Terrible sea creatures. The most incredible inhabitants of the deep sea

The oceans are home to several million amazing species. sea creatures. Given this enormous biodiversity, it is not surprising that these sea creatures presented in all possible shapes, colors and sizes. Some of them, especially deep sea inhabitants, look scary and disgusting, but the appearance of others is simply breathtaking. Today we will take a closer look.

1. Mandarin fish(Synchiropus splendidus)

Found in tropical waters western Pacific, Mandarin duck is a small coral fish up to 6 cm long, known for its strange shape and beautiful intense coloring.

(Cerianthus Membranaceus)

photo: https://www.flickr.com/photos/oceanaeurope/

Lives in various places In subtropical waters, trumpet anemone occurs in many different fluorescent shades and color combinations, making it a popular aquarium animal.

photo: Philippe Pourtallier

3. Flamingo tongue(Cyphoma gibbosa)

A resident of various Caribbean and Atlantic coral reefs, this colorful snail feeds on coral polyps.

4. Blue tang(Paracanthurus hepatus)

photo: Aaron Gilcrease

The fish is famous for its sharp spines on its tail, which are said to resemble a surgeon's scalpels.

5. Mantis crabs(Stomatopoda)

photo: https://www.flickr.com/photos/jennofarc/

The waters of the Indian and Pacific Oceans. They are some of the most fascinating and colorful creatures in the sea. These beautiful crustaceans have the most complex eyes in the world.

6. French angel(Pomacanthus paru)

photo: Paul Asman

Native to the western Atlantic Ocean, as well as the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean, french angel- an amazing tropical fish with a dark color, which is perfectly complemented by yellow stripes.

7. Rag-picking seahorse(Phycodurus eques)

photo: Dmytro Kochetov

Discovered in Australian waters, this seahorse is one of the most unusual and fascinating sea creatures. Reaches up to 20 cm in length. He also gets into 25 Most Amazing Sea Creatures.

8. Sea spiders(Pantopoda)

Absolutely unrelated to what we are used to ordinary spiders, sea spiders much simpler in form and function, but almost as common as their land-dwelling namesakes. These tiny marine arthropods come in over 1,300 species and can be found in most parts of the world.

9. Jellyfish flower cap(Olindias formosa)

photo: Josh More

Very rare species, which belongs to the class Hydrozoa, while true jellyfish belong to the class Scyphozoa. The flower cap can be found in the western Pacific Ocean off southern Japan, and has a painful sting.

10. Harlequin crab(Lissocarcinus laevis)

photo: René Cazalens

Among 25 Most Amazing Sea Creatures a stunning harlequin crab that occurs alongside sea anemones and trumpet anemones, near coastlines corals and rocky reefs.

11. Tulle apogon(Pterapogon kauderni)

A wonderful tropical fish with a silver coloration and vertical black stripes. Endangered Species, which is found only in a relatively small area around the island of Banggai in Indonesia.

(Aetobatus narinari)

photo: Xabier Mina

Reaching a width of up to 3 m, spotted bracken is an active swimmer and predator known to feed on invertebrates and small fish.

13. Clownfish(Amphiprion percula)

photo: Jun Ushiki

Bright orange with three distinctive white stripes, the clownfish is one of the most recognizable and popular of all reef creatures. The fish reaches approximately 11 cm in length.

14. Harlequin shrimp(Hymenocera picta)

photo: https://www.flickr.com/photos/luko/

Like many other vibrant species in 25 Most Amazing Sea Creatures, the harlequin shrimp is a popular aquarium inhabitant. This species has a white body with large spots. Males are slightly smaller than females.

15. Blue Dragon(Glaucus atlanticus)

Also known as blue glaucus and – poisonous mollusk. Measuring up to 3 cm in length, this curious animal is found in all temperate and tropical waters.

16. Discus fish(Symphysodon)

photo: Vera Le Bail

Originally from the Amazon River, discus fish is one of the most beautiful tropical fish in the world. Due to its distinctive shape and bright colors, it is called the “king of the aquarium”.

