The deepest part of the ocean is called the hadal zone. In this environment, it is typically much colder and there is very little oxygen present. This makes for a challenging place to survive, but also means that many weird deep-sea creatures have adapted to these harsh conditions.
Most of the animals in the deep sea have been over time either very odd or just evolved differently than most other sea life because it has such a harsh environment. Then some just look like they’re from another planet entirely. In this article, we will take a look at some of the weird deep-sea creatures that have been discovered to date.
Blobfish
The blobfish is the absolute king of the weird deep-sea creatures. When people think about deep-sea creatures, they typically imagine fish or sharks, but this fish looks like it wouldn’t be out of place in a sci-fi horror film. This pink (or yellow) gooey-looking creature has no visible eyes and spends its time floating at the bottom of the ocean floor. It lives in the deep waters of the South Pacific Ocean and can be found off the coast of Australia. Due to its lack of muscles (and skeleton), it can’t swim. It’s just too gooey to stay upright in the water. It is officially voted that the BlobFish is the Ugliest Animal in the world, and if you browse for its picture online you will understand why. The blobfish is extremely endangered and few have ever been seen because of how deep they live in the ocean.
Thermarest Cerberus
This small eel-like fish lives around four kilometers beneath the surface of the Pacific Ocean, which means you will need a pretty powerful microscope to see it. It was named after Cerberus, the three-headed dog from Greek mythology who guarded Hades -the ancient Greek name for hell. This weird deep-sea creature earned its name because one of its heads contains organs that can detect minute temperature changes in its surroundings which help it locate hydrothermal vents where it likes to feed on bacteria. They have long fins along their backs that they can use to swim using a sculling motion, but typically just float around in the water. They only grow up to about 1ft long and are not currently known to be under any threat of extinction.
Dumbo Octopus
The dumbo octopus is one of the weirdest-looking octopuses that you will see. They have been named after the Disney character because their ear-like fins that resemble those that Dumbo, the baby elephant from the movie, used to fly. This weird deep-sea creature uses these fins as wings to “fly” through the water. They swim at a depth of 4200ft and tend to be found in Antarctica or around hydrothermal vents. Scientists already know little about them because they are so difficult to find and study, but they do believe that they feast on crustaceans and worms which they catch with their tentacles before taking them back to their den where they can each emit in safety.
Tube-Nosed Fish
The tube-nosed fish is one of the weirdest looking deep-sea creatures. It looks like someone took a long skinny balloon, tied off the end, and then dipped it in grey paint before setting it free to float at the bottom of the ocean floor. This species of ray-finned fish was discovered only recently (in 2013) by scientists working with NOAA Ship Okeanos Explorer off Hawaii’s Big Island. The images captured gave us an idea of how these creatures look, but not much more is known about them since they are very difficult to capture using traditional equipment. It is thought that they may reside in parts of the Pacific Ocean that are so deep that they are beyond the reach of sunlight, making it dark down there. They grow to about 2ft long and feed on small crustaceans which they catch using their elongated snout.
Viperfish
Viperfish are some of the weirdest looking fish on Earth, and one of the most deadly too. These black creatures with red eyes live at great depths where the water is cold, typically in large groups. The lips of viperfish expand outwards into a huge black circular “lure” which acts like bait to attract unsuspecting prey towards them; this makes it look like an even tastier treat for any fish around (if you can ignore its terrifying appearance). However, while these weird deep-sea creatures may look dangerous, it is thought that they do not attack and eat humans and only pose a risk if you were to swim into one by accident. Their fangs are extremely long and can be drawn back inside their mouths so they do not constantly pierce the prey as they catch it. They typically feed on fish, crustaceans, or even small sharks.
Vampire Squid
This deep-sea creature is not a squid or even very close to one, but it does have tentacles with suction cups on them just like squids do. Many people think that its name comes from how it looks for being an almost completely black animal living at the bottom of the sea. However, this animal was given its horrifying name because they are not predators and instead rely on other animals to provide them food. They are the only cephalopods with internal skeletons meaning they need to eat live prey so they can. This weird deep-sea creature feeds on animals like clams and worms (and occasionally other cephalopods) by strangling them with their tentacles before drawing them into their mouths. They typically grow to be about 1ft long and have transparent skin that covers the internal organs.
Swimming Sea Pen
The swimming sea pen is a type of colonial animal that looks more like an underwater plant than an octopus or any other type of weird deep-sea creature, but they are made up of thousands of tiny individuals which all help each other survive as a group. This fascinating species has many different types of polyp within it – some form leaves while others form roots – so it can anchor itself to rocks/seafloor or float around as it wishes. This amazing deep-sea creature can change the color of its skin from red to brown depending on its surroundings and it typically lives at depths of 200ft+.
Seeing any of these deep-sea creatures can be a truly terrifying experience if you don’t know what it is or understand the type of environment they live in. The good news for potential deep-sea explorers is that many of these weird creatures live in parts of the ocean where humans can easily access. However, remember that they are not used to the presence of humans and so you need to be careful when exploring these deep areas – so as not to disturb them or cause any harm.
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