What Animals Live Deep Under the Sea

Life In the Shadowy Depths

seafloor with starfish and marine life — (Image credit: U.S. Antarctic Program Photo Library)

From frightful fangtooth fish and vampire squid to coffinfish and spiky, sinister sea urchins, plenty of foreign and scary creatures lurk in the night, cold depths of the ocean ... Exist brave and swoop on in!

Alien-like Anglerfish

Anglerfish - Lasiognathus dinema — (Image credit: Theodore West. Pietsch, Academy of Washington)

With its needle-like teeth and a pole-type structure protruding from its caput, this fish looks more like an alien creature than something found here on World. This female person specimen is really a new species of anglerfish that was discovered in the deep waters beneath the Gulf of Mexico.

The fish, Lasiognathus dinema, has a curved appendage that sticks out of the organ at the tip of its "fishing rod," which contains light-producing bacteria. Anglerfish nab meals past using this construction to trick fish that are attracted to the low-cal.

"Spaghetti Monster"

This odd critter is proof that things tin get weird in the deep sea. Very weird.

This noodle-like creature, Bathyphysa conifer , was seen off the declension of Angola in 2015 by workers at the oil and gas company BP. The workers were collecting video footage at a depth of about 4,000 feet (i,220 meters) underwater when they spotted what they said reminded them of the deity of the Church of the Flying Spaghetti Monster.

B. conifer is a siphonophore, a group of marine animals that includes corals and jellyfish.

"Ghost Fish"

Scientists spotted this ghostly fish in the deep waters of the Marianas Trench Marine National Monument, making it the first time anyone has seen a fish in the family Aphyonidae alive. — (Image credit: NOAA Office of Ocean Exploration and Inquiry)

This ghost-like creature was spotted by scientists in July 2016 during a mission aboard the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration'south (NOAA) Okeanos Explorer research transport. It marked the showtime time that this "ghost fish," part of the family Aphyonidae, was seen alive and swimming.

The fish was seen swimming forth a ridge, at a depth of 8,202 feet (2,500 meters), at the Mariana Trench National Monument. This protected area covers 95,216 square miles (246,608 foursquare kilometers) east of the Philippines.

The "ghost fish" has translucent, scale-less skin and strange-looking, colorless eyes.

Vampire Squid

Despite its terrifying proper name, the vampire squid is relatively tiny, reaching a maximum of half dozen inches (xv.4 cm) in length. It gets its name from its cherry-red coloring, glowing, bioluminescent eyes and the cloak-like webbing that connects its eight arms. Although it has similarities with both squid and octopuses, it is actually non a squid but in its own divide family, of which information technology is the concluding remaining member; equally such, the animate being is referred to every bit a "living fossil." Its scientific name, Vampyroteuthis infernalis, literally translates to "vampire squid from hell." Yikes.

Eerie Anglerfish

The terrifyingly toothy anglerfish became a common occurrence in footling kids' nightmares ever since it chased Nemo and Dory in Pixar's "Finding Nemo." To attract prey, the scary-looking fish uses a bioluminescent "fishing pole" that hangs just above and in forepart of its toothy face. The lure is really a slice of dorsal spine packed with millions of glow-in-the-dark bacteria.

Giant Crustaceans

This huge crustacean was ane of 7 "supergiant" amphipods discovered by scientists in 2011 while they were exploring one of the deepest trenches on Earth, the Kermadec Trench off the northeast coast of New Zealand.

These stake, leggy creatures are more than 20 times larger than their typical crustacean relatives. The supergiant amphipods (Alicella gigantea) were found 4 miles (6 kilometers) down in the Kermadec Trench, according to the researchers.

Monstrous Megamouth Shark

The megamouth shark, shown hither, is an extremely rare species of deepwater shark. The megamouth swims with its mouth broad open, catching and sucking in fish and krill as it glides forth. Its massive mouth extends past its eyes and is equipped with most 50 rows of small, sharp teeth on each jaw.

The Blackdragon Fish

Another bottom-domicile bioluminescent creature, the blackdragon fish has light-emitting organs bundled all along its belly to fool predators by changing its silhouette. The spooky fish as well has bioluminescencant "flashlights" next to each eye that it can flash on while on the wait-out for prey or to signal potential mates. Equally you can see in the above photograph, the blackdragon fish is so toothy that even its natural language has razor-sharp teeth.

Skeletal Jellyfish

Deep-sea Aequorea, or crystal jellyfish — (Image credit: NOAA Sea Explorer)

The deep-body of water Aequorea, or crystal jellyfish, has a translucent body and long tentacles that give information technology a ghostly appearance. A jellyfish's tentacles, which trail after its body, can be less than an inch to120 feet (30.48 meters) long.

Creepy Awesome: Giant Isopod

This abyssal marine animal isn't for those with a phobia of bugs: the behemothic isopod is a crustacean that lives at the bottom of the ocean and is related to shrimp, venereal, and… the roly-poly pill-bugs that dwell in your garden. Simply dissimilar their insect cousins, giant isopods tin grow to be more than 16 inches (40.6 cm) long.

What Animals Live Deep Under the Sea