Deep sea fish are considered one of the most amazing creatures on the planet. Their uniqueness is explained primarily by the harsh living conditions. That is why the depths of the world's oceans, and especially deep-sea trenches and gutters are not at all densely populated.
and their adaptation to living conditions
As already mentioned, the depths of the oceans are not as densely populated as, say, the upper layers of water. And there are reasons for this. The fact is that the conditions of existence change with depth, which means that organisms must have some adaptations.
- Life in the dark. With depth, the amount of light decreases sharply. It is believed that maximum distance The distance that a sunbeam travels through water is 1000 meters. Below this level, no traces of light were detected. That's why deep sea fish adapted to life in complete darkness. Some species of fish do not have functioning eyes at all. The eyes of other representatives, on the contrary, are very developed, which makes it possible to capture even the weakest light waves. Another interesting adaptation is luminescent organs that can glow using energy chemical reactions. Such light not only facilitates movement, but also lures potential prey.
- High pressure. Another feature of deep-sea existence. That is why the internal pressure of such fish is much higher than that of their shallow-water relatives.
- Low temperature. With depth, the water temperature decreases significantly, so fish are adapted to life in such an environment.
- Lack of food. Since the diversity of species and the number of organisms decreases with depth, there is, accordingly, very little food left. Therefore, deep-sea fish have supersensitive organs of hearing and touch. This gives them the ability to detect potential prey over long distances, which in some cases can be measured in kilometers. By the way, such a device makes it possible to quickly hide from a larger predator.
You can see that fish living in the depths of the ocean are truly unique organisms. In fact, a huge area of the world's oceans still remains unexplored. That is why the exact number of deep-sea fish species is unknown.
Diversity of fish living in the depths of the water
Although modern scientists know only small part population of the depths, there is information about some very exotic inhabitants of the ocean.
Bathysaurus- the deepest-sea predator fish, living at depths from 600 to 3500 m. They live in tropical and subtropical waters. This fish has almost transparent skin, large, well-developed sensory organs, and her oral cavity studded with sharp teeth (even the tissue of the palate and tongue). Representatives of this species are hermaphrodites.
Viper fish- Another one unique representative underwater depths. It lives at a depth of 2800 meters. It is these species that populate the depths. The main feature of the animal is its huge fangs, which are somewhat reminiscent of the poisonous teeth of snakes. This species is adapted to existence without constant food - the fish’s stomachs are so stretched that they can swallow whole Living being much larger than themselves. And on the tail, fish have a specific luminous organ, with the help of which they lure out prey.
Angler- a rather unpleasant-looking creature with huge jaws, a small body and poorly developed muscles. Lives on Since this fish cannot actively hunt, it has developed special adaptations. has a special luminous organ that highlights certain chemical substances. Potential prey reacts to light, swims up, after which the predator swallows it completely.
In fact, there are much more depths, but not much is known about their lifestyle. The fact is that most of them can only exist under certain conditions, in particular, at high pressure. Therefore, it is not possible to extract and study them - when they rise to the upper layers of water, they simply die.
Our planet is filled with different living creatures that decorate the Earth and contribute to the ecosystem. But it's no secret that water depths also teeming with many inhabitants. Although the variety of these creatures is not as abundant as on the surface, these organisms are still very unusual and interesting. So, who lives at the bottom of the ocean, what are their living conditions?
Conditions at depth
From space, our planet looks like a blue pearl. This is because the area of all the waters is almost three times larger than the land. Like the land, the surface of the oceans has uneven surfaces. It is dotted with hills, depressions, plains, mountains and even volcanoes. They are all at different depths. Thus, the abyssal plains are submerged at approximately 4000-6000 m. But even there there is life, although this may be surprising, since at a depth of 1000 m the pressure is 100 atmospheres. And with every hundred meters it increases by 10 units. Also, light does not penetrate there, which is why darkness always reigns at the bottom, therefore, the process of photosynthesis does not occur. In addition, under such thickness the water is unable to warm up; in the deepest places the temperature remains at zero. Such conditions make life in these places not very rich compared to the surface, since the lower you go, the less vegetation grows. So the question arises: how do those who live on the ocean floor adapt?
Life of the deep sea
Although it may seem that in such circumstances life is very difficult and even impossible, the local inhabitants are still quite adapted to these conditions. Animals that are at the very bottom do not feel strong pressure and at the same time do not suffer from a lack of oxygen. Also, those who live at the bottom of the ocean are able to feed themselves. Basically, they collect residues that “fall” from the upper layers.
