Terrible inhabitants of the deep sea. The creepiest inhabitants of the deep sea

Undersea world mysterious and unique. It contains secrets that have not yet been solved by man. We invite you to get acquainted with the most unusual sea creatures, plunge into the unknown thickness water world and see her beauty.

1. Atoll Jellyfish (Atolla vanhoeffeni)

Extraordinary beautiful jellyfish Atolla lives at such depths where it does not penetrate sunlight. In times of danger, it can glow, attracting large predators. Jellyfish do not seem tasty to them, and predators eat their enemies with pleasure.

This jellyfish is capable of emitting a bright red glow, which is a consequence of the breakdown of proteins in its body. Usually, large jellyfish- dangerous creatures, but you should not be afraid of the Atoll, because its habitat is where no swimmer can reach.

2. Blue Angel (Glaucus atlanticus)

This very tiny mollusk rightfully deserves its name; it seems to float on the water surface. To become lighter and stay at the very edge of the water, it swallows air bubbles from time to time.

These unusual creatures have an outlandish body shape. They are blue above and silver below. It is not for nothing that nature has provided such camouflage - the Blue Angel remains unnoticed by birds and sea predators. A thick layer of mucus around the mouth allows it to feed on small poisonous inhabitants seas.

3. Harp sponge (Chondrocladia lyra)

This mysterious one sea predator has not yet been sufficiently studied. The structure of its body resembles a harp, hence the name. The sponge is inactive. It clings to the sediment of the seabed and hunts by gluing small underwater inhabitants to its sticky tips.

The harp sponge covers its prey with a bactericidal film and gradually digests it. There are individuals with two or more lobes, which are connected in the center of the body. The more blades, the more food the sponge will catch.

4. Dumbo Octopus (Grimpoteuthis)

The octopus got its name because of its resemblance to the Disney hero, Dumbo the elephant, although it has a semi-gelatinous body of rather modest size. Its fins resemble elephant ears. He waves them around as he swims, which looks quite funny.

Not only the “ears” help to move, but also the peculiar funnels located on the octopus’ body, through which it releases water under pressure. Dumbo lives very great depth, so we don’t know much about him. Its diet consists of all kinds of mollusks and worms.

Octopus Dumbo

5. Yeti Crab (Kiwa hirsuta)

The name of this animal speaks for itself. A crab covered with white shaggy fur really resembles Bigfoot. It lives in cold waters at such depths where there is no access to light, so it is completely blind.

These amazing animals grow microorganisms on their claws. Some scientists believe that the crab needs these bacteria to purify the water from toxic substances, others suggest that the crabs grow their own food on the bristles.

6. Short-snouted pipistrelle (Ogcocephalus)

This fashionable fish with bright red lips can't swim at all. Living at a depth of more than two hundred meters, it has a flat body covered with a shell and fin-like legs, thanks to which the short-snouted bat slowly walks along the bottom.

It obtains food using a special growth - a kind of retractable fishing rod with an odorous bait that attracts prey. The discreet coloring and spiked shell help the fish hide from predators. Perhaps this is the funniest animal among the inhabitants of the world's oceans.

7. Sea slug Felimare Picta

Felimare Picta is a species of sea slug that lives in Mediterranean waters. He looks very extravagant. The yellow-blue body seems to be surrounded by a delicate airy frill.

Felimare Picta, although a mollusk, does without a shell. And why does he need her? In case of danger, the sea slug has something much more interesting. For example, acidic sweat that is released on the surface of the body. It's really bad luck for anyone who wants to treat themselves to this mysterious mollusk!

8. Flamingo tongue clam (Cyphoma gibbosum)

This creature is found on the western coast of the Atlantic Ocean. Having a brightly colored mantle, the mollusk completely covers its plain shell with it and thus protects it from negative influence marine organisms.

Like an ordinary snail, the Flamingo's Tongue hides in its shell in case of impending danger. By the way, the mollusk received this name due to its bright color with characteristic spots. It prefers poisonous gongonaria as food. While eating, the snail absorbs the poison of its prey, after which it becomes poisonous itself.

9. Leafy sea dragon (Phycodurus eques)

The sea dragon is a true virtuoso of mimicry. It is all covered with “leaves”, which help it appear invisible against the backdrop of the underwater landscape. It is interesting that such abundant vegetation does not help the dragon move at all. Only two tiny fins located on its chest and back are responsible for its speed. The leaf dragon is a predator. It feeds by sucking prey into itself.

Dragons feel comfortable in the shallow waters of warm seas. And these sea inhabitants are also known as excellent fathers, because it is the males who bear the offspring and take care of them.