17. Venus anemone - sea anemone(Actinoscyphia aurelia)

photo: https://commons.wikimedia.org

Venus anemone, named after the Venus flytrap plant due to external resemblance and the feeding mechanism. This sea anemone is a large deep-sea creature that feeds by trapping food in its "trap mouth".

18. Royal starfish(Astropectenarticulatus)

One of the most remarkable representatives of the family, royal starfish is a sea star that most often lives on the middle continental shelf of about 20-30 m in the western Atlantic. It is a carnivore that feeds on shellfish.

19. ClamBerghia coerulescens

photo: Rodrigo Pascual

A species of sea slug that can be found in the Central and Western Mediterranean, as well as the North Atlantic Ocean. This stunningly colorful creature reaches up to 7 cm in length.

20. Zebra lionfish(Pterois volitans)

One of the most iconic tropical fish, a popular delicacy in some parts of the world, but much more prized as an aquarium resident.

21. Long-snouted European seahorse(Hippocampus hippocampus)

Endemic Mediterranean Sea and parts of the North Atlantic, the long-snouted European seahorse is a medium-sized species, up to 13 cm high, that lives in shallow waters. troubled waters, in estuaries or meadows seaweed. An endangered species.

22. Painted triggerfish, or spiny rhinecanth(Rhinecanthus aculeatus)

photo: Joachim S. Müller

25 Most Amazing Sea Creatures represents a remarkable tropical fish found on reefs in the Indo-Pacific region. The painted triggerfish feeds primarily on reef algae and algae. The fish's diet includes small crustaceans, worms, sea urchins and snails.

23. Green sea turtle(Chelonia mudas)

The green turtle is a large, heavy sea turtle with a wide, smooth shell. Weighing up to 320 kg, the green sea turtle is one of the largest sea turtles in the world.

24. Mollusk Phyllidia Babai

photo: Iain Fraser

A species of nudibranch that is found in several areas of the Pacific Ocean, such as Papua New Guinea, South Korea and Australia.

25. Crown of thorns, or acanthaster(Acanthaster planci)

photo: Joey Jojo

A starfish that is found in the Indo-Pacific region. Despite its beautiful appearance, crown of thorns often considered a pest because large number these creatures pose a significant threat coral reefs, especially the Great Barrier Reef.

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1. Angler / Fish Angler / Monkfish / European anglerfish/ Angler Fish

This deep-sea monster can easily become the nightmare of any diver and is rightfully considered the ugliest fish on planet Earth.

As if ashamed of their ugliness, anglerfish live on depths of the sea oh, where the sun's rays do not penetrate.

There are 200 species of anglerfish, which are widely distributed in the cold waters of the Atlantic and Antarctic oceans. The depths at which these creatures live are truly amazing: in 2006, a female monkfish was discovered in the Mediterranean Ocean at a depth of 1.86 km.

Fishing fish spend most of their lives at the very bottom, where they bury themselves in silt or sand.

Due to their deep-sea habitat, the skin of these fish is dark gray or dark brown, which would make them inconspicuous if not for the huge flat head studded with spines and a giant mouth slit. The roof of the mouth and jaws have several rows of razor-sharp, inward-curved teeth.

Some angler fish can reach 2 meters in length and weigh up to 28 kilograms.

On the head of females there is a small appendage with a fleshy two-bladed appendage (rod), which behaves like a float and begins to fluoresce at great depths, which is why this fish got this unusual name. The rod, as a rule, is 4 times longer than the fish itself, and the fleshy appendage, filled with mucus, in which bacteria that emit light live, is located directly in front of the predator’s mouth. The angler fish's mouth is truly gigantic compared to the rest of its body, and combined with its soft, elastic body, this 'baby' fish can wholeheartedly swallow prey that is twice its size.

That. It turns out that this monster, if desired, can easily swallow an adult!

A female fishing fish can harbor up to 10 partners on her body throughout her life, but most often their number is limited to 5-6.

To better imagine how this process happens, look at this short comic:

Spawning takes place on great depth, but the eggs are lighter than water and float to its surface. Here they hatch into larvae, which begin to feed intensively, grow quickly and gradually drown until they return to their homeland - the seabed.

The monkfish is extremely aggressive and any person swimming too close to it will be immediately attacked. The bites of this fish are very deep and painful, so do not approach this monster under any circumstances.

