You won't believe that such strange deep-sea creatures exist. They come in all shapes and sizes, and they are all quirky. It's like they're alien creatures that somehow ended up on Earth! Have you seen these deep sea creatures before? Here are 25 of the strangest creatures discovered that live deep underwater.
25. Jellyfish Marrus orthocanna
This animal is actually a colony of several polyps and jellyfish. When they are connected to each other, the orange gas that passes through them resembles the breath of fire.
24. Mantis crab
Photo: commons.wikimedia.org
This strange and colorful crustacean is quite unique! The mantis crab's eyes have 16 color receptors (humans only have 3), which means that these crustaceans have extremely developed color vision!
23. Ophiura (Basket Star)
Photo: wikimedia commons
A strange looking starfish, the brittle star is distinguished by the presence of a fifth middle tentacle that branches out further and further, forming a basket-like net. To catch prey, these stars extend their tentacles.
22. Tardigrades
Photo: commons.wikimedia.org
Also known as water bears, these microscopic creatures have long, plump bodies with flat heads. They are virtually indestructible and are said to survive in outer space!
21. Giant tube worms
Photo: commons.wikimedia.org
These strange creatures were completely unknown to the world until scientists studying hydrothermal vents in the Pacific Ocean discovered them nearby. Unlike other living things, they do not need light to survive: they are adapted to darkness and feed on bacteria.
20. Sixgill Shark
Photo: wikimedia commons
One of the most interesting deep sea sharks, the sixgill shark is unique because of its six gills because unlike other sharks that have five gills, this shark has six! They are also more common than other sharks, but don't worry, this creature rarely poses a threat to humans.
19. Atlantic Catfish
Photo: commons.wikimedia.org
This fish gets its name from its appearance: it boasts two protruding teeth that resemble wolf fangs. Fortunately, these creatures are harmless to humans and live in the Atlantic Ocean.
18. Lobster Terrible Claw
Photo: wikimedia commons
The Terror Claw lobster was discovered in 2007. Its claws are noticeably different from those of most lobsters, which is how it gets its name. Researchers and scientists are still not sure about the purpose of the claw.
17. Giant isopod
Photo: commons.wikimedia.org
The giant isopod is closely related to shrimp and crabs. This isopod became so huge because of deep-sea gigantism, a phenomenon where deep-sea sea creatures grow larger than their shallow-water relatives.
16. Fish Stargazer
Photo: commons.wikimedia.org
This fish uses a special coloring - camouflage - to blend into the sand, exposing only its eyes. As soon as she senses her prey nearby, she sends out an electric shock to stun and capture it. This fish can be found in the Atlantic Ocean.
15. Barrel-eyed fish
Photo: wikimedia commons
Most unique feature this fish is hers transparent head. The barrel-shaped eyes can rotate in the head to look straight or upward.
14. Largemouth eel
Photo: wikimedia commons
The first thing anyone can notice is the huge mouth of this eel. The mouth opens and closes freely, and can swallow animals much larger than the eel itself!
13. Dumbo the Octopus
Photo: wikimedia commons
This octopus gets its name from its pectoral fins, which resemble the ears of the Disney character Dumbo. Octopuses live at depths of at least 4,000 meters and can likely dive deeper, making this creature the deepest-sea dweller of all octopuses.
12. Viper fish
Photo: wikimedia commons
The viper fish is one of the most ferocious predators in deep sea waters. This fish is easily recognized by its large mouth and sharp fang teeth. Their teeth are so long that they don't even fit into their mouths.
11. Large Mouth Shark
Photo: commons.wikimedia.org
Since its discovery 39 years ago, only 100 of these have been sighted, making this shark virtually non-existent after earning the title of Alien Shark. Largemouth sharks They do not pose a threat to humans because they feed by filtering plankton.
10. Monkfish (angler fish)
Photo: wikimedia commons
There are more than 200 species of anglerfish, most of which live in the dark depths of the Atlantic and Antarctic oceans. This fish gets its name from its long dorsal spine, which resembles a fishing rod.
9. Goblin Shark
Photo: wikimedia commons
When it comes to appearance, this shark is the strangest of them all. It has a flat, protruding snout that resembles a sword. Her ancestry goes back to Cretaceous period, which was on Earth about 125 million years ago.
