The largest sea creatures. Deep sea fish of the world's oceans

Seas and oceans occupy more than half the area of ​​our planet, but they are still shrouded in mysteries for humanity. We strive to conquer space and are looking for extraterrestrial civilizations, but at the same time, only 5% of the world's oceans have been explored by humans. But even this data is enough to be horrified by what creatures live deep underwater, where it does not penetrate sunlight.

The chauliod family includes 6 species of deep-sea fish, but the most common of them is the common hauliod. These fish live in almost all waters of the world's oceans, with the exception of cold waters. northern seas and Northern Arctic Ocean.

Chauliodas got their name from the Greek words “chaulios” - open mouth, and “odous” - tooth. Indeed, these relatively small fish (about 30 cm in length) have teeth that can grow up to 5 centimeters, which is why their mouth never closes, creating a creepy grin. Sometimes these fish are called sea vipers.

Howliods live at depths from 100 to 4000 meters. At night they prefer to rise closer to the surface of the water, and during the day they descend into the very abyss of the ocean. Thus, during the day, fish make huge migrations of several kilometers. With the help of special photophores located on the hauliod's body, they can communicate with each other in the dark.

On the dorsal fin of the viper fish there is one large photophore, with which it lures its prey directly to its mouth. After which, with a sharp bite of needle-sharp teeth, the hauliods paralyze the prey, leaving it no chance of salvation. The diet mainly includes small fish and crustaceans. According to unreliable data, some individuals of hauliods can live up to 30 years or more.

The long-horned sabertooth is another fearsome deep-sea predatory fish, living in all four oceans. Although the saber tooth looks like a monster, it grows to a very modest size (about 15 centimeters in length). The head of the fish with a large mouth occupies almost half the length of the body.

The long-horned sabertooth got its name due to its long and sharp lower fangs, which are the largest in relation to body length among all fish known to science. The terrifying sight of a saber tooth earned him unofficial name- “monster fish”.

Adults can vary in color from dark brown to black. The younger representatives look completely different. They are light gray in color and have long spines on their heads. The sabertooth is one of the deepest-sea fish in the world; in rare cases, they descend to depths of 5 kilometers or more. The pressure at these depths is enormous, and the water temperature is about zero. There is catastrophically little food here, so these predators hunt for the first thing that gets in their way.

The size of the deep-sea dragon fish absolutely does not fit with its ferocity. These predators, which reach a length of no more than 15 centimeters, can eat prey two or even three times its size. The dragon fish lives in tropical zones The world's oceans at a depth of up to 2000 meters. The fish has a large head and a mouth equipped with many sharp teeth. Like the Howlyod, the dragonfish has its own bait for prey, which is a long whisker with a photophore at the end, located on the fish's chin. The hunting principle is the same as for all deep-sea individuals. Using a photophore, the predator lures the prey to maximum close quarters, and then with a sharp movement inflicts a fatal bite.

The deep-sea anglerfish is rightfully the ugliest fish in existence. There are about 200 species of anglerfish, some of which can grow up to 1.5 meters and weigh 30 kilograms. Because of its creepy appearance and bad character, this fish was nicknamed the monkfish. Deep-sea anglerfish live everywhere at depths from 500 to 3000 meters. The fish has a dark brown color, a large flat head with many spines. The devil's huge mouth is strewn with sharp and long teeth, curved inward.

Deep-sea anglerfish have pronounced sexual dimorphism. Females are tens of times larger than males and are predators. Females have a rod with a fluorescent appendage at the end to attract fish. Anglerfish spend most of their time on the seabed, burrowing into sand and silt. Due to its huge mouth, this fish can completely swallow prey that is twice its size. That is, hypothetically, a large individual anglerfish could eat a person; Fortunately, there have never been such cases in history.

Probably the most strange inhabitant depths of the sea You can call it a bagmouth or, as it is also called, a pelican-shaped largemouth. Due to its abnormally huge mouth with a bag and a tiny skull in relation to the length of the body, the bagmouth looks more like some kind of alien creature. Some individuals can reach two meters in length.