Dwellers of the Deep
Of course, at the bottom the diversity of life is not as great as on the surface of the water, and you can count deep-sea inhabitants on your fingers. Unicellular organisms are found here, there are a little more than 120 species. There are also crustaceans, there are about 110 varieties of them. The rest are much smaller, the number of each species does not exceed 70. These few inhabitants include worms, coelenterates, mollusks, sponges and echinoderms. There are also fish that live on the ocean floor, but here the diversity of their species is very small.
Is it really pitch dark there?
Since the rays of the sun are unable to penetrate the abyss of water, there is an opinion that all the inhabitants are in constant darkness. But in reality, many of the animals found there have the ability to emit light. Most of the people who live on the ocean floor have this property: predators. For example, the conical periphylla, emitting light, attracts small inhabitants. This is a trap for them, as they become victims of this predator. But harmless living creatures can also create a glow.
Some fish have certain areas of their body that emit light. More often they are located under the eyes or stretch along the body. Certain species of crustaceans or fish use their vision, but the majority of the inhabitants do not have eyes or have undeveloped organs. This is not surprising, since such “live” lighting, which is created by bottom creatures, is not enough to make the underwater space visible. To get food you have to use your sense of touch. For this purpose, there are modified fins, tentacles or long legs of those who live on the ocean floor. The photo above illustrates one of these unusual creatures, known as the Atoll jellyfish. But in the deep-sea abyss, many living inhabitants lead a mostly motionless life, and therefore resemble flowers and plants.
Deep waters are the lowest level of the ocean, located more than 1800 meters from the surface. Because only a small amount of light reaches this level, and sometimes no light at all, it was historically believed that there was no life in this layer. But in fact, it turned out that this level is simply teeming with in different forms life. It turned out that with each new dive to this depth, scientists miraculously find interesting, strange and outlandish creatures. Below are ten of the most unusual of them:
10. Polychaete Worm
This worm was caught this year from the ocean floor at a depth of 1200 meters at north coast New Zealand. Yes, it may be pink, and yes, it may reflect light in the form of a rainbow - but despite this, the polychaete worm can be a ferocious predator. The "tentacles" on its head are sensory organs designed to detect prey. This worm can twist its throat in order to grab a smaller creature - like an Alien. Fortunately, this type of worm rarely grows more than 10cm. They also rarely come across our path, but are often found near hydro thermal springs at the bottom of the ocean.
9. Squat Lobster
These unique lobsters, which look quite scary and resemble headcrabs from the game Half-Life, were discovered on the same dive in which they were discovered polychaete worm, but at a greater depth, approximately 1400 meters from the surface. Even though squat lobsters were already known to science, this type I've never met them before. The squat lobsters live at depths of up to 5,000 meters and are distinguished by their large front claws and compressed bodies. They can be detritivores, predators, or herbivores that feed on algae. Not much is known about individuals of this species; in addition, representatives of this species have only been found about deep sea corals.
8. Carnivorous Coral or Sponge-Harp Coral
Most corals get their nutrients from photosynthetic algae that live in their tissues. This also means that they must live within 60 meters of the surface. But not this species, also known as the Harp Sponge. It was discovered 2,000 meters off the coast of California, but only this year scientists confirmed that it is carnivorous. Shaped like a candelabra, it stretches along the bottom to increase in size. It catches small crustaceans with tiny Velcro-like hooks and then stretches a membrane over them, slowly digesting them with chemicals. In addition to all its oddities, it also reproduces in a special way - “sperm packets” - see those balls at the end of each appendage? Yes, these are packets of spermatophores, and from time to time they swim away to find another sponge and reproduce.
7. Fish of the Cynogloss family or Tonguefish (Tonguefish)
This beauty is one of the species of tongue fish that are usually found in shallow estuaries or tropical oceans. This specimen lives in deep waters, and was caught from the bottom earlier this year in the western part Pacific Ocean. Interestingly, some tonguefish have been observed near hydrothermal vents spewing sulfur, but scientists have not yet figured out the mechanism that allows this species to survive in such conditions. Like all bottom-dwelling tonguefish, both of its eyes are located on the same side of its head. But unlike other members of this family, its eyes look like sticker eyes or scarecrow eyes.
6. Goblin Shark
Goblin shark is true strange creature. In 1985, it was discovered in the waters off the east coast of Australia. In 2003, more than a hundred individuals were captured in northeastern Taiwan (reportedly after an earthquake). However, other than sporadic sightings of this nature, little is known about this unique shark. This is a deep-sea, slow-moving species that can grow up to 3.8 meters in length (or even more - 3.8 is the largest that has ever been seen by humans). Like other sharks, the goblin shark can sense animals with its electro-sensing organs, and has several rows of teeth. But unlike other sharks, the goblin shark has both teeth adapted for catching prey and teeth adapted for cracking the shells of crustaceans.
