.

Rag picker

Opened in 1865. Representatives of this type of fish are notable for the fact that their entire body and head are covered with processes that imitate algae thalli. Although these processes are similar to fins, they do not take part in swimming and serve for camouflage (both when hunting shrimp and for protection from enemies). Lives in the waters Indian Ocean, washing southern, south-eastern and south-western Australia, as well as northern and eastern Tasmania. It feeds on plankton, small shrimp, and algae. Having no teeth, the rag picker swallows its food whole.

Moon fish

Opened in 1758. The laterally compressed body is extremely high and short, which gives the fish an extremely strange appearance: it resembles a disk in shape. The tail is very short, wide and truncated; the dorsal, caudal and anal fins are interconnected. The skin of the moonfish is thick and elastic, covered with small bony tubercles. The sunfish can often be seen lying on its side on the surface of the water. The adult sunfish is a very poor swimmer, unable to overcome strong currents. It feeds on plankton, as well as squid, eel larvae, salps, ctenophores and jellyfish. Can reach gigantic size several tens of meters and weighs 1.5 tons.

Broad-nosed chimera

Opened in 1909. Absolutely disgusting looking jelly fish. Lives on deep bottom Atlantic Ocean and feeds on shellfish. Extremely poorly studied.

Cloaked

Opened in 1884. These sharks look much more like a strange sea ​​snake or eel than their closest relatives. In the frilled shark, the gill openings, of which there are six on each side, are covered with skin folds. In this case, the membranes of the first gill slit cross the throat of the fish and are connected to each other, forming a wide skin blade. Along with the goblin shark, it is one of the rarest sharks on the planet. No more than a hundred specimens of these fish are known. They have been studied extremely poorly.

Coelacanth Indonesian

Opened in 1999. A living fossil and probably the oldest fish on Earth. Before the discovery of the first representative of the coelant order, which includes the coelacanth, it was considered completely extinct. Time of divergence of two modern species coelacanth is 30-40 million years old. No more than a dozen were caught alive.

Hairy monkfish

Opened in 1930. Very strange and scary fish, living on the deep bottom, where there is no sunlight - from 1 km and deeper. To lure the inhabitants of the deep sea, it uses a special luminous growth on the forehead, characteristic of the entire order of anglerfish. Thanks to its special metabolism and extremely sharp teeth, it can eat anything it comes across, even if the prey is many times larger and is also a predator. It reproduces no less strangely than it looks and eats - due to its unusual harsh conditions and the rarity of fish, the male (ten times smaller than the female) attaches himself to the flesh of his chosen one and transmits everything necessary through the blood.

Blob fish

Opened in 1926. Often mistaken for a joke. In fact, it's completely real view deep sea bottom sea ​​fish family of psycholuteaceae, which on the surface take on a “jelly” appearance with a “sad expression.” It has been poorly studied, but this is enough to recognize it as one of the most bizarre. The photo shows a copy from the Australian Museum.

Smallmouth macropinna

Opened in 1939. It lives at very great depths, so it has been poorly studied. In particular, the principle of fish vision was not entirely clear. It was believed that she must experience very great difficulties due to the fact that she can only see up. Only in 2009 was the structure of the eye of this fish fully studied. Apparently, when trying to study it earlier, the fish simply could not tolerate the change in pressure. The most notable feature of this species is the transparent, dome-shaped shell that covers the top and sides of its head, and the large, usually upward-pointing, cylindrical eyes that lie underneath this shell. A dense and elastic covering shell is attached to the scales of the back at the back, and on the sides to the wide and transparent periocular bones, which provide protection for the organs of vision. This covering structure is usually lost (or at least very badly damaged) when fish are brought to the surface in trawls and nets, so its existence was not known until recently. Under the covering shell there is a chamber filled with a transparent liquid, in which, in fact, the eyes of the fish are located; The eyes of living fish are bright green and separated by a thin bony septum, which, extending backwards, expands to accommodate the brain. In front of each eye, but behind the mouth, is a large, rounded pouch that contains an olfactory receptor rosette. That is, what at first glance appears to be eyes in photographs of live fish is actually an olfactory organ. Green caused by the presence of a specific yellow pigment in them. It is believed that this pigment provides special filtering of light coming from above and reduces its brightness, allowing the fish to discern the bioluminescence of potential prey.