In fact, bagmouths belong to the class of ray-finned fish, but these monsters do not have too many similarities with the cute fish that live in warm sea backwaters. Scientists believe that appearance These creatures changed many thousands of years ago due to their deep-sea lifestyle. Bagmouths have no gill rays, ribs, scales or fins, and the body is oblong with a luminous appendage on the tail. If not big mouth, then the bagmouth could easily be confused with an eel.

Bagworms live at depths from 2000 to 5000 meters in three world oceans, except the Arctic Ocean. Since there is very little food at such depths, bagmouths have adapted to long breaks in eating, which can last more than one month. These fish feed on crustaceans and other deep-sea brethren, mainly swallowing their prey whole.

The elusive giant squid, known to science as Architeuthis dux, is the world's largest mollusc and is thought to reach a length of 18 meters and weigh half a ton. On this moment A live giant squid has never yet fallen into human hands. Until 2004, there were no documented sightings of live giant squid at all, and the general idea of ​​these mysterious creatures It was based only on the remains washed ashore or caught in fishermen’s nets. Architeuthis live at depths of up to 1 kilometer in all oceans. In addition to their gigantic size, these creatures have the largest eyes among living creatures (up to 30 centimeters in diameter).

So in 1887, the largest specimen in history, 17.4 meters long, washed up on the shores of New Zealand. In the next century, only two large dead representatives of the giant squid were discovered - 9.2 and 8.6 meters. In 2006, Japanese scientist Tsunami Kubodera managed to capture on camera a living female 7 meters long. natural environment habitat at a depth of 600 meters. The squid was lured to the surface by a small bait squid, but an attempt to bring a live specimen on board the vessel was unsuccessful - the squid died from multiple injuries.

Giant squids are dangerous predators, and their only natural enemy is adult sperm whales. There are at least two described cases of fight between squid and sperm whale. In the first, the sperm whale won, but soon died, suffocated by the giant tentacles of the mollusk. The second battle took place off the coast South Africa, then the giant squid fought with the baby sperm whale, and after an hour and a half fight, he still killed the whale.

Giant isopod, known to science, like Bathynomus giganteus, is largest species crustaceans. The average size deep-sea isopods range from 30 centimeters, but the largest recorded specimen weighed 2 kilograms and was 75 centimeters long. By appearance giant isopods similar to woodlice, and like the giant squid are a consequence of deep-sea gigantism. These crayfish live at a depth of 200 to 2500 meters, preferring to bury themselves in silt.

The body of these creepy creatures is covered with hard plates that act as a shell. In case of danger, crayfish can curl into a ball and become inaccessible to predators. By the way, isopods are also predators and can feast on a few small deep-sea fish and sea ​​cucumbers. Powerful jaws and strong armor make the isopod a dangerous opponent. Although giant crayfish love to feast on live food, they often have to eat the remains of shark prey that fall from upper layers ocean.

The coelacanth or coelacanth is a large deep-sea fish whose discovery in 1938 became one of the most important zoological finds of the 20th century. Despite its unattractive appearance, this fish is notable for the fact that for 400 million years it has not changed its appearance and body structure. In fact, this unique relict fish is one of the oldest living creatures on planet Earth, which existed long before the appearance of dinosaurs.

Coelacanth lives at a depth of up to 700 meters in the waters of the Indian Ocean. The length of the fish can reach 1.8 meters and weigh more than 100 kilograms, and the body has a beautiful blue tint. Since coelacanth is very slow, it prefers to hunt great depths where there is no competition with more fast predators. These fish can swim backwards or belly up. Despite the fact that the meat of the coelcanth is inedible, it is often the target of poaching among local residents. Currently ancient fish is in danger of extinction.

The deep sea goblin shark, or goblin shark as it is also called, is the most poorly studied shark to date. This species lives in the Atlantic and Indian Ocean at a depth of up to 1300 meters. The largest specimen was 3.8 meters long and weighed about 200 kilograms.

The goblin shark got its name due to its eerie appearance. Mitsekurina has movable jaws that move outward when bitten. The goblin shark was first accidentally caught by fishermen in 1898, and since then 40 more specimens of this fish have been caught.