10. Salps (Salpidae)

Salps are invertebrate marine inhabitants that have a barrel-shaped body, through the transparent shell of which internal organs are visible.

IN ocean depths animals form long chains-colonies, which are easily broken even by a slight wave shock. Salps reproduce by budding.

11. Piglet squid (Helicocranchia pfefferi)

This strange and little-studied underwater creature resembles “Piglet” from the famous cartoon. The completely transparent body of the piglet squid is covered age spots, the combination of which sometimes gives him a cheerful look. Around the eyes there are so-called photophores - organs of luminescence.

This mollusk is leisurely. It's funny that the piggy squid moves upside down, which is why its tentacles look like forelocks. He lives at a depth of one hundred meters.

12. Ribbon moray eel (Rhinomuraena guaesita)

This underwater inhabitant is quite unusual. Throughout its life, the ribbon moray eel is capable of changing sex and color three times, depending on the stages of its development. So, when the individual is still immature, it is colored black or dark blue.

The underwater world is full of many inhabitants. Everyone who has experienced underwater diving has forever retained in their memory unforgettable impressions of the beauty and diversity of flora and fauna of the sea or ocean floor.

Sponges

Along with a variety of fish and unusual algae, on the seabed there are creatures so unusual that it is impossible to determine to what category they should be classified.

One of these creatures is sponges. They have neither internal organs, no sense organs. At first glance, there is no way to tell that this is an animal.

And yet, it is so. Sponges have a primitive structure, adapted to life exclusively on the bottom of the sea, and depth does not play any role for the comfortable existence of sponges. The territory of their distribution is very large, and the number of varieties is enormous. Some of them even survive at the North Pole!

Sponges look different. There are individuals that are spherical, elongated, or even elliptical. The colors also vary: from pale and light to bright, saturated.

Sponges are multicellular animals that survive in any environment.

The sponge seems very fragile to the touch, since its entire body is porous. With the help of these pores, the sponge breathes and feeds. Water passes through the pores, leaving small marine plankton in the body of the sponge.

The viability of sponges is also surprising. They have an excellent ability to regenerate: no matter how many small parts you divide the sponge into, it will certainly be able to recover. Sponges live from several months to fifty years.

Corals

A more accurate name for such well-known organisms as corals is “coral polyps.” What we used to think of as coral is actually the skeleton of a coral polyp. Coral polyp very small in size, its shape is not as picturesque as the shape of its skeleton, but rather resembles a grain of rice. The coral polyp does not have a backbone, but it does have tentacles.

After the death of a polyp, its skeleton (otherwise called a “corallite”), connecting with others, creates a coral reef. New polyps develop directly on the skeletons of old ones, significantly changing the topography of the seabed.

The coral reefs are incredibly beautiful and very attractive to scuba diving enthusiasts. Corals are different. Coral reefs consist mainly of stony corals. There are also soft corals and horn corals (their scientific name is gorgonians). All corals are united by love for tropical climate And high temperature water. For example, the Black Sea is not warm enough for these creatures.

Today we know at least five hundred varieties of corals. Almost all of them prefer to live at shallow depths.

A coral polyp without its strong calcareous skeleton is very fragile. They live on the bottom or resemble a bush or tree in shape. Their colors are varied and very intricate. Coral can grow to significant sizes - from one and a half to two meters. Corals are inhabitants of the seas and oceans. Fresh water harmful for them.

Corals need sunlight to function normally. These organisms breathe with the help of tiny algae that live directly in the tissues of the polyp's body.

Corals eat plankton as food. It sticks to their tentacles, which then send food into their mouths. The mouth is located under the tentacles.

Sometimes, due to tectonic processes, the ocean floor is no longer hidden by water. In this case, the coral reef that comes up becomes the basis for a new island.

Over time, it develops its own flora and fauna, and then people settle on this island. This is how some of the inhabited islands of Oceania arose.

Starfish, urchins, lilies

Such unique creatures as starfish, sea urchins and sea lilies belong to the order of echinoderms. They live exclusively in salt water, so their habitat is the sea and ocean bottom.

Starfish can reach significant sizes - up to a whole meter in diameter. Along with such large specimens, there are also very tiny ones - up to a few millimeters.

A starfish can have up to fifty “rays” - processes on which the eyes are located. These eyes are capable of detecting light. Starfish are usually brightly colored and have a wide range of colors. You could say they come in every color of the rainbow!

Despite their apparent slowness and lack of teeth, starfish are excellent predators. Firstly, they are practically omnivores, literally able to eat everything that cannot eat them themselves.