8. Chimera
Photo: wikimedia commons
Discovered in the ocean at a depth of 1,200 meters, chimaeras are among the most unique fish found in the deep. They have no bones in their body: the entire skeleton consists of cartilage. To search for food, they use special sensory organs that respond to electricity.
7. Drop fish
Photo: ommons.wikimedia.org
In 2013, the Blobfish was named the World's Ugliest Animal. Blobfish can be found all over the ocean floor in the deep waters of Australia.
6. Giant squid
Photo: commons.wikimedia.org
The giant squid is the largest invertebrate in the world, the size of a bus! Despite this impressive size, scientists have had no luck finding traces of them other than dead carcasses caught by fishermen.
5.Long-horned sabertooth
Photo: wikimedia commons
The Longhorn Sabertooth has the longest teeth for a fish, compared to its body size. This fish is only 15 cm long and has very large teeth!
4. Vampire squid
Photo: wikimedia commons
Vampire squids are quite small, about the size of a football. This squid gets its name from its blood-red color. Interesting fact: Vampire squids do not release ink, but instead their tentacles secrete a bioluminescent sticky goo.
3. Dragon fish
Photo: wikimedia commons
The deep sea dragon lives at a depth of 1,500 meters and gets its name from its long, thin, dragon-like body. The Dragonfish has a large head and sharp teeth, as well as a growth on the underside of its chin, which the dragon uses to grab prey.
2. Frilled Shark
Photo: commons.wikimedia.org
Known as a living fossil, the Frilled Shark belongs to one of the oldest families of sharks. Her ancestors lived 300 million years ago! These sharks are found all over the world, but are rarely seen. The most noticeable feature of this shark is its rows of inward-facing teeth.
1. Giant Crab Spider
Photo: flickr
The giant crab spider is the largest of the known species crabs and can live up to 100 years! Its legs can reach a length of 4.5 meters, and its uneven skin allows the crab to easily blend into the seabed. Pretty awesome!
The depths of the seas and oceans, where it does not penetrate sunlight, are home to many amazing creatures. It is believed that 98 percent of all aquatic animals live at or just above the bottom. At present, only a small part of the vast deep sea world, which may be for the better. Many amazing and scary creatures have been discovered, but even more of them are hidden under the water. And we can’t even imagine what terrible secrets the depths hold. Look at photographs of eleven creatures that are the most... prominent representatives underwater kingdom.
1. Sabertooth fish
The sabertooth fish is a real sea monster. It lives in the tropical waters of the oceans at a depth of about five kilometers. Although its length averages 18 centimeters, the fish still looks terrifying. This creature got its name because of its huge teeth. Despite its threatening appearance, the saber-toothed fish is not dangerous to humans. In any case, not a single case of attack was officially registered. This deep-sea predator feeds on small fish and squid.
2. Brownie shark
The goblin shark is also known as the goblin shark. This one is very rare view considered a living fossil - it appeared in the era of dinosaurs, 125 million years ago. The shark does not like sunlight and usually does not rise above 100 meters from the surface of the water. The average length of this deep-sea inhabitant is about 4 meters. Many people, when they see this monster, think that the animal is crippled. But this is not so - this is just the specific “appearance” of the shark.
3. Giant isopod
These crustaceans resemble multiply enlarged woodlice. The largest isopod caught reached a length of 76 centimeters. These animals live at the very bottom under water thickness from 170 meters to 2 kilometers. Giant isopods are considered carnivores, but they typically feed on dead creatures. Although they do not disdain fish if they can catch it. When threatened, isopods curl up into a ball, just like their terrestrial relatives.
4. Catfish
Catfish typically grow up to two and a half meters in length and can weigh around 30 kilograms. Fish live at depths from 300 to 1700 meters. Most interesting feature Catfish are characterized by their puffy “faces” with plump lips. Sharp, protruding teeth give the fish a terrifying appearance.
5. Largemouth
Largemouth is also called “pelican fish” - it’s immediately clear why. It lives deep under the surface of the ocean - from 500 meters to 3 kilometers. The largemouth has a snake-like body (up to 80 centimeters in length) and a terrifying huge mouth. The fish is capable of swallowing prey that is significantly larger in size than the largemouth. The stomach is also adapted to such extreme nutrition - it stretches to fantastic sizes.