In Italy, the meat of this monster is eaten.

2. Viperfish / Sea viper / Deep sea viper / Viperfish

An indigenous inhabitant of the mesopelagic, the deep-sea viper can be found in tropical and temperate regions of the World Ocean at depths from 80 to 1600 meters.

The viper fish belongs to the Chauliodontidae family, all members of which are excellent freaks and bloodthirsty predators.

Individuals living closer to the surface are pitch black, and their deeper-sea counterparts are completely transparent, as are most inhabitants of the depths, where the sun's rays do not penetrate.
Viper fish lure prey using a special luminous organ - a photophore, which is located along their dorsal fin.
This fish has simply gigantic eyes, in comparison with the size of its body, thanks to which it can see well even in the pitch darkness of the sea depths. The mouth is armed with huge sharp teeth protruding several centimeters from the mouth.

As a rule, the prey of the deep-sea viper are fish that are two or even three times larger than themselves. The predator, with lightning speed, grabs the victim's muzzle with a death grip with its teeth-sabers, and waits until the fish, struggling in agony, is exhausted, after which, grabbing it with its teeth, it begins to literally put itself on it until it swallows it whole.

After a hearty meal, the deep sea viper looks like it's puffed up balloon bristling with sharp teeth.
The fish is stupid and aggressive to the point of disgrace. Oceanographer Stanley Dzhimnirski said that in 2006, while diving in the waters of the Pacific Ocean, he witnessed how a viper fish attacked a humpback whale, but due to its modest size, it could not defeat the gigantic mammal, which simply - simply ignored all the attacks of the brainless fish.

3. Alepisaurus / Alepisaurus

The large, toothy creatures, which carry the legacy of prehistoric times into the present day, can reach a length of two meters and weigh more than 8 kg.

The fish is extremely smart and is caught in fishing nets very rarely, and, according to fishermen, it is simply impossible to catch an alepisaurus with a hook.

Lives mainly in open ocean waters.

This species was first described in 1741 by one of the participants in the Second Kamchatka Expedition, Georg Wilhelm Steller, who discovered a sea monster washed up on the shore of one of the Aleutian islands.

4. Saberfish / Saberfish / Fangtooths

Saberfish or horned fish- this is another monster that lives in ocean depths Oh.

Despite its formidable appearance, this fish is truly miniature in size, reaching a length of only 15.24 cm.

The sabertooth has a short body, a large head and a huge mouth, with powerful jaws lined with sharp fangs.
Sabertooth fry are strikingly different from adult individuals - they have a lighter color, a different body structure and a head crowned with long spines. Adults range in color from jet black to dark brown.

The sabertooth fish is one of the deepest-sea fish in our world, which feels comfortable at depths of over 4,875 meters, where they are subject to pressure of over 425 atm.

These tiny predators attack anything that moves and are capable of swallowing whole prey that is two to three times larger than themselves. Some scientists suggest that the extreme aggressiveness of saber-tooths is a hereditary reflex developed as a result of extreme food shortages at such depths.

Sabertooth fish live in temperate and tropical oceanic regions, including waters off the coast of Australia.

5. Dragonfish / Sea dragon / Grammatostomias flagellibarba

The deep sea dragon fish is a ruthless predator that attacks anything that can be eaten. The aggression of this fish does not fit at all with its size - body length sea dragon only 15.24 cm.

The miniature monster has a large head and a large mouth, lined with sharp, fang-like teeth.

The dragon fish has a long whisker on its chin, at the end of which there is a photophore that acts as a fishing bait. Blinking and waving it back and forth in front of its toothy mouth, the predator waits until the unsuspecting prey swims close enough to it, after which, with a lightning-fast movement, it slams its powerful jaws on its head if the prey is large enough, otherwise it simply swallows it entirely.

In addition, like most deep-sea fish, the body and head of the dragon fish are dotted with photophores, which serve for communication with other representatives of its species (for example, during the mating period).

Sea dragons can be found in tropical regions of the World Ocean at depths of 1,500 meters.