Secondly, the point is in the special structure of the starfish’s stomach, which is capable of digesting food even outside the body of its owner. That is, starfish It is not necessary to penetrate the shell of a mollusk yourself in order to feast on its contents. All you have to do is place your stomach there and begin the digestive process. And in the execution of this process the possibilities are almost unlimited. She is able to cope even with live fish.

Sea urchins are no less voracious. They eat almost all the inhabitants of the underwater kingdom: plants and animals, fish and shellfish, living and dead, and even each other. Their powerful jaw allows hedgehogs to even gnaw through stones.

These are animals indistinguishable from real flowers. The similarity is exacerbated by the fact that, like plants, they are immobile. The only difference is that sea lilies, unlike real ones, do not have stems.

The sea urchin is an inhabitant of the seas and oceans.

Jellyfish

Jellyfish are remarkable because almost 100% of their mass is water.

The process of the birth of a jellyfish is no less bizarre than appearance this unusual creature. The eggs laid by an adult jellyfish hatch into larvae, which later transform into a polyp, shaped like a bush. Tiny newborn jellyfish bud from it, which will grow into adults.

The variety of jellyfish is amazing. Among them there are tiny ones with a diameter of several millimeters, and real giants more than two meters in diameter. The tentacles of such giants are also gigantic: almost thirty meters. Jellyfish habitat - entire thickness sea water, they feel equally good both on the surface of the water and at the very bottom of the sea.

Jellyfish are adorable to look at, but some of them can be deadly. The fact is that the jellyfish leads the lifestyle of a predator, and its tentacles are not only decoration and a means of transportation, but also a weapon for hunting. They contain a kind of thread that has spikes and contains a paralyzing liquid. The slightest touch of the devilishly beautiful jellyfish for the small marine organism can result in death, or for a larger creature - a serious burn.

Jellyfish stings can cause serious burns on the human body, and the venom of some species is deadly.

Not always the best dangerous jellyfish look especially large or bright. For example, an inconspicuous jellyfish called the “cross” (due to the cross-shaped pattern on its “umbrella”) the size of a five-kopeck coin is incredibly dangerous to humans. Touching it risks severe burns. But that's not the worst thing. Following the burn, the person begins to suffocate. And since meetings with this jellyfish, of course, take place in water, the outcome of such a meeting is most often disappointing.

What also distinguishes jellyfish from other inhabitants of the underwater kingdom of this kind is their speed of movement. Their “umbrella” is very mobile, and its shape allows it to move from place to place quite quickly.

Underwater inhabitants changeable, like the sea itself. Quite recently, a huge jellyfish appeared in the Sea of Japan. Her weight was one and a half hundred kilograms. Most importantly, this was not an isolated incident. The relatives of this jellyfish also began to grow actively. Perhaps this rapid growth is caused by the warming of the world's oceans.

In addition to such amazing and unique creations of nature as the above-mentioned creatures, well-known and familiar mammals live in the seas and oceans. Not all of them have water as their permanent home, like dolphins, for example. Many use it as a source of food and a place for hunting. Naturally, all water-associated mammals are excellent swimmers.

It is interesting to note that water can support any weight, and therefore many marine mammals much larger than their terrestrial counterparts.
Of those mammals that live permanently in water, the following groups can be distinguished: cetaceans, pinnipeds, sirens and sea otters. Cetaceans include whales themselves, as well as dolphins. Pinnipeds include walruses and all types of seals. Dugongs, which are similar to mythical sirens or mermaids, belong to the category of sirens. It should be noted that cetaceans and sirenians never come to land, but pinnipeds and sea otters rest and breed on the shore, and feed and hunt in the sea.

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The depths of the sea have now remained the most inaccessible and mysterious part of our planet. It is there that researchers and tourists have not yet been able to penetrate; it is there that marine animals can feel safe from curious people. At the same time, the depths of the ocean hide their inhabitants quite reliably, although we were able to meet some of the most terrible ones.

1. European anglerfish(Lophius piscatorius)

If you ask someone to describe an anglerfish, the easiest way to do it is to call it a “mouth with a tail.” It seems that his mouth smoothly turns into a tail, and his body is basically absent. Moreover, all the fish are covered with various outgrowths and growths, which help it camouflage among the sand and thickets of aquatic vegetation. They are common in Atlantic Ocean from Black to North Sea at depths of 18-550 m.
The dimensions of the anglerfish are impressive - up to two meters long and weighing more than 20 kg. But his method of obtaining food is striking. The first rays of the anglerfish's dorsal fin have changed in the process of evolution, turning into a kind of bait that fluoresces in the darkness of the depths. Now he lies quietly in ambush, waving the bait in front of his nose. The naive fish swims up and then the terrible jaws instantly open, drawing water with all the living creatures into the bottomless stomach of the anglerfish. Angler fish eggs are spawned in real layers almost a meter wide and up to nine meters long. The eggs are light and rise to the surface, where the fry gradually eat off and sink, reaching the bottom and the required dimensions by 5-6 years.
Interestingly, in France angler is a popular dish, but for Jews, due to the lack of scales, it is not kosher.