6. Japanese spider crab
Japanese spider crabs live along the coast of Japan at depths ranging from 200 to 900 meters. The crab's body is relatively small - up to 45 centimeters, but the span of the front pair of legs can reach 4 meters. The weight of these monsters reaches twenty kilograms. Despite the menacing appearance, giant spider crabs, as a rule, have a peaceful character. In Japan, they are caught and eaten as a favorite delicacy.
7. Melanocet Johnson
Johnson's melanocetus may be the most scary creature of all those hiding under the water column. It lives at a depth of 4.5 kilometers, although it can rise to a level of 100 meters from the surface. Melacenote females grow up to 18 centimeters in length, while males are not large in size. In its shape, the fish resembles a drop with a mouth full of dagger-like teeth. Its head is equipped with processes with luminous photophores - in this way the predator lures its victims.
8. Frilled Shark
Frilled sharks trace their ancestry back to prehistoric times. All their closest relatives have long since died out. Sharks of this species have a long and thin body. They can reach a length of two meters. The worst thing about a shark is its teeth (about 300 pieces), which are arranged in rows (up to 29 rows on the lower jaw and the same number on the upper jaw). Frilled sharks live at a depth of about one and a half thousand meters.
9. Giant squid
Giant squids, due to their lifestyle, are almost elusive to capture on a photo or video camera. They live deep underwater and only occasionally rise to the surface. These giants grow up to 17 meters in length. Some people say that they have encountered specimens over twenty meters in length on the open sea. But there is no documentary evidence of this. To date, no giant squid have been caught. Sometimes dead animals are found washed ashore.
10. Hell Vampire
Hell vampires live in tropical and temperate ocean waters at depths of 400 meters to a kilometer. Representatives of this family have the usual head shape for squids, but the tentacles are connected by membranes like a funnel. Inside the funnel there are spikes and suction cups with which hellish vampires paralyze and restrain their victims. Although these animals are called vampire squids, they actually represent a separate family - Vampyroteuthidae.
11. Howliods
Howliods have huge mouths full of fangs. The teeth are so large that they do not fit in the mouth. As you may have guessed, these fish are predators. When hauliodas swallow their prey, their jaw moves forward and down, and their head can tilt back. The size of the fish is not too large; they grow on average up to 35 centimeters. Hauliods usually live at a depth of 500 meters to a kilometer, although they are capable of diving to much greater depths - up to 4 kilometers.
The drop fish that
It is a deep-sea bottom fish living at depths of 600 meters.
Blobfish
is a deep-sea fish that lives in deep waters near Australia and Tasmania. Extremely rare in humans and considered critically endangered.
Appearance This strange and extremely interesting fish is quite bizarre. On the front of the fish's snout there is a process that resembles a large nose. The eyes are small and set near the “nose” in such a way that they create an external resemblance to a “human” face. The mouth is quite large, its corners are directed downwards, which is why the face of the drop fish always seems to have a sad and despondent expression. It is thanks to its expressive “face” that the blob fish firmly holds first place in the ranking of the strangest sea creatures.
Grows up adult fish up to 30 cm. It lives at depths of 800 - 1,500 m. The body of the fish is a watery substance with a density less than that of water. This allows the blob fish to “fly” above the bottom without wasting energy on swimming. Its lack of muscles does not prevent it from hunting small crustaceans and invertebrates. In search of food, the fish soars above ocean floor with an open mouth into which food is stuffed, or lies motionless on the ground, hoping that rare invertebrates will swim into its mouth.
The blobfish has been poorly studied. Although it has been known for quite some time in Australia as “ Australian scalpin"(Australian bull) detailed information there is very little about her life. Interest in the fish has increased recently due to the fact that it has become increasingly caught in trawl nets designed to catch deep-sea crabs and lobsters. Although trawl fisheries in the Pacific and Indian Ocean limited, but this ban is aimed only at preserving existing coral reefs, and is allowed in deep ocean areas. Therefore, biologists argue that trawling can significantly reduce the population of blobfish. There are calculations that say that doubling the current number of fish requires from 5 to 14 years.