Another relict representative of the sea abyss is a one-of-a-kind cephalopod-detritus feeder, which has an external resemblance to both a squid and an octopus. Yours unusual name the hellish vampire received thanks to the red body and eyes, which, however, depending on the lighting, can be blue color. Despite their terrifying appearance, these strange creatures They grow only up to 30 centimeters and, unlike other cephalopods, they eat exclusively plankton.

The body of the hellish vampire is covered with luminous photophores, which create bright flashes of light that scare away enemies. In case of exceptional danger, these small mollusks turn their tentacles along the body, becoming like a ball with spikes. Hellish vampires live at depths of up to 900 meters, and can thrive in water with an oxygen level of 3% or lower, critical for other animals.

Incredible facts

Oceans cover about 70 percent earth's surface and provide about half of the air we breathe thanks to microscopic phytoplankton.

Despite all this, the oceans remain the biggest mystery. Thus, 95 percent of the world's oceans and 99 percent of the ocean floor remain unexplored.

Here are examples of the most unimaginable creatures that live in the depths of the ocean.

1. Smallmouth macropinna

Smallmouth macropinna(Macropinna microstoma) belongs to a group of deep-sea fish that have developed a unique anatomical structure in order to fit your lifestyle. These fish are extremely fragile, and specimens of the fish that have been collected by fishermen and researchers are deformed due to pressure changes.

The most unique characteristic of this fish is its soft, transparent head and barrel-shaped eyes. Typically fixed in an upward direction with green "lens covers" to filter sunlight, the eyes of the Smallmouth Macropinna can rotate and extend.

In fact, what appear to be eyes are sensory organs. The real eyes are located under the forehead.

2. Bathisaurus

Bathysaurus ferox sounds like a dinosaur, which is actually not far from the truth. Bathysaurus ferox belongs to the deep-sea lizardheads that live in the tropical and subtropical seas of the world, at a depth of 600-3,500 m. Its length reaches 50-65 cm.

He is considered the deepest living super predator in the world and everything that comes in his way is immediately devoured. Once the jaws of this devilish fish slam shut, it's game over. Even her tongue is lined with razor-sharp fangs.

It is hardly possible to look at her face without shuddering, and it is even more difficult for her to find a mate. But this does not bother this formidable underwater inhabitant too much, since it has both male and female genital organs.

3. Viper fish

The viper fish is one of the most unusual deep-sea fish. Being known as common hauliod(Chauliodus sloani), it is one of the ocean's most ruthless predators. This fish is easily recognized by its large mouth and sharp fang-like teeth. In fact, these fangs are so large that they do not fit in her mouth, curling closer to her eyes.

The viper fish uses its sharp teeth to pierce its prey by swimming towards it at very high speed. Most of these creatures have a stretchable stomach, which allows them to swallow fish larger than themselves in one sitting. At the end of its spine is a luminous organ that the fish uses to attract its prey.

It lives in tropical and temperate waters in different parts light at a depth of 2,800 m.

4. Deep Sea angler

Deep sea monkfish ( Deep Sea Anglerfish) looks like a creature from a science fiction world. It may be one of the ugliest animals on our planet and lives in the most inhospitable environment - the lonely, dark seabed.

There are more than 200 species monkfish, most of which live in the murky depths of the Atlantic and Antarctic oceans.

The monkfish lures its prey with its elongated dorsal spine, curving it around the bait, while the end of the spine glows to attract unsuspecting fish to its mouth and sharp teeth. Their mouth is so large and their body so flexible that they can swallow prey twice their size.

5. Piglet squid

Known as Helicocranchia Pfefferi, this cute creature is a real relief from the terrifying toothy fish that are associated with the deep sea. This species of squid lives about 100 m below the ocean surface. Due to its habitat in the deep ocean, its behavior has not been well studied. These inhabitants are not the fastest swimmers.

Their body is almost completely transparent, with the exception of some cells containing pigments called chromatophores, which give these inhabitants such a charming appearance. They are also known for their luminous organs called photophores, which are located under each eye.