2. Viperfish (Chauliodus sloani)

There are 6 species of howloids that live in warm tropical waters. The fish are small, only up to 35 cm, but their appearance can drive even the most persistent (including) into hysterics. Viper fish are found at depths of up to four kilometers, although more often from 500 to 1000 meters. At night they rise almost to the very surface, and during the day they sink deep to the bottom. The body of the fish is covered with large scales and luminous areas, which are used for communication. In addition, one of the rays of the dorsal fin, like that of the anglerfish, is turned into bait.
But main feature The distinctive feature of the fish is its disproportionately large head in relation to the body, equipped with long sharp teeth. She is able to lean far back, and her jaw, like a snake’s, can move forward and down. As a result, marine life three times larger becomes its victims. Howloids also have a specific structure of the esophagus; the entire body is focused on holding any prey that comes along! Indeed, in the habitats of the viper fish, hunting is not abundant, and the howloid can live 12 days on one victim.

3. Alepisaurus

The species was first described in 1741 by Steller during the Kamchatka expedition. And then the researchers got a fish carcass that washed up on the shore. Later, with the expansion of fishing, fish began to be caught more often, and more material became available for research. It was possible to establish that the size of the fish reaches 2 meters and 8 kilograms, they have huge teeth and a high dorsal fin. All fish seem swiftly strong, thanks to their flattened, slender body and narrow, elongated head. Like many deep-sea predators, Alepisaurus makes large vertical movements behind its victims.

4. Long-horned sabertooth (Anoplogaster cornuta)

For almost 50 years, scientists believed and accepted the juveniles of these fish as a separate species. Young and adult saber-tooths are radically different from each other – in color, body shape, and arsenal of teeth. With age, light, triangular fish with a spiky head become black, large-headed, toothy predators with the longest teeth in relation to the body among fish. And these fish are considered the deepest, found at a depth of five kilometers and at the same time easily carrying normal pressure, surviving in ordinary aquariums. Yes, but the terrible predators are only 15 cm long.

5. Dragonfish (Grammatostomias flagellibarba)

Another tropical deep-sea predator. To cope with the problem of obtaining food at kilometer depths, it is helped by a luminous appendage-bait, large sharp teeth and the ability to literally put oneself on the victim. Moreover, the size of the fish does not exceed 15 centimeters.

6. Largemouth (Eurypharynx pelecanoides)

At a kilometer depth you can find, perhaps, the most strange fish- largemouths. Their skull bones were almost completely reduced, and the entire skeleton underwent significant changes. The lower jaw took on the appearance of a large bag, reminiscent of a pelican, and the body itself most closely resembles a long whip up to 2 meters long. Just like other marine inhabitants of these depths, largemouths are aggressive and capable of swallowing quite large prey.

7. Atlantic giant squid / Architeuthis dux

In 1887, the largest specimen was caught off the coast of New Zealand. giant squid– 17.5 meters long, of which only the tentacles accounted for 5 meters. Sometimes these squids are called record holders among mollusks in terms of size, but their other relatives are in the lead here - colossal squid. Many legends are associated with both species; they are credited with violent battles with sperm whales, dragging ships under water and submarines, it is these squids that are called krakens.

8. Giant isopod crayfish (Bathynomus giganteus)

This creature was discovered by chance by oil workers in the Gulf of Mexico at a depth of 2.6 km. It simply stuck to one of the geological sensors and was then brought to the surface. Giant sea woodlice reach 0.45 m in length and 2 kg in weight. The first of its 7 pairs of legs evolved into jaws, and a strong chitinous cover provides reliable protection for the body. The appearance of the isopod crayfish is truly prehistoric.

9. Frogfish (Brachionichthyidae melanostomus)

This kind sea anglers differs in that it has practically lost the ability to swim, but deftly moves along the bottom with the help of modified pectoral fins. It has a small body, up to 12 cm, covered with poisonous shoots and spines, capable of swelling and absorbing very large prey. Which, like all fish of this family, is lured by a luminous “fishing rod”.

