13 animals of the deep sea - Photos and curiosities

Help the development of the site, sharing the article with friends!

Planet earth is so prosperous that even the most unexpected places are inhabited. The deep sea where there is little oxygen, no light, temperatures of up to 0 ° C and high ocean pressure are no exception. This environment so alien to humans is intriguing, but today we will explore together, in this Green Ecologist article, 13 of the thousands of animals of the deep sea and how they have managed to survive such extreme conditions.

Hook fish (Ceratiidae)

These abyssal fish belong to the ceratids, also known as sea demons or hook fish, since they may have a bioluminescent appendage that they use to bring their prey closer together. They are usually between 77 and 120 cm in size and, to compensate for the difficulty they have in finding a mate in such a lonely habitat, the males often join the females. Thus, become parasites for the female hookas they depend on it. They even share blood vessels and the male, being a parasite of the female, loses organs that are no longer useless. In case of not associating, individual life is very short.

Here you can read more information about Parasitism: definition and examples so that you finish understanding everything on the subject.

Vampire squid (Vampyroteuthis infernalis)

The vampire squid is a relative of octopuses and squid. Unlike them, lacks ink, but to defend casts a bioluminescent light, although he rarely uses it because he is of a calmer character than his relatives. Its diet is based on the passive capture of dead plankton and organic waste particles through the membrane that surrounds its tentacles. His cloak is an intriguing dark red color, which when moving through the water reminds of a vampire. In addition, it is covered by numerous highly controlled photophores that help it detect other animals that are nearby. It can even create games of light and thus mislead.

Image: Nautical News Today

Malacosteus niger

This fish lives from 500 to 3,900 meters deep, with a fairly wide range. Being fish on the seabed that lack light, emit bioluminescence colored red to guide you. This light is invisible to the prawns, which are their prey. Their mouths are particularly large, with the ability to open widely, and they can measure up to 25.6 cm.

You can also find out more about what is bioluminescence and examples by reading this other article.

Giant tube worms (Riftia pachyptila)

The Riftia pachyptila may not look like an animal, since it is not mobile and lives grouped, but the truth is that they belong to the edge of segmented or annelid worms. They live near fiery hydrothermal vents that emit sulfur. Sulfur is a chemical element necessary for symbiotic bacteria that generate energy for these worms through complex biochemical processes with which they can dispense with oxygen. They have neither eyes nor faces, making them one of the rarest animals in the deep sea. In fact, they have a peculiar structure: red gills that rise and fall out of a chitinous tube and that can measure up to 2 meters in addition to living up to more than 150 years.

Find out more about Annelids: classification and examples by visiting this Green Ecologist article.

Sloane's Viperfish (Chauliodus sloani)

Also known as a dragon fish type, It is part of the tropical and subtropical abyssal fauna. Its body is very long and thin, reaching 35 centimeters in length. These terrifying animals of the deep sea have very large transparent fangs, which they use as a cage for their prey, which protrude from their proportional mouth, with the ability to open widely. To move on the seabed, they have photophores light emitters in rows that turns on and off to avoid predators.

Lanternfish (Myctophum punctatum)

Also known as a spotted mytophid, It is one of the least terrifying abyssal fish, but no less particular for this reason. He has large, disproportionate eyes compared to his small body of just 11 centimeters, in addition to multiple luminous photophores to be able to communicate. Myctophids are estimated to be the most abundant vertebrates in the world.

Dumbo octopus (Grimpoteuthis)

The octopuses of the genus Grimpoteuthis they have been found up to 5,000 meters deep. Its appearance is less terrifying than the common abyssal animals. It is rounded, with huge eyes, small in size of 20 centimeters with a pair of fins that resemble the ears of the Dumbo elephant and with membranes between their tentacles, which have filamentous suckers to help them recognize their environment. To feed, they completely devour their prey to digest them inside.

Sea spiders (Pycnogonida)

Pycnogonids are reminiscent of spiders, but they are not closely related. As a general rule, they are large, since they can measure up to 50 cm counting the ends of its long legs. This measure only applies to abyssal species because pycnogonids are centimeters.

An example of this abyssal species is the Colossendeis megalonyx, which inhabits the subantarctic depths. Currently, there are up to nine families of Pycnogonida, with 86 genera and about 1,000 species.