This slow increase in numbers is associated with another interesting feature of the blob fish. She lays eggs directly on the bottom, but does not leave her clutch, but lies on the eggs and “hatches” them until the young emerge from them. This type of reproduction is not typical for deep sea fish, which lay eggs that rise to the surface and mix with plankton. Other deep-sea creatures, as a rule, descend to greater depths only at sexual maturity and remain there until the end of their lives. The drop fish does not leave its kilometer depth at all. The newly born fish remain under protection for some time. adult until she gains enough independence to live alone.
Amazing creatures live on great depth ocean. Of all the deep-sea creatures, sea devils, or anglerfish, live the most amazing lives.
These creepy-looking fish, covered with spines and plaques, live at a depth of 1.5-3 km. Most notable feature monkfish- this is a fishing rod growing out of dorsal fin and hanging over the predatory mouth. At the end of the fishing rod there is a glowing gland filled with luminescent bacteria. Sea devils use it as bait.
The prey swims towards the light, and the angler carefully moves the fishing rod towards its mouth, and at some point very quickly swallows the prey. In some species, the fishing rod with a flashlight is located directly in the mouth, and the fish, without bothering too much, simply swims with its mouth open.
Externally, bats are very similar to stingrays. They are also characterized by a large round (or triangular) head and a small tail, with an almost complete absence of a body. Most major representatives pipistrelle bats reach half a meter in length, but in general they are somewhat smaller. In the process of evolution, the fins have completely lost the ability to support the fish afloat, so it has to crawl along the seabed. Although they crawl with great reluctance, as a rule they spend their leisure time simply lying passively on the bottom, waiting for their prey or luring it with a special bulb growing directly from their heads. Scientists have determined that this bulb is not a photophore and does not attract prey with its light. On the contrary, this process has a different function - it spreads a specific smell around its owner, which attracts small fish, crustaceans and worms.
Sea pipistrelles live everywhere in the warm waters of the world's oceans, without swimming into the cold waters of the Arctic. As a rule, they all stay at depths of 200 - 1000 meters, but there are species of pipistrelle bats that prefer to stay closer to the surface, not far from the shores. People are quite familiar with pipistrelle bats, which prefer surface waters. The fish is of no gastronomic interest, but its shell has become very attractive to people, especially children. Sun-dried fish leaves behind a strong shell, reminiscent of a turtle. If you add pebbles inside it, you get a decent rattle, which has been known to residents of the eastern hemisphere living on the ocean coast since ancient times.
As you would expect, the bats’ shell serves as protective clothing from larger ones. deep sea inhabitants. Only the strong teeth of a strong predator can break the shell to get to the meat of the fish. In addition, it is not so easy to spot a bat in the dark. In addition to the fact that the fish is flat and blends into the surrounding landscape, the color of its shell follows the color of the seabed.
Lancet fish
or simply lancetfish– large oceanic predatory fish, which is the only living representative of the genus Alepisaurus (Alepisaurus), which translated means “h Yeshua lizard" It got its name from the word “lancet” - medical term, synonymous with scalpel.
With the exception of polar seas lancefish can be found everywhere. However, despite its wide distribution, information about this fish is extremely scarce. Scientists are able to get an idea of the fish only from a few specimens caught along with tuna. The appearance of the fish is very memorable. It has a high dorsal fin that extends almost the entire length of the fish. It is twice as tall as the fish, and looks like the fin of a sailfish.
The body is elongated, thin, decreasing closer to the tail and ending with a caudal peduncle. The mouth is big. The mouth slit ends behind the eyes. Inside the mouth, in addition to numerous small teeth, there are two or three large sharp fangs. These fangs give the fish the terrifying appearance of a prehistoric animal. One species of lancefish has even been named as " alepisaurus ferocious”, which indicates a person’s wariness towards fish. Indeed, looking at the mouth of a fish, it is difficult to imagine that the victim could be saved if it fell into the teeth of this monster.
The lancet fish grows up to 2 m in length, which is quite comparable to the size of the barracuda, which is considered potentially dangerous to humans.