10. Hell Vampire (Vampyroteuthis infernalis)

This cephalopod has features of both squid and octopus. This is one of the most amazing animals. The hellish vampire holds several records at once. Its eyes, 2.5 cm, are the largest in the animal world relative to the body (30 cm). He lives at the greatest depth (400-1000 m) among all cephalopods, where there is no light and a vanishing low concentration of oxygen.
Thanks to the copper content in the blood, it is possible to supply the body with those crumbs of oxygen that are in the water. Thanks to the high ammonia content in the tissues, an ideal body density comparable to the density of sea water has been achieved, which provides excellent buoyancy and does not require additional energy. The mollusk is completely covered with photoreceptors and uses light for complex communication, to disorient the victim and the attacker. Unlike its shallower-water counterparts, the hellish vampire does not use ink for protection; it releases a mucous suspension with luminous balls into the attackers' face, and itself hides nearby in the darkness.

11. Long-nosed chimera (Harriotta raleighana)

All chimeras have very distinctive noses to some degree, but the long-nosed chimera has a particularly intricate nose. This benthic deep-sea predator lives at depths of 200-2600 m and, thanks to the aerodynamic shape of its nose and body, is capable of reaching enormous speeds. In addition, they have a large poisonous thorn, which is usually folded into a recess on the back, and in case of danger rises up.

12. Frilled shark (Chlamydoselachus anguineus)

The rare relict shark reaches 2 meters in length and lives in near-bottom areas at depths of 400-1200 meters. The shark got its name from the folds of skin covering the gill slits. The body of the fish is elongated, serpentine, like other sharks there are a huge number of curved teeth and a brutal appetite. Another feature is ovoviviparity, and “pregnancy” can last up to 2 years.

And one more sea creature, a real crab-eater:

A representative of deep-sea fish is the drop fish, which lives at a depth of 600 meters. The blobfish is a deep-sea inhabitant that actively lives in Australia and Tasmania. Very rarely, a person himself can meet it, since it is on the verge of extinction.

Blob fish

The appearance features of the deep-sea creature are very unusual and strange. In the anterior region of the muzzle you can see a process, which some compare to big nose. The eyes of the individual are small and are located next to the so-called nose so that it seems that the fish has a human face. Her mouth is quite large, the corners of her mouth are directed downwards, which is why her muzzle always seems sad and tired. It is thanks to its unusual and strange face that the blob fish occupies one of the first places in the ratings of unusual and strange sea creatures.

Peculiarities

Such a slow process reproduction is associated with another interesting fact about the drop fish. Usually she lays her eggs directly on the surface of the bottom and does not leave her clutch; she lies down on her eggs and sits on them until the first young hatch from them. This type of reproduction is common among deep-sea fish, which lay their eggs, which rise to the surface of the water and mix with plankton. The remaining deep-sea species usually descend to greater depths only when they reach sexual maturity and live there for the rest of their lives.

At the same time, the drop fish never leaves its habitat. The hatched young remain with their parent for some time and are actively protected by him until the moment comes when the individual becomes quite independent for further life.

These unusual fish live at a fairly deep level in the ocean. Of all the deep-sea species, only sea devils, also known as anglerfish, live the strangest and most unusual lives.

These fish are very unpleasant appearance, covered with special spikes and plaques, are located at a depth of the ocean of 1.5–3 kilometers. The most unusual feature of monkfish- this is his fishing rod, which grows from the dorsal fin and hangs over his ferocious muzzle. At the end of this rod there is a glowing gland that contains luminescent bacteria. Sea devils They use this device as bait.

Usually the prey itself swims towards this light, while the angler quietly moves the fishing rod towards its mouth and certain time very quickly grabs an approaching victim. Some types of anglerfish have a fishing rod with a flashlight right next to their mouth, and the fish doesn’t even have to try hard to swallow its prey.

Sea bat

Fish, well dried in the sun, leaves behind a fairly durable shell, which in appearance is similar to that of a turtle. If you add stones inside it, you can get a real rattle, which has been used since ancient times by residents of the eastern hemisphere living on the ocean coast.

As one might expect, bat shells act as protection against larger deep-sea creatures. Only very powerful teeth large predator are capable of breaking such a shell in order to get to the meat of the fish. At the same time, it is very difficult to find a bat in complete darkness. Besides the fact that the individual is quite flat and easily blends into the surrounding space, and its shell color is similar to the color of the seabed.

Fish - lancetyls, also known as lancetfish - are large creatures of the predatory type, which are considered the only surviving representative of the genus Alepisaurus, which means lizard scales. It got its name from medical term lancet, synonymous with scalpel.