6. Japanese spider crab

The spider crab's leg span reaches 4 meters, with a body width of about 37 cm and a weight of about 20 kg. Japanese spider crabs can live up to 100 years, as do the largest and oldest lobsters.

These subtle inhabitants sea ​​day are ocean cleaners, dealing with dead deep-sea inhabitants.

Eyes Japanese crab located in front with two horns between the eyes, which shorten with age. As a rule, they live at depths of 150 to 800 m, but most often at a depth of 200 m.

Japanese spider crabs are considered a real delicacy, but Lately The catch of these crabs is declining thanks to a program to protect these deep-sea species.

7. Drop fish

This fish lives off the coast of Australia and Tasmania at a depth of about 800 m. Considering the depth of the water in which it swims, the blob fish does not have a swim bladder, like most fish, as it is not very effective under high water pressure. Her skin is made of a gelatinous mass that is slightly denser than water, which allows her to float above the ocean floor without any hassle. The fish grows up to 30 cm in length, feeding mainly sea ​​urchins and shellfish that swim by.

Even though this fish is inedible, it is often caught along with other prey such as lobsters and crabs, putting it at risk of extinction. Distinctive external characteristic fish drop is her unhappy facial expression.

8. Tongue-Eating Woodlice

Surprisingly, the snapper himself does not suffer much from this process, continuing to live and eat after the woodlouse found him permanent place residence.

9. Frilled Shark

People have rarely encountered frilled sharks, which prefer to stay in the ocean depths of about 1,500 m below the ocean surface. Considered living fossils Frilled sharks actually share many of the characteristics of ancestors that swam the seas back to the time of the dinosaurs.

Frilled sharks are thought to capture their prey by bending their body and lunging forward like a snake. Its long, flexible jaw allows it to devour its prey whole, while its many small, needle-sharp teeth prevent its prey from escaping. It feeds mainly on cephalopods and also bony fish and sharks.

10. Lionfish (or Lionfish)

It is believed that the first lionfish or Pterois, with beautiful colors and large spiny fins, appeared in sea ​​waters on the shores of Florida in the early 90s of the last century. Since then they have spread throughout Caribbean Sea, becoming a real punishment for marine inhabitants.

These fish eat other species, and they seem to eat constantly. They themselves have long poisonous spines, which protects them from other predators. In the Atlantic Ocean, native fish are not familiar with them and do not recognize the danger, and the only species here that can eat them is the lion fish themselves, since they are not only aggressive predators, but also cannibals.

The venom released from their spines makes the bites even more painful, and for those who suffer from heart disease or allergic reactions, it can become fatal.

The oceans are home to several million species of amazing sea creatures. Given this enormous biodiversity, it is not surprising that these marine creatures are represented in all possible forms, colors and sizes. Some of them, especially deep sea inhabitants, look scary and disgusting, but the appearance of others is simply breathtaking. Today we will take a closer look.

1. Mandarin fish(Synchiropus splendidus)

Found in tropical western waters Pacific Ocean, Mandarin duck is a small coral fish up to 6 cm long, known for its strange shape and beautiful intense color.

(Cerianthus Membranaceus)

photo: https://www.flickr.com/photos/oceanaeurope/

Found in a variety of locations in subtropical waters, the trumpet anemone comes in many different fluorescent shades and color combinations, making it a popular aquarium animal.

photo: Philippe Pourtallier

3. Flamingo tongue(Cyphoma gibbosa)

A resident of various Caribbean and Atlantic coral reefs, this colorful snail feeds on coral polyps.

4. Blue tang(Paracanthurus hepatus)

photo: Aaron Gilcrease

The fish is famous for its sharp spines on its tail, which are said to resemble a surgeon's scalpels.

5. Mantis crabs(Stomatopoda)

photo: https://www.flickr.com/photos/jennofarc/

The waters of the Indian and Pacific oceans have become home to mantis crayfish. They are some of the most fascinating and colorful creatures in the sea. These beautiful crustaceans have the most complex eyes in the world.

6. French angel(Pomacanthus paru)

photo: Paul Asman

Native to the western Atlantic Ocean, as well as the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean, the French angelfish is a striking tropical fish with dark colors that are perfectly complemented by yellow stripes.

