Deep-Sea Marvels: 10 Most Bizarre Sea Creatures Revealed!
Our planet is mostly covered by ocean, so it’s no surprise that it’s home to millions of amazing creatures. However, we have only explored about 20% of it, leaving the remaining 80% largely unexplored.
This leaves us with so many species we’ve never seen or heard of before. Every year, scientists discover new deep sea creatures, reminding us of how little we know about our planet.
01. Atlantic sturgeon
Assateague Island National Seashore stated that,
“This Atlantic sturgeon was found washed up on the beach late last week, but unlike a lot of fish that wash up after they’ve died, it wasn’t immediately devoured by a flock of hungry gulls. Why is that? If you look very carefully at this fish you’ll notice that it doesn’t have any scales.”
“Instead, it has five rows of bony plates attached to skin that is covered with tiny tooth like scales. The bony plates, called scutes, create a protective armor around the fish and are close enough together that it makes really tough for birds to pick and rip at the skin.”
“Now, if you are thinking that the scutes make this sturgeon look really ancient, you’re assumption is correct! Sturgeons are members of the family Acipenseridae and have been around for millions of years (back to the Cretaceous period, to be exact), making them one of the oldest living fish species in the world!”
02. The tuna with huge bites
A professional fisherman captured this tuna only to discover these massive bite marks all over the fish’s body. Because they were so spherical, some people assumed they couldn’t be from another fish or shark.
Trampman Bermagui, the man who caught the tuna, claimed that they were created by the cookiecutter shark. This shark takes huge bites from its prey without killing it.
03. A transparent creature
When a video of someone carrying this transparent creature went viral, everyone was surprised. The tiny creature was absolutely transparent, and you could shine a light through it.
Nobody recognised the species until a previous identical video of a man holding a creature called Cystisoma appeared. They live in low-light habitats 600-1,000 metres below sea level.
04. Deep sea shark
A bizarre deep-sea shark with protruding teeth and big eyes was recently caught by an Australian fisherman, who left social media users confused.
Trapman Bermagui, a Sydney-based fisherman, released a shot of the face of a deep sea shark caught at a depth of 650 metres underwater on Facebook.
The strange creature is distinguished by rough-looking skin, a pointed nose, huge eyes, and a protruding set of sharp teeth.
05. Pacific viperfish
This species, sometimes known as Sloane’s viperfish, is easily identified by its long, fang-like teeth. It was originally a dark silver-blue tint, with hexagonal coloured patches on the sides.
It lives at a depth of 500-2,500 metres during the day, but at night, it moves to shallower waters of less than 600 metres. It is usually found in Australia, and it survives on eating smaller fish.
06. Pineapple fish
The fish‘s colour combination inspired the distinctive name. One of the most amazing facts about this species is that it can produce a green light on its mouth, which turns red as the fish ages.
It is primarily found in shallow coastal reefs, but it will occasionally venture into farther offshore areas. Once again, this species is primarily found in Australia. Here are 23 Weird Australian Animals You Didn’t Know Existed – Discover the Scariest Wildlife in Australia!
07. Atolla jellyfish
This jellyfish, sometimes known as crown jelly, is considered the queen of its family. That’s because its shape resembles a little crown on its head.
It is also easily identified due to its red hue, which is not visible in deep seas with no light. In fact, at depths of nearly 1,000 meters, it appears completely dark, allowing it to hide from predators. Here you can see the Lion’s Mane Jellyfish: The World’s Largest Jellyfish Ever Recorded!
08. Barreleye fish
This fish is very unique in that it has a transparent dome at the top of its head through which two green orbs can be seen. It dwells in the twilight zone of the water, where natural light declines, and this is where the unique eyes appear.
They can detect prey silhouettes and catch them off guard. It’s only 15 cm long and eats mostly zooplankton, according to what scientists have discovered in its stomach.
09. Footballfish (A deep sea Anglerfish)
This fooballfish was discovered in 1985 by accident by deep-sea fishermen. The extension on its head functions similarly to a fishing rod in assisting them to entice and catch their prey.
It’s important to note that female footballfish can grow to be up to ten times larger than male footballfish. Because they reside 2,000 to 3,300 feet down in the ocean, where food supplies are limited, this fish eats whatever fits in their mouth.
Deep Sea Anglerfish that Resembles an Alien Creature Washed up on a California Beach. You can see it here.
10. Dumbo octopus
When you look at its huge ears, it’s simple to see why this octopus acquired its name. They are rarely seen since they reside up to 13,000 feet below the surface.
Snails, worms, and other microscopic invertebrates that reside at the same depth make up their diet. Its arms are quite small and webbed, which allows them to swim much faster than the average octopus.
The deep ocean is a mysterious place with a variety of amazing living creatures. Alexander Semenov is a marine biologist and photographer who specializes in life under the sea. Here are some more amazing photos of real-life deep sea creatures captured by him.