6. Largemouth / Eurypharynx pelecanoides

First place in the category of the strangest and most clumsy-looking creature on planet Earth is awarded to a representative of the order of sacs - the largemouth, whose mouth looks truly gigantic in comparison with the rest of the body.

Most of the largemouth skull bones were reduced or simply disappeared due to their uselessness. As a result, it is impossible to determine what genus of fish the largemouth belongs to. Only the appearance of the fry, similar to eels, hints at the relationship of these two species.

During hunting, the lower jaw of the largemouth folds down and takes the shape of a net, into which prey that is several times larger than the hunter can easily be placed.
Many explorers of the deep sea have noticed that the largemouth, carrying prey in its mouth, looks like a flabby pelican. That's why it's sea creature often called pelican eel.

The largemouth stomach is also adapted to receiving large foods and is capable of stretching.

One more distinctive feature This inhabitant of the deep sea has a long, whip-like tail. Often the tails of largemouths caught in fishing nets were tangled into many knots.

Largemouths grow up to 2 meters in length and live at depths from 915 to 1830 meters.

7. Atlantic giant squid / Architeuthis dux

The Atlantic giant squid (Architeuthis dux) of the giant squid family, which is nicknamed the 'kraken', is the largest invertebrate in the world.

An adult female giant squid can reach 18 meters in length and weigh more than 900 kg.

About these mysterious sea monsters practically nothing is known, because They were only seen alive a couple of times. The study of sea 'krakens' is limited exclusively to the dissection of their half-decomposed corpses washed ashore.

Giant squids are carnivorous and eat whatever they can catch. During World War II, many surviving crew members of sunken ships told stories of giant sea monsters, who dragged their colleagues under the water. In addition, these creatures are credited with attacks on submarines and small ships. Confirmation of this has never been found, which does not exclude the possibility that hungry deep-sea creatures rise to the surface in search of food.

The Atlantic squid is armed with eight long tentacles (up to 5 meters) with suction cups with which it holds its prey and two powerful jaws that form a sharp beak that can easily pierce the skull of a white shark.

The sworn enemies of these monsters are sperm whales, whose strength and mass the ‘krakens’ have nothing to oppose. This can be confirmed by the fact that remains are often found in the stomachs of dead sperm whales. giant squid.

Representatives of this species of giant squid live mainly in temperate and subtropical zones Atlantic Ocean at a depth of up to 1100 meters.

8. Giant isopod / Giant isopod / Bathynomus giganteus

One of the largest members of the crustacean family, the giant isopod (Bathynomus giganteus), also known as the giant isopod, reaches a length of 45 cm and weighs up to 2 kg.

The closest relative of this animal, not far removed from its prehistoric ancestors, is considered to be the woodlice.

When threatened, the giant isopod curls up into a ball, protected by a tough, calcareous exoskeleton of overlapping segments covering its back.

The giant isopod has 7 pairs of legs, the first of which at a certain stage evolutionary development turned into jaws, which serve to capture, crush and deliver food into a mouth equipped with four jaws.

These giants live in sea water at a depth of over 600 meters.

9. Sea Coffin / Coffin Fish / Sea Toad / B.melanostomus

The soft spherical body and short tail of this inhabitant of the ocean depths are covered with many small poisonous spines, which pose a serious danger even to humans.

Adult length sea toad does not exceed 12 cm.

The elastic skin allows this type of fish to swell, thereby more than doubling in volume.

The sea toad belongs to the suborder of anglerfish and has a small, mobile photophore on its snout.

These fish spend most of their lives buried in the mud, only occasionally sticking their snout out of it, luring prey with a luminescent photophore.

Sea toads live in the continental regions of the Atlantic, Indian and Pacific oceans at depths of up to 2000 meters.

10. Hellish Vampire / Vampyroteuthis infernalis

The hellvampire is a relict squid and the only member of the order Vampyromorphida.

Its jelly-like body, studded with photophores, makes it look more like a jellyfish than a squid.

Is the owner of the most big eyes among animals, in comparison with other body proportions. They are located on the sides, have a spherical shape and can reach a diameter of 25 cm.

Typically, the length of an adult hellish vampire does not exceed 15 cm, but there are also 30 cm specimens.