Apart from the polar seas, lancefish can be found in any area. At the same time, despite its great prevalence and ubiquity, there is very little information about this fish. Scientists are only able to create a description of an individual using small quantity specimens caught with tuna. Her external data is very memorable to others. The fish has a high fin on its back; this fin is the entire length of the individual. In height it exceeds the individual several times, and in appearance it is similar to the fin of a sailfish.

The body is elongated and rather thin, decreasing in the area of the tail and ending with a caudal peduncle. The mouth is quite large. The cut in the individual's mouth is located behind its eyes. Inside the mouth, in addition to a large number of small teeth, there are two or three large sharp fangs. These fangs can give the individual the dangerous and insidious appearance of a prehistoric creature. One species of lancefish was even named Alepisaurus ferocious, which suggests that humans do not trust this fish. This can be justified, because if you look at the mouth of a fish, it is difficult to imagine that any creature could survive if it caught its eye.

Lancet fish in length reaches up to two meters, which can be compared with the size of the barracuda, which is considered very dangerous to humans.

Food

Necropsies of captured individuals provided some information about their diet. Thus, crustaceans were found in the stomach of the individual, which make up the bulk of plankton, which cannot in any way be associated with such a ferocious predator. Probably, the creature prefers to feed on plankton, since it is not able to move quickly and it simply cannot keep up with fast prey . It is for this reason that squids and salps form the basis of the individual’s diet. But some individuals had remains of tuna and other lancets.

Most likely, the creature ambushes faster and more agile fish, using the structure of its body and the silver color of its body as camouflage. It happens like this that the fish is hooked by a fisherman during a sea hunt.

Lancets are not of particular commercial interest. Although their meat is considered edible, it is not eaten due to its watery and jelly-like structure.

Black sack eater

Bagworm is deep sea fish representative of perciformes from the suborder chiasmodidae. This small individual can reach a length of 30 centimeters and is found mainly in tropical and subtropical climatic regions.
The name sac swallow was given to the individual for its ability to swallow prey that is several times larger than itself. The thing is that she has a very elastic stomach, and there are no ribs in her stomach that would prevent the fish from expanding. That is why the bagworm is quickly and easily able to eat any fish, even one that is four times longer than its height and 10 times heavier.
So, for example, near the Cayman Islands, the corpse of a bagworm was found, in whose tummy the remains of a mackerel 86 centimeters long were found. The length of the bagworm itself reached only 19 centimeters. So, this individual was able to swallow prey that was four times larger than it was. With all this, this was a mackerel, which is known as mackerel fish, which has a rather aggressive character. It is difficult to fully determine how such a small fish was able to cope with a large and strong opponent.

IN foreign countries bag swallower They gave it another name - the black devourer. The body of the creature is represented by a uniform dark brown color. The head is medium, the jaws are very large. The lower jaw does not have a bony connection with the head, so the mouth of the bagworm is capable of containing prey much larger than its head. On each jaw, the front three teeth form sharp fangs. With the help of them, the black eater holds its prey, in the process of pushing it into the stomach.

Nutrition

The swallowed victim can be so big, which cannot be immediately digested in the stomach of a predator. As a result of decomposition inside the stomach a large number of gas pulls the sac swallow to the surface. The most popular species of black eater were recorded on the surface of the water with swollen bellies, which prevented the fish from going to depth. Bagworms live mainly at a depth of 700–3000 meters.

Keep an eye on the fish in its natural environment living is very difficult, so there are extremely few details about her life. For example, scientists report that these fish are oviparous. It is very common to find clutches of fish in winter time in the territory South Africa. Young animals often live near Bermuda from April to August and have lighter shades that appear as the individual matures. Juveniles and juveniles also have small spines that adult bagworms do not have.

The sea, which most people associate with summer vacation and a wonderful time on the sandy beach under the scorching rays of the sun, is the source of most unsolved mysteries, stored in uncharted depths.

Existence of life under water

Swimming, having fun and enjoying the sea during their holidays, people have no idea what is nearby. And there, in a zone of deep impenetrable darkness, where no one can reach Sunbeam, where there are no acceptable conditions for the existence of any organisms, there is a deep-sea world.

First explorations of the deep sea

The first naturalist to venture into the abyss to check whether inhabitants exist depths of the sea, was William Beebe, an American zoologist who specially assembled an expedition to study the unknown world off the Bahamas. Plunging to the bottom in a submersible to a depth of 790 meters, the scientist discovered a wide variety of living organisms. depths - fish of impressive size in all colors of the rainbow with hundreds of paws and sparkling teeth - illuminated the impenetrable water with sparks and flashes.