Necropsies of the caught fish provided some insight into the lancefish's diet. Crustaceans were found in the stomach, making up the bulk of plankton, which is in no way associated with a formidable predator. Probably, the fish chooses plankton because it is not able to swim quickly, and it simply cannot keep up with fast prey. Therefore, squid and salps dominate its diet. However, the remains of Opa, tuna and other lancets were also found in some individuals of lancet fish. Apparently it ambushes faster fish, using its narrow profile and silver body coloring to camouflage itself. Sometimes a fish gets hooked while sea fishing.
Lancefish is not of any commercial interest. Although the meat is edible, the fish is not used as food due to its watery, jelly-like body.
Bagswallow this fish is named for its ability to swallow prey that is several times larger than itself. The fact is that it has a very elastic stomach, and there are no ribs in the stomach that would prevent the fish from expanding. Therefore, he can easily swallow a fish four times his length and 10 times heavier!
So, for example, not far from the Cayman Islands, the corpse of a bagworm was discovered, in the stomach of which were the remains of a mackerel 86 cm long. The length of the bagworm itself was only 19 cm. That is. he managed to swallow a fish 4 times longer than himself. Moreover, it was mackerel, known as mackerel fish, which is very aggressive. It is not entirely clear how such a small fish coped with a stronger opponent.
Outside Russia, the bagworm is called " black eater" The body of the fish is uniformly dark brown, almost black, in color. The head is medium size. The jaws are very large. The lower jaw does not have a bony connection with the head, so the open mouth of the bagworm is capable of accommodating prey much larger than the head of the predator. On each jaw, the front three teeth form sharp fangs. With them, the black eater holds the victim when he pushes it into the stomach.
Swallowed prey may be so large that it is not immediately digested. As a result, decomposition inside the stomach releases a large number of gas, which drags the sac swallow to the surface. In fact, the most famous examples of the black eater were found precisely on the surface of the water with swollen bellies that prevented the fish from escaping to the depths.
The bagworm lives at a depth of 700 - 3000 m. Watch the animal in its natural conditions habitat is not possible, so very little is known about its life. These are known to be oviparous fish. Most often it is possible to detect egg clutches in winter in South Africa. Juveniles are often found off Bermuda from April to August and have more light shades, which disappear as the fish grows older. Also, larvae and young sacs have small spines, which are absent in adult fish.
Opisthoproct lives at great depths up to 2,500 m in all oceans, with the exception of the Arctic. Their appearance is unique and does not allow them to be confused with other deep-sea fish. Most often, scientists pay attention to the unusual large head of the fish. There are large eyes on it, which are constantly turned upward, from where sunlight comes. It is worth noting that quite recently, at the end of 2008, an opisthoproctus was caught near New Zealand, which had as many as 4 eyes. However, it is known for sure that vertebrates with 4 eyes do not exist in nature. Further study of the find made it possible to determine that in fact there are only two eyes, but each of them consists of two parts, one of which is constantly directed upward, and the second looks downward. The lower eye of the fish is capable of changing the viewing angle and allows the animal to examine the environment from all sides.
The body of the opisthoproctus is quite massive; its shape resembles a brick covered with large scales. Near the anal fin of the fish there is a bioluminescent organ that acts as a beacon. The belly of the fish, covered with light scales, reflects the light emitted by the photophore. This reflected light is clearly visible to other opisthoprocts, whose eyes are directed upward, but at the same time it is invisible to other deep-sea inhabitants, which have “classic” eyes located on the sides of their heads.
It is assumed that opisthoprocts are solitary and do not gather in large flocks. They spend all their time at depth, at the border of light penetration. To feed, they do not make vertical migrations, but look for prey above against the backdrop of cutting sunlight. The diet consists of small crustaceans and larvae that are part of zooplankton.
Very little is known about fish reproduction. It is assumed that they spawn directly in the water column - throwing eggs and sperm directly into the water en masse. Fertilized eggs drift at shallower depths and, as they mature and become heavier, they sink to a depth of a kilometer.
As a rule, all opisthoprocts are small in size, about 20 cm, but there are species that reach half a meter in length.
- a deep-sea fish that lives in tropical and temperate zones at depths from 200 to 5,000 m. It grows up to 15 cm in length, reaching 120 g of body weight.