Photophores serve for intraspecific communication, defense and attack. Thanks to them, the hellish vampire is able to generate light pulses lasting from hundredths of a second to several minutes. In addition, it can control the brightness and size of color spots.

The hellish vampire is able to change the color of his body and eyes. Depending on the lighting, the eyes can be blue or red, and the body can be velvety black, red, purple or brown.

The blood of the Hell Vampire contains the pigment hemocyanin, which contains copper, which gives it a bluish tint.

Metabolism proceeds so slowly in his body that he needs minimum quantity food and oxygen. Thanks to this, the hellish vampire manages to comfortably survive at depths of over 1000 m.

This animal is capable of developing incredible speeds, reaching 30 cm/s.

11. Long-nosed chimera / Harriotta raleighana

In the lane from Greek "chimera" - monster

A distinctive feature of this sea creature, belonging to order Chimaeriformes, is long nose, which has ideal hydrodynamic properties. The long-nosed chimera is one of the fastest underwater creatures maximum speed whose movements have not yet been established.

Large round eyes allow the chimera to see well even where the sun's rays practically do not penetrate.
Longnose chimaeras are considered distant relatives of sharks, so South Africa They are often called 'ghost sharks'.

They live in ocean waters temperate climate at depths from 200 to 2600 meters.

A touch from the poisonous spine located on the dorsal fin can kill a person, although this is unlikely to ever happen at a depth of 2600 meters.

12. Black Crookshanks / Chiasmodon niger

The chiasmodon genus includes five species of the most disgusting creatures, each of which could easily become an adornment to any low-budget horror film.

The most common member of this marine 'Adams family' is the black crook.

The length of these monsters is only 15-25 cm, but thanks to their wide mouth, crowned with large movable fangs, they can easily swallow a half-meter fish.

In order not to become a victim during the hunt, the crooked swallower swallows prey, starting from the tail, then, intercepting it with his teeth, pulls it into his stomach, which is elastic and capable of accommodating everything that fits into the mouth of this sea monster.

The crookfish is helped to find prey in pitch darkness by the lateral line organ system, which allows it to detect water vibrations.

In addition, to attract prey and communicate with potential mating partners, there are photophores on its body.
Black crabbills live in tropical and subtropical waters of the World Ocean at a depth of 700-2700 meters.

13. Frilled shark / Chlamydoselachus anguineus

The frilled shark is one of two species of the family Chlamydoselachidae, found primarily in the waters of the Atlantic and Pacific oceans.

It lives at a depth of 50 to 200 meters, but can dive to 2000 meters if desired.

Most often, scientists call this animal a living fossil, because. it has undergone virtually no changes during its evolutionary development and is the brightest representative of a species that originated in the prehistoric period.

Frilled sharks reach up to two meters in length, with females being larger than males, and having a snake-like, dark-colored body that makes them look like eels. Their gill openings are decorated with skin frills, from which these sharks get their name.

This dangerous predator takes full advantage of all the advantages of its snake body during the hunt. With a lightning-fast movement, he pounces on the victim and coils around it like a snake. Flexible jaws allow him to swallow prey that is several times larger than himself, and teeth that are sharp at the ends and curved inward completely eliminate the possibility of the victim escaping from a fatal grip.

Frilled sharks feed mainly on cephalopods, fish and other sharks.

These deep-sea animals hatch from eggs that are gestated by the female for 2-3.5 years, the longest gestation among vertebrates.

And in conclusion, I want to introduce you, although not a sea hunter, and not so scary in appearance, but still an extremely dangerous river hunter who does not even disdain human flesh.

Pacu

Pacu is a fish from the piranha family, which, like the dragon fish, attacks everything it sees, only its habitat is not the depths of the sea, but shallow river backwaters.

Pacu are much larger than piranhas - the weight of an adult can reach 30 kg. Extremely sharp teeth, somewhat similar to human ones, and powerful jaws make this pretty fish the most dangerous river predator in the world.

In order to provoke a pack to attack, it is enough to approach it at a distance of two meters.

The main habitat of these fish is concentrated in the waters of the Amazon.