Research on this fearless man made it possible to break the myths about the impossibility of life on the bottom due to the lack of light and the presence highest pressure, not allowing the presence of any organisms. The truth is that deep sea inhabitants, adapting to environment, create their own pressure similar to the external one. The existing fat layer helps these organisms swim freely at enormous depths (up to 11 kilometers). Eternal darkness accommodates such unusual creatures: eyes, which they do not need there, are replaced by baroreceptors - special ones and sense of smell, which allow them to instantly react to the slightest changes around.

Fantastic images of sea monsters

Deep-sea monsters have a frighteningly ugly appearance, associated with fantastic images captured in the paintings of the most daring artists. Huge mouths, sharp teeth, lack of eyes, external coloring - all this is so unusual that it seems unreal, made up. In fact, in order to survive, the depths are forced to simply adapt to the whims of the environment.

After many studies, scientists came to the conclusion that even today there may exist on the seabed oldest forms lives hidden at great depths from what is happening evolutionary processes. To this day you can find spiders the size of plates and jellyfish with 6-meter tentacles.

Megalodon: monster shark

Megalodon, a prehistoric animal of enormous size, is of great interest. The weight of this monster is up to 100 tons with a 30-meter length. The two-meter mouth of the monster is dotted with several rows of 18-centimeter teeth (there are 276 in total), sharp as a razor.

The life of an amazing inhabitant of the depths of the sea terrifies none of whom are able to resist its power. The remains of triangular teeth that deep-sea monsters had are found in rocks in almost all corners of the planet, which indicates their wide distribution. At the beginning of the 20th century, Australian fishermen met megalodon at sea, which confirms the version of its existence today.

Anglerfish or Monkfish

The salty waters are home to a rare, ugly-looking deep-sea animal - the monkfish (anglerfish), first discovered in 1891. In place of the missing scales on his body there are ugly bumps and growths, and around his mouth hang swaying rags of skin resembling algae. Due to its dark coloring, which gives it an unattractive appearance, a giant head studded with spines and a huge mouth slit, this deep-sea animal is rightfully considered the ugliest on planet Earth.

Several rows of sharp teeth and a long fleshy appendage protruding from the head and serving as bait pose a real threat to fish. Luring the victim with the light of a “fishing rod” equipped with a special gland, the angler lures it to the very mouth, forcing it to swim inside of its own free will. Distinguished by their incredible gluttony, these amazing inhabitants of the deep sea can attack prey that is many times larger than themselves. If the outcome is unsuccessful, both die: the victim from wounds, the aggressor from suffocation.

Interesting facts about anglerfish reproduction

The fact of reproduction of these fish is of interest: the male, when meeting a female friend, bites into her with his teeth, growing to the gill cover. Connecting to someone else's circulatory system and feeding on the juices of the female, the male individual actually becomes one with her, losing his jaws, intestines, and eyes, which have become unnecessary. The main function of attached fish during this period is the production of sperm. One female can be attached to several males, several times smaller in size and weight, which, if the latter dies, die along with her. Being commercial fish, monkfish is considered a delicacy. The French especially value its meat.

Huge squid - Mesonychthevis

Of the most famous mollusks on the planet, living at enormous depths, mesonychthevis is striking in its size - a squid of colossal size with a streamlined body shape, allowing it to move at tremendous speed. The eye of this monster of the deep sea is considered the largest on the planet, reaching a diameter of 60 centimeters. The first description of a huge inhabitant of the seabed, the existence of which people did not even suspect, is found in documents from 1925. They tell about the discovery by fishermen of a one and a half meter sperm whale in the stomach. In 2010, a representative of this group of mollusks weighing more than 100 kg and about 4 meters long was washed up off the coast of Japan. Scientists suggest that adult individuals reach 5 meters in size and weigh about 200 kilograms.

Previously it was believed that the squid was able to destroy its enemy - the sperm whale - by holding it under water. In reality, the threat to the mollusk’s victim is its tentacles, with which it penetrates the victim’s blowhole. A special feature of the squid is its ability long time exist without food, so the latter’s lifestyle is sedentary, involving camouflage and quiet time, waiting for the unfortunate victim.

Amazing sea dragon

The deciduous tree stands out with its fantastic appearance in the thickness of the salty waters. sea Dragon(rag picker, sea pegasus). Translucent fins of a greenish tint covering the body and serving for camouflage unusual fish, resemble colorful plumage and constantly sway with the movement of water.

Found only off the coast of Australia, the rag-picker reaches a length of 35 centimeters. He swims very slowly, with maximum speed up to 150 m/hour, which is good for any predator. The life of an amazing inhabitant of the deep sea consists of many dangerous situations, in which salvation is one’s own appearance: clinging to plants, the leafy sea dragon merges with them and becomes completely invisible. The offspring are carried by the male in a special pouch, into which the female lays eggs. These inhabitants of the deep sea are especially interesting for children because of their unusual appearance.