The sabertooth's head is large, with massive jaws. The eyes are small compared to the size of the head. The body is dark brown or almost black, strongly compressed at the sides, and in compensation for the small eyes there is a well-developed lateral line running high on the back of the fish. In the mouth of the fish, two long fangs grow on the lower jaw. In relation to body length, these teeth are the longest among known to science fish These teeth are so large that when the mouth is closed, they are placed in special grooves in the upper jaw. To achieve this, even the fish's brain is divided into two parts to make room for fangs in the skull.
Sharp teeth, curved inside the mouth, nip in the bud the possible escape of the victim. Adult sabertooths are predators. They hunt small fish and squid. Young individuals also filter zooplankton from the water. In a short period of time, a saber tooth can swallow as much food as it weighs. Despite the fact that not much is known about these fish, we can still conclude that sabertooths are quite ferocious predators. They live in small flocks or alone, making vertical migrations at night to hunt. Having had enough of their time, the fish descend to greater depths during the day, resting before the next hunt.
By the way, perhaps it is the frequent migration to the upper layers of water that explains the good tolerance of sabertooths low pressure. Fish caught near the surface of the water can live in an aquarium in running water for up to one month.
However, despite its formidable weapon in the form of huge fangs, sabertooths often become prey for larger ocean fish that descend to the depths to feed. For example, the remains of saber teeth are constantly found in caught tuna. In this they are similar to hatchet fish, which also make up a significant portion of the tuna diet. Moreover, the number of finds suggests that the population of saber-tooths is quite significant.
Juvenile sabertooths are completely different from adult fish, which is why at first they were even classified as a different genus. They are triangular in shape and have 4 spikes on their heads, which is why they are called “horned”. Juveniles also have no fangs, and the color is not dark, but light brown, and only on the belly there is a large triangular spot, which will “stretch” over time over the entire body.
Saber teeth grow quite slowly. Scientists suggest that the fish can reach 10 years of age.
Hatchetfish
- deep-sea fish found in temperate and tropical waters of the world's oceans. They got their name from the characteristic appearance body, resembling the shape of an ax - a narrow tail and a wide “axe-body”.
Most often hatchets can be found at depths of 200-600 m. However, they are known to be found at depths of 2 km. Their body is covered with light silvery scales that bounce off easily. The body is strongly compressed laterally. Some hatchet species have a pronounced expansion of the body in the area of the anal fin. They grow up to large sizes– some species reach a body length of only 5 cm.
Like other deep-sea fish, hatchet fish have photophores that emit light. But unlike other fish, hatchets use their ability to bioluminescence not to attract prey, but, on the contrary, for camouflage. Photophores are located only on the belly of the fish, and their glow makes the hatchets invisible from below, as if dissolving the silhouette of the fish against the background of those making their way to the depths sun rays. The hatchets regulate the intensity of the glow depending on the brightness of the upper layers of water, controlling it with their eyes.
Some species of hatchetfish gather in huge flocks, forming a wide, dense “carpet”. Sometimes it becomes difficult for watercraft to penetrate this layer with their echolocators, for example, to accurately determine the depth. Scientists and navigators have been observing such a “double” ocean floor since the mid-20th century. Large concentrations of hatchet fish attract some large ocean fish to such places, including commercially valuable species, such as tuna. Hatchets also form a significant part of the diet of other larger deep-sea inhabitants, such as deep-sea anglerfish.
Hatchetheads feed on small crustaceans. They reproduce by throwing eggs or laying larvae, which mix with plankton and, as they mature, sink to depth.
Orsky chimeras
- deep-sea fish, the oldest inhabitants among modern ones cartilaginous fish. Distant relatives of modern sharks.
Chimeras are sometimes called "a" ghost-cools" These fish live at very great depths, sometimes exceeding 2.5 km. About 400 million ago, the common ancestors of modern sharks and chimeras split into two “orders.” Some preferred habitats near the surface. The other, on the contrary, chose great depths as its habitat and evolved over time to modern chimeras. Currently, science knows 50 species of these fish. Most of them do not rise to depths higher than 200 m, and only rabbit fish And rat fish were not seen deep underwater. These small fish the only representatives home aquariums, sometimes called simply " catfish ».
Chimeras grow up to 1.5 m, however, in adult individuals, half of the body is the tail, which is a long, thin and narrow part of the body. The dorsal fin is very long and can reach the very tip of the tail. What gives chimeras a memorable appearance are their pectoral fins, which are huge in relation to their body, giving them the appearance of a clumsy, strange bird.