Is it difficult for you to believe that such a ‘cute baby’ could cause you any harm? But in vain! Just recently, a pacu castrated two local fishermen in Papua New Guinea who died from loss of blood. For more than a month, this bloodthirsty creature single-handedly terrorized residents of nearby villages until it was caught by an experienced fisherman from England, Jeremy Wade.

Incredible facts

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 fit 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. Typically fixed in an upward direction with green "lens covers" to filter 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. Once the jaws of this devilish fish slam shut, it's game 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 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, which give these inhabitants such a charming 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 dead deep-sea inhabitants.

The Japanese crab's eyes are located in 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 residence.

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 bony fish and sharks.

10. Lionfish (or Lionfish)

It is believed that the first lionfish 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 marine inhabitants.

These fish eat other species, and they seem to eat constantly. They themselves have long poisonous spines, which protects them from other predators. IN Atlantic Ocean local 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 are not only aggressive predators, but also cannibals.

The venom released from their spines makes the bites even more painful, and for those who suffer from heart disease or allergic reactions, it can become fatal.

Despite the fact that water occupies 70% of the surface of our planet, the oceans remain a mystery to humans. No more than 5% of the world's oceans have been explored, the rest of it is beyond human knowledge. But some interesting information nevertheless, it was possible to obtain, for example, what creatures live deep under water, where it does not penetrate sunlight.
1st place. Bathysaurus

This lizard-headed creature is very reminiscent of long-extinct dinosaurs in a reduced form. This similarity is probably why it got its name. Bathisaurus lives in the seas of tropical and subtropical climate at a depth of 600 to 3500 meters and reaches a length of 50-65 cm. It is considered the deepest predator, a mini-machine killer that devours everything that gets in its way. Bathysaurus even has teeth on its tongue. By the way, this monster is a hermaphrodite, i.e., it has both male and female sexual characteristics.

2nd place. Monkfish

This is probably the ugliest creature in the world; when you see it, you can’t help but be scared. There are about 200 species of deep-sea monkfish, most of them found in the Atlantic Ocean. Some of these creatures grow up to a meter, and they lure prey with a glowing tail. Their mouth is so large and their body is so flexible that they can swallow prey twice their size.

3rd place. frilled shark

This prehistoric creature lived and hunted well back in the days when dinosaurs roamed the earth. People very rarely have the opportunity to see this formidable predator, since the frilled shark prefers to stay at a depth of 1500 meters, where it hunts mainly for cephalopods.

4th place. Fish - drop

This fish somewhat resembles a person with an unhappy expression on his face, upset by his ugliness. It lives mainly off the coast of Tasmania at a depth of 800 meters and feeds on mollusks and sea urchins. The blob fish does not have an air bubble, and its body consists of a jelly-like substance, slightly denser than water, which allows it to easily move along the seabed.

5th place. Pisces - Leo

According to some reports, the lion fish appeared in the Caribbean Sea relatively recently, and became a real disaster for the local inhabitants. Unfamiliar with this type of fish, many try to taste it, and as a result they themselves become prey. These fish have poisonous thorns, therefore, the only one who can eat a fish - a lion - is another fish - a lion, since they are not only predators, but also cannibals.

6th place. Fish - viper

This deep-sea fish is known as one of the most ruthless predators of the seabed. She is easily recognized by her large mouth with huge sharp fangs. In fact, the teeth are so long that they don't fit in her mouth and reach her eyes. Like the monkfish, the viperfish lures its prey with its glowing tail and pierces it with its terrible teeth. Her body is so flexible that she is able to swallow victims larger than herself.

7th place. Woodlice eating tongue

8th place. Sac-eater, or black eater

This fish, up to 30 cm long, lives in the seas of a subtropical climate. It got its name because of its elastic stomach, which can accommodate fish four times the size of the bagworm. The lower jaw has no bone connection with the skull, and there are no ribs on the stomach. All this helps the fish swallow food.

9th place. Macropinna Microstoma

This small fish is known for its transparent head, inside of which there are green eyes. She lives in cool waters Quiet and Northern Arctic Ocean at a depth of 200 to 600 meters.