Giant isopod

In the sea, among the many unusual creatures, such inhabitants of the deep sea as isopods (crayfish) stand out due to their size giant size), reaching a length of up to 1.5 m and weighing up to 1.5 kg. The body, covered with movable rigid plates, is reliably protected from predators, when they appear, the crayfish curls up into a ball.

Most of the representatives of these crustaceans, preferring solitude, live at a depth of up to 750 meters and are in a state close to hibernation. The amazing inhabitants of the deep sea feed on sedentary prey: small fish that sink to the bottom as carrion. Sometimes you can see hundreds of crayfish devouring the decaying carcasses of dead sharks and whales. The lack of food at depth has adapted the crayfish to easily do without it for a long time (up to several weeks). Most likely, the accumulated layer of fat, which is gradually and rationally consumed, helps them maintain their vital functions.

Blob fish

One of the most scary inhabitants the bottom of the planet is a blob fish (see below for deep-sea photos).

Small, close-set eyes and big mouth with corners pointing downward, they vaguely resemble the face of a sad person. The fish is believed to live at depths of up to 1.2 km. Outwardly, it is a shapeless gelatinous lump, the density of which is slightly less than the density of water. This allows the fish to swim calmly over considerable distances, swallowing everything edible and without spending much effort. The lack of scales and the strange shape of the body put the existence of this organism in danger of extinction. Found off the coast of Tasmania and Australia, it is easily caught by fishermen and sold as souvenirs.

When laying eggs, the drop fish sits on the eggs until the last, subsequently carefully and for a long time caring for the hatched fry. Trying to find quiet and uninhabited places for them in deep water, the female responsibly protects her babies, ensuring their safety and helping them survive in difficult conditions. Not having in nature natural enemies, these inhabitants of the deep sea can accidentally get caught along with algae only in fishing nets.

Bagworm: small and voracious

At a depth of up to 3 kilometers, a representative of perciformes lives - the sac-eater (black eater). The fish received this name due to its ability to feed on prey several times its size. She is capable of swallowing organisms four times longer than herself and ten times heavier. This happens due to the absence of ribs and the elasticity of the stomach. For example, the corpse of a 30-centimeter sac-eater discovered near the Cayman Islands contained inside the remains of a fish about 90 cm long. Moreover, the victim was a rather aggressive mackerel, which causes complete bewilderment: how was a small fish able to defeat a large and strong opponent?

These amazing inhabitants of the deep sea have a dark coloration, a medium-sized head and large jaws with three front teeth on each of them, forming sharp fangs. With their help, the sac swallower holds its prey, pushing it into the stomach. Moreover, the prey, often large in size, is not digested immediately, which causes cadaveric decomposition directly in the stomach itself. The gas released as a result of this raises the sac swallow to the surface, where strange representatives of the seabed are found.

Moray eel - a dangerous predator of the deep sea

In the waters warm seas you can meet a giant moray eel - a terrible three-meter creature with an aggressive and evil character. The smooth, scaleless body allows the predator to effectively camouflage itself in the muddy bottom, waiting for prey swimming past. The moray eel spends most of its life in shelters (on a rocky bottom or in coral reefs with their cracks and grottoes), where prey awaits.

Outside the caves, the front part of the body and the head are usually left with the mouth constantly slightly open. The color of the moray eel is an excellent camouflage: the yellow-brown color with spots scattered throughout it resembles the color of a leopard. Moray eels feed on crustaceans and any fish that they can catch. For eating sick and weak individuals, it is also called the “sea orderly.” There are sad cases of people being eaten. This happens due to the latter’s inexperience in communicating with fish and persistently pursuing it. Having grabbed the prey, the predator will open its jaws only after its death, and not before.

Joint fishing of marine predators

Scientists are of great interest in the recently discovered joint fishing of fish that are antipodes in nature. During the hunt, the moray hides in coral reefs, where it waits for prey. being a predator, hunting in open space, which forces small fish to hide in the reefs, and therefore in the mouth of the moray eel. A hungry perch always initiates a joint hunt, swimming up to the moray eel and shaking its head, which means an invitation to a mutually beneficial fishery. If the moray eel is in anticipation have a delicious lunch agrees to a tempting offer, she gets out of the hiding place and swims to the gap with the hidden prey, which the perch is pointing at. Moreover, prey caught together is also eaten together; A moray eel shares a caught fish with a perch.