Unusual Deep Sea Animals
We are all familiar with dolphins, whales and sharks; we know
what tuna and snapper look like, but what about some less familiar
fish such as lizardfish, giant squid, or blind eels? There are so
many lesser known animals in the depths of the ocean that we hear
little or nothing about most times, it is interesting to investigate
a few of these creatures and understand them a little more.
The first on our list of deep sea creatures is the fangtooth fish.
This fish is one of the most evil looking ocean predators. It lives
in the deep ocean and catches its prey by luring them in with glowing
light organs called photophores. In such a dark abyss, fish are
attracted to the light put off by the organ and once they are close
enough the fangtooth fish catches them in his numerous large teeth.
He looks like an underwater vampire.
Another carnivorous sea animal is the deep-sea lizardfish. These
interesting fish look almost like a short snake in water. Their
mouths are covered with harpoon-tipped teeth that grasp their prey
and don't let go, similar to a fish hook. These teeth are hinged
so that they can flattened down when prey is going in and stand
up when resisting. They don’t even need to actively swallow; the
struggling prey just ratchets itself inside. With their glowing
yellow eyes, the lizardfish is a wonder to behold.
Often called the nastiest fish in the ocean, the blind eel is next
on our list. These fish are called blind eels because they have
such small, ineffective eyes. Who needs eyes when you are living
in almost complete darkness? They prey on live or dead fish which
they locate through smell. They have circular mouths that they use
to suck on their prey. They have tooth-studded tongues that allow
them to cut through their victims flesh and literally eat them from
the inside out. They are also sometimes called slime eels because
their skin emits a sticky slime, up to a gallon at a time. It is
used to suffocate predators by clogging their gills when they attempt
to eat the eel.
The last of our unusual deep sea animals, giant squid, has been
the subject of tall tales for centuries. Until recently, however,
these tales were dismissed as fiction. The only information we have
on them comes from finding pieces of their bodies in the stomachs
of sperm whales, or those that have been washed up on shore. Another
area where their existence is apparent is on the skin of sperm whales
where giant sucker scars can be seen after what must be epic battles
between the two huge creatures. Giant squid can grow to the size
of a school bus or bigger. They are carnivorous and have a long,
torpedo shaped body. At one end, surrounding a beak-like mouth strong
enough to cut through steel cable, are five pairs of arms. One pair,
thinner and longer than the rest, is used to catch food and bring
it to the mouth. Just past the mouth are the eyes, eyes that are
the largest in the animal kingdom, getting as big as eighteen inches
across. They are nearly impossible to photograph alive because they
live in such deep waters.
It is interesting to think about what other types of deep sea
animals exist that we haven't yet discovered. What wonders does
the bottom of the ocean hold and can we ever know? With modern technology
constantly searching for new ways to study the ocean floor, the
possibility of finding new creatures becomes more real every day.
For a world who thinks they have seen it all, the deep, deep ocean
still holds the hope for something new.
About the Author
Emma Snow has always adored wild animals. Emma provides content
for Wildlife Animals http://www.wildlife-animals.com
and Riding Stable http://www.riding-stable.com.
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