10th place. Sea bat

This bottom fish, very reminiscent of a stingray, lives mainly in warm waters seas and oceans at depths from 200 to 1000 meters. She has a big head and small tail, the body itself is practically absent. The bat does not know how to swim, and crawls along the bottom with reluctance. Basically, he just lies there and waits for the food to swim up to him.

Our Earth is 70% water and most of these vast water (including underwater) expanses remain poorly explored. Therefore, it is not at all surprising that the most amazing and strange representatives of the animal world live in the depths of the sea. Today in our article we will talk about the most incredible deep-sea fish Mariana Trench and others ocean depths. Many of these fish were discovered to the human eye relatively recently, and many of them amaze us people with their incredible and even fantastic appearance, structural features, habits and way of life.

Bassogigas - the deepest sea fish in the world

So, meet bassogigas - a fish that is the absolute record holder for deep-sea habitat. Bassogigas were first caught at the bottom of a trench near Puerto Rico at a depth of 8 km (!) from the research ship John Eliot.

Bassogigas.

As you can see, by appearance our deep-sea record holder differs little from ordinary fish, although in fact, despite the relatively typical appearance, its habits and way of life have still been little studied by scientific zoologists, because conducting research at such a great depth is a very difficult task.

Blob fish

But it’s hard to blame our next hero for being “ordinary”; meet the drop fish, which in our opinion has the strangest and most fantastic appearance.

Like an alien from outer space, isn't it? The drop fish lives on the deep ocean floor near Australia and Tasmania. The size of an adult representative of the species is no more than 30 cm. In front of it there is a process reminiscent of our nose, and on the sides there are, respectively, two eyes. The blob fish does not have developed muscles and is somewhat reminiscent of its lifestyle - it swims slowly with its mouth open, waiting for its prey, which is usually small invertebrates, to be nearby. After this, the drop fish swallows the prey. She herself is inedible and, moreover, is on the verge of extinction.

And here is our next hero - a sea bat, which in appearance does not even look like a fish.

But, nevertheless, he is still a fish, although he cannot swim. The batfish moves along the seabed, pushing off with its fins, which are so similar to legs. The pipistrelle bat lives in the warm, deep waters of the world's oceans. The largest representatives of the species reach 50 cm in length. Bats are predators and feed on various small fish, but since they cannot swim, they lure their prey with a special bulb growing directly from their heads. This bulb has a specific smell that attracts small fish, as well as worms and crustaceans (they also go to food for our hero), while the bat itself sits patiently in ambush and as soon as potential prey is nearby, it suddenly grabs it.

Anglerfish - deep sea fish with a flashlight

The deep-sea angler fish, which lives, including in the depths of the famous Mariana Trench, is especially notable for its appearance, thanks to the presence of a real flashlight fishing rod on its head (hence its name).

The angler's flashlight rod is not only for beauty, but also serves the most practical purposes; with its help, our hero also lures prey - various small fish, although due to his considerable appetite and the presence of sharp teeth, the angler does not hesitate to attack and to larger representatives of the fish kingdom. Interesting fact: anglerfish themselves often become victims of their particular gluttony, since, having grabbed big fish due to the structural features of its teeth, it can no longer release its prey, as a result of which it chokes and dies.

But back to his amazing biological flashlight, why does it glow? In fact, the light is provided by special luminous bacteria that live with the anglerfish in close symbiosis.

In addition to its main name, the deep-sea angler fish has others: “ sea devil", "monkfish", because in its appearance and habits, it can easily be classified as a deep-sea monster fish.

The barrel eye perhaps has the most unusual structure among deep-sea fish: a transparent head through which it can see with its tubular eyes.

Although the fish was first discovered by scientists back in 1939, it still remains poorly studied. It lives in the Bering Sea, off the west coast of the USA and Canada, as well as off the coast of northern Japan.

Giant amoebas

American oceanographers discovered living creatures at a record depth of 10 km 6 years ago. - giant amoebas. True, they no longer belong to fish, so among fish the primacy is still occupied by bassogigas, but it is these giant amoebas that are the absolute record holders among living creatures living on greatest depth- the bottom of the Mariana Trench, the deepest known on Earth. These amoebas were discovered using a special deep-sea camera, and research into their life continues to this day.