Monkfish (Caulophryne)

Characterized for being a species irascible predator and because they have a terrifying physique, monkfish belong to the order of the lophiformes, which have huge heads and teeth, short arms and lures on their head. The Caulophryne jordani In particular, it also has small eyes, fins with bare thorns and, as if that were not enough, small filaments on the body similar to hair that emit light, as well as a luminous lure. Their mouth is so wide that they can consume prey twice their size. They can live up to 1,500 meters deep.

Bathypterois longif.webpilis

This lizard fish has an almost friendly and smiling face, but it inhabits the dark muddy bottoms of the bathyal zone. Their pelvic fins are elongated and in the form of a veil, to be able to move within the mud. Replace their pectoral fins with a pair of very thin filamentous fins, which reach a length similar to that of his body of 37 centimeters and that rise above him. They are used to capture zooplankton.

Here you can read more about What is zooplankton.

Image: Wikiwand

Siphonophore Apolemia (Siphonophorae)

Siphonophores are a set of cnidarians that form colonies and they distribute their activities in an organized manner. They are a family of jellyfish and are reminiscent of floating transparent veils. At 1,000 meters deep in Australia there is the Ianose apolemia, with a surprising area of 4 meters, and with bioluminescent ability. Their predatory technique consists of waiting for crustaceans, or even fish, to fall into their veil lined with stinging cells.

To find out more information about crustaceans, do not hesitate to read this article which explains what they are, types, characteristics and examples of crustaceans.

Colossal Squid (Mesonychoteuthis hamiltoni)

Can measure up to 15 meters, being possibly the largest invertebrate that exists. It lives in the deep sea of the glacial Antarctic Ocean and in order to float its tissues have higher than normal ammonia levels. They have powerful tentacles with suction cups and hooks in addition to the characteristic beak of the cephalopods located in the mouth. This beak helps them not to let their prey escape, among which are other types of squid. Their eyes are luminous, as they have bioluminescent photophores on their eyeballs.

Find out what Animals of Antarctica exist by reading this Green Ecologist article or also discover The largest animals in the world in this other one.

Image: Jurassic Park Wiki

Horned lanternfish (Centrophryne spinulosa)

Centrophryne spinulosa it is another type of monkfish, with its common terrifying characteristics that we have already mentioned above. It is not to be confused with the small lantern fish, since C. spinulosa has thorns all over your body and beards on his head. His hook is very bright and even his eyes are bioluminescent, thanks to a association with bacteria. Your hooks are an important part of your advanced group organization.

Are bacteria living things? If you want to know the answer, do not hesitate to read this article.

Fun Facts About Deep Sea Animals

Once we have seen some of the darkest animals in the deep sea, we are going to mention some curious facts about these animals that cannot be ignored:

• Animals at the bottom of the sea usually have a very low metabolism, adapted to the limited availability of food that can lead them to go days without eating.
• They have adapted to living with minimal oxygen, because of the depth devoid of photosynthesizing organisms.
• Many of his organs have shrunk or disappeared because they are not useful to them in the dark, as for example the eyes.
• They have developed modifications for adapt to the lack of light, such as luminescent photophores or extensions to recognize its surroundings.
• It is common for deep sea fish migrate to greater depths during the day, to rise at night in the water column and reduce the risk of being unexpectedly predated.
• Abyssal gigantism in invertebrates, where the species are much larger in relation to others in their family. It is presumed that it is because the cold temperatures allow cell growth, which has an impact on greater longevity.

You may also be interested in reading about the most dangerous marine animals in the world in Green Ecologist.

If you want to read more articles similar to Animals of the deep sea, we recommend that you enter our category of Animal Curiosities.

Bibliography

• Jungbauer, W. Randler, C., Reck, M., and Stripf, R. (2005). Netzwerk biologie 1. Braunschweig: Schrödel
• Beatty, R., Beer, A. and Deeming, C. (2010). The Book of Nature. Great Britain: Dorling Kindersley
• National Geographic staff. (2010). Snuff. Available at: https://www.nationalgeographic.es/animales/rape
• National Geographic. (2022). Vampire squid. Available at: https://www.nationalgeographic.es/photography/2017/03/calamares-vampiro?image=10960.600x450
• Monterey Bay Acquarium Research Institute. (2022). Apolemia siphonophore. Available at: https://www.mbari.org/products/apolemia/
• BBC. (2022). Siphonophore, the amazing 45 meter long organism that produces its own light found at the bottom of the Australian sea. Available at: https://www.bbc.com/mundo/noticias-52289163