The habitat of chimeras makes them very difficult to study. Very little is known about their habits, reproduction, and hunting methods. The accumulated knowledge suggests that chimeras hunt in much the same way as other deep-sea fish. In complete darkness, what is important for successful hunting is not speed, but the ability to find prey literally by touch. Most deep sea creatures use photophores to attract prey directly to their huge jaws. Chimeras, on the other hand, use a characteristic open, very sensitive lateral line to search for prey, which is one of the distinctive features of these fish.
The skin color of chimeras is varied and can range from light gray to almost black, sometimes with large contrasting spots. To protect against enemies, color at great depths is not of fundamental importance, so for defense against predators they have poisonous thorns located in front of the dorsal fin. It must be said that at depths of over 600m. this one has quite a few enemies large fish not so many, with the exception of particularly voracious large female Indiancanths. The greatest danger to young chimeras is their relatives; cannibalism is not a rare phenomenon for chimeras. Although most The diet consists of mollusks and echinoderms. Cases of eating other deep-sea fish have been recorded. Chimeras have very strong jaws. They have 3 pairs hard teeth, which can cling with enormous force, grinding the hard shells of mollusks.
based on materials from inokean.ru
Undersea world full of many inhabitants. Everyone who has experienced underwater diving has forever retained in their memory unforgettable impressions of the beauty and diversity of flora and fauna of the sea or ocean floor.
Sponges
Along with a variety of fish and unusual algae, on the seabed there are creatures so unusual that it is impossible to determine to what category they should be classified.
One of these creatures is sponges. They have neither internal organs nor sense organs. At first glance, there is no way to tell that this is an animal.
And yet, it is so. Sponges have a primitive structure, adapted to life exclusively on the bottom of the sea, and depth does not play any role for the comfortable existence of sponges. The territory of their distribution is very large, and the number of varieties is enormous. Some of them even survive at the North Pole!
Sponges look different. There are individuals that are spherical, elongated, or even elliptical. The colors also vary: from pale and light to bright, saturated.
Sponges are multicellular animals that survive in any environment.
The sponge seems very fragile to the touch, since its entire body is porous. With the help of these pores, the sponge breathes and feeds. Water passes through the pores, leaving small marine plankton in the body of the sponge.
The viability of sponges is also surprising. They have an excellent ability to regenerate: no matter how many small parts you divide the sponge into, it will certainly be able to recover. Sponges live from several months to fifty years.
Corals
A more accurate name for such well-known organisms as corals is “coral polyps.” What we used to think of as coral is actually the skeleton of a coral polyp. Coral polyp very small in size, its shape is not as picturesque as the shape of its skeleton, but rather resembles a grain of rice. The coral polyp does not have a backbone, but it does have tentacles.
After the death of the polyp, its skeleton (otherwise it is called “corallite”), connecting with others, creates coral reef. New polyps develop directly on the skeletons of old ones, significantly changing the topography of the seabed.
Coral reefs are incredibly beautiful and very attractive to lovers scuba diving. Corals are different. Coral reefs consist mainly of stony corals. There are also soft corals and horn corals (their scientific name is gorgonians). All corals are united by love for tropical climate and high water temperature. For example, the Black Sea is not warm enough for these creatures.
Today we know at least five hundred varieties of corals. Almost all of them prefer to live at shallow depths.
A coral polyp without its strong calcareous skeleton is very fragile. They live on the bottom or resemble a bush or tree in shape. Their colors are varied and very intricate. Coral can grow to significant sizes - from one and a half to two meters. Corals are inhabitants of the seas and oceans. Fresh water harmful for them.
Corals need sunlight to function normally. These organisms breathe with the help of tiny algae that live directly in the tissues of the polyp's body.
Corals eat plankton as food. It sticks to their tentacles, which then send food into their mouths. The mouth is located under the tentacles.
Sometimes, due to tectonic processes, the ocean floor is no longer hidden by water. In this case, the coral reef that comes up becomes the basis for a new island.
Over time, it develops its own flora and fauna, and then people settle on this island. This is how some of the inhabited islands of Oceania arose.