If you're interested in watching her catch prey with that mouth of hers, here's a video. Imagine an almost 4-meter shark rushing at you with such jaws. Thank goodness they (usually) live so deep!
5. Flabby Whalefish
This brightly colored specimen (why need bright colors when colors are useless if you live where light can't penetrate) is a member of the unfortunately named "soft-bodied whalefish" species. This specimen was caught off the east coast of New Zealand, at a depth of more than 2 kilometers. In the lower part of the ocean, in the bottom waters, they did not expect to find many fish - and in fact it turned out that the soft-bodied whale-like fish did not have many neighbors. This family of fish lives at a depth of 3,500 meters, they have small eyes, which are actually completely useless given their habitat, but they have a phenomenally developed lateral line that helps them sense the vibrations of the water.
This species also does not have ribs, which is probably why the fish of this species look “soft-bodied”.
4. Grimpoteuthys (Dumbo Octopus)
The first mention of Grimpoteuthys appeared in 1999, and then, in 2009, it was filmed. These cute animals (for octopuses, anyway) can live about 7,000 meters below the surface, making them the deepest-dwelling octopus species known to science. This genus of animals, so named because of the flaps on either side of the bell-shaped heads of its members and never see sunlight, may number more than 37 species. Grimpoteuthys can hover above the bottom using jet propulsion, based on a siphon-type device. At the bottom, grimpoteuthis feeds on snails, mollusks, crustaceans and crustaceans that live there.
3. Vampire Squid
The hellish vampire (Vampyroteuthis infernalis name literally translates as: vampire squid from hell) is more beautiful than terrible. Although this species of squid does not live at the same depths as the squid that ranks first on this list, it still lives quite deep, to be exact at a depth of 600-900 meters, which is much deeper than the habitat of ordinary squid. There is some sunlight present in the upper layers of its habitat, so it has evolved the largest eyes (in proportion to its body, of course) of any other animal in the world in order to capture as much light as possible. But what is most amazing about this animal is its defense mechanisms. In the dark depths where he lives, he releases a bioluminescent "ink" that blinds and confuses other animals while he swims away. This works amazingly well precisely when the waters are not lit. Typically, it can emit a bluish light that, when viewed from below, helps it camouflage itself, but if spotted, it turns around and wraps itself in its black robe... and disappears.
2. Eastern Pacific Black Ghost Shark
Found on great depth off the coast of California in 2009, this mysterious shark belongs to a group of animals known as chimeras, which may be the oldest group of fish to survive today. Some believe that these animals, which evolved from sharks about 400 million years ago, only survived because they lived on such great depths. This particular species of shark uses its fins to "fly" through the water, and the males have a pointed, bat-like, retractable sex organ that protrudes from its forehead. It is most likely used to stimulate the female or attract her closer, but very little is known about this species, so its exact purpose is unknown.
1. Colossal Squid
The colossal squid truly deserves its name, measuring 12-14 meters in length, which is comparable to the length of a bus. It was first "discovered" in 1925 - but only its tentacles were found in the stomach of the sperm whale. The first complete specimen was found near the surface in 2003. In 2007, the largest known specimen, measuring 10 meters in length, was caught in the Antarctic waters of the Ross Sea and is currently on display at National Museum New Zealand. The squid is believed to be a slow ambush predator that feeds big fish and other squids attracted by its bioluminescence. Most scary fact What is known about this species is that sperm whales have been found to have scars that were left by the hooked tentacles of the colossal squid.
+ Bonus
Cascade Creature
Strange the new kind deep sea jellyfish? Or maybe a floating whale placenta or a piece of garbage? Until the beginning of this year, no one knew the answer to this question. Heated discussions about this creature began after this video was posted on YouTube - but marine biologists have identified this creature as a species of jellyfish known as Deepstaria enigmatica.
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 distributed in the Atlantic Ocean from the 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 fish is distinguished by 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 high dorsal. All fish seem to be fast and strong, thanks to the flattened slim body and a 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 mistook the juveniles of these fish for 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 others sea inhabitants At these depths, largemouths are aggressive and capable of swallowing fairly 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 Taurus 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. Due to the high ammonia content in the tissues, an ideal body density comparable to that of sea water, 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, to a certain extent, very remarkable noses, but long-nosed chimera– it has a particularly intricate shape. 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 developing enormous speeds. In addition, they have a large poisonous spine, 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 great amount bent 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:
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