Starfish, urchins, lilies
There's no one like that similar creatures like starfish sea urchins and crinoids belong to the order Echinodermata. They live exclusively in salt water, therefore their habitat is the sea and ocean bottom.
Starfish can reach significant sizes - up to a whole meter in diameter. Along with such large specimens, there are also very tiny ones - up to a few millimeters.
A starfish can have up to fifty “rays” - processes on which the eyes are located. These eyes are capable of detecting light. Starfish are usually brightly colored and have a wide range of colors. You could say they come in every color of the rainbow!
Despite their apparent slowness and lack of teeth, starfish are excellent predators. Firstly, they are practically omnivores, literally capable of eating everything that cannot eat them themselves.
Secondly, the point is in the special structure of the starfish’s stomach, which is capable of digesting food even outside the body of its owner. That is, starfish It is not necessary to penetrate the shell of a mollusk yourself in order to feast on its contents. All you have to do is place your stomach there and begin the digestive process. And in the execution of this process the possibilities are almost unlimited. She is able to cope even with live fish.
Sea urchins are no less voracious. They eat almost all the inhabitants of the underwater kingdom: plants and animals, fish and shellfish, living and dead, and even each other. Their powerful jaw allows hedgehogs to even gnaw through stones.
These are animals indistinguishable from real flowers. The similarity is exacerbated by the fact that, like plants, they are immobile. The only difference is that sea lilies, unlike real ones, do not have stems.
The sea urchin is an inhabitant of the seas and oceans. Jellyfish
Jellyfish are remarkable because almost 100% of their mass is water.
The process of the birth of a jellyfish is no less bizarre than appearance this unusual creature. The eggs laid by an adult jellyfish hatch into larvae, which later transform into a polyp, shaped like a bush. Tiny newborn jellyfish bud from it, which will grow into adults.
The variety of jellyfish is amazing. Among them there are tiny ones with a diameter of several millimeters, and real giants more than two meters in diameter. The tentacles of such giants are also gigantic: almost thirty meters. The habitat of jellyfish is the entire thickness of sea water; they feel equally at home both on the surface of the water and at the very bottom of the sea.
Jellyfish are adorable to look at, but some of them can be deadly. The fact is that the jellyfish leads the lifestyle of a predator, and its tentacles are not only decoration and a means of transportation, but also a weapon for hunting. They contain a kind of thread that has spikes and contains a paralyzing liquid. The slightest touch of the devilishly beautiful jellyfish for the small marine organism may result in death, for more large creature- serious burn.
Jellyfish stings can cause serious burns on the human body, and the venom of some species is deadly. Not always the best dangerous jellyfish look especially large or bright. For example, an inconspicuous jellyfish called the “cross” (due to the cross-shaped pattern on its “umbrella”) the size of a five-kopeck coin is incredibly dangerous to humans. Touching it risks severe burns. But that's not the worst thing. Following the burn, the person begins to suffocate. And since meetings with this jellyfish, of course, take place in water, the outcome of such a meeting is most often disappointing.
What also distinguishes jellyfish from other inhabitants of the underwater kingdom of this kind is their speed of movement. Their “umbrella” is very mobile, and its shape allows it to move from place to place quite quickly.
Underwater inhabitants changeable, like the sea itself. More recently, a jellyfish appeared in the Sea of Japan huge size. Her weight was one and a half hundred kilograms. Most importantly, this was not an isolated incident. The relatives of this jellyfish also began to grow actively. Perhaps this rapid growth is caused by the warming of the world's oceans.
In addition to such amazing and unique creations of nature as the above-mentioned creatures, well-known and familiar mammals live in the seas and oceans. Not all of them have water as their permanent home, like dolphins, for example. Many use it as a source of food and a place for hunting. Naturally, all water-associated mammals are excellent swimmers.
It is interesting to note that water can support any weight, and therefore many marine mammals much larger than their terrestrial counterparts.
Of those mammals that live permanently in water, the following groups can be distinguished: cetaceans, pinnipeds, sirens and sea otters. Cetaceans include whales themselves, as well as dolphins. Pinnipeds include walruses and all types of seals. Dugongs, which are similar to mythical sirens or mermaids, belong to the category of sirens. It should be noted that cetaceans and sirenians never come to land, but pinnipeds and sea otters rest and breed on the shore, and feed and hunt in the sea.
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