7. Rag-picking seahorse(Phycodurus eques)

photo: Dmytro Kochetov

Discovered in Australian waters, this seahorse is one of the most unusual and fascinating sea creatures. Reaches up to 20 cm in length. He also gets into 25 Most Amazing Sea Creatures.

8. Sea spiders(Pantopoda)

Absolutely unrelated to what we are used to ordinary spiders, sea ​​spiders much simpler in form and function, but almost as common as their land-dwelling namesakes. These tiny marine arthropods come in over 1,300 species and can be found in most parts of the world.

9. Jellyfish flower cap(Olindias formosa)

photo: Josh More

Very rare view, which belongs to the class Hydrozoa, while true jellyfish belong to the class Scyphozoa. The flower cap can be found in the western Pacific Ocean near southern Japan, and has a painful sting.

10. Harlequin crab(Lissocarcinus laevis)

photo: René Cazalens

Among 25 Most Amazing Sea Creatures a stunning harlequin crab that is found along with sea anemones and trumpet anemones, close to coral shorelines and rocky reefs.

11. Tulle apogon(Pterapogon kauderni)

A wonderful tropical fish with a silver coloration and vertical black stripes. An endangered species, which is found only in a relatively small area around the island of Banggai in Indonesia.

(Aetobatus narinari)

photo: Xabier Mina

Reaching a width of up to 3 m, spotted bracken is an active swimmer and predator known to feed on invertebrates and small fish.

13. Clownfish(Amphiprion percula)

photo: Jun Ushiki

Bright Orange color with its three distinctive white stripes, the clownfish is one of the most recognizable and popular of all reef inhabitants. The fish reaches approximately 11 cm in length.

14. Harlequin shrimp(Hymenocera picta)

photo: https://www.flickr.com/photos/luko/

Like many others vibrant views V 25 Most Amazing Sea Creatures, the harlequin shrimp is a popular aquarium inhabitant. This species white body with large spots. Males are slightly smaller than females.

15. Blue Dragon(Glaucus atlanticus)

Also known as blue glaucus and – poisonous mollusk. Measuring up to 3 cm in length, this curious animal is found in all temperate and tropical waters.

16. Discus fish(Symphysodon)

photo: Vera Le Bail

Originally from the Amazon River, discus fish is one of the most beautiful tropical fish in the world. Because of my distinctive shape and bright colors is called the “king of the aquarium”.

17. Venus anemone - sea anemone(Actinoscyphia aurelia)

photo: https://commons.wikimedia.org

Venus anemone, named after the Venus flytrap plant due to external resemblance and the feeding mechanism. This sea ​​anemone is a large deep-sea creature that feeds by trapping food in its "trap mouth".

18. Royal starfish(Astropectenarticulatus)

One of the most remarkable representatives of the family, royal Starfish - a starfish that most often lives in the middle continental shelf about 20-30 m in the western Atlantic. It is a carnivore that feeds on shellfish.

19. ClamBerghia coerulescens

photo: Rodrigo Pascual

A species of sea slug that can be found in the Central and Western Mediterranean, as well as the North Atlantic Ocean. This stunningly colorful creature reaches up to 7 cm in length.

20. Zebra lionfish(Pterois volitans)

One of the most iconic tropical fish, a popular delicacy in some parts of the world, but much more prized as an aquarium resident.

21. Long-snouted European seahorse(Hippocampus hippocampus)

Endemic Mediterranean Sea and parts of the North Atlantic, the long-snouted European seahorse is a medium-sized species, up to 13 cm high, that lives in shallow waters. troubled waters, in estuaries or seagrass meadows. An endangered species.

22. Painted triggerfish, or spiny rhinecanth(Rhinecanthus aculeatus)

photo: Joachim S. Müller

25 Most Amazing Sea Creatures represents a remarkable tropical fish found on reefs in the Indo-Pacific region. The painted triggerfish feeds primarily on reef algae and algae. The fish's diet includes small crustaceans, worms, sea urchins and snails.

23. Green sea turtle(Chelonia mudas)

The green turtle is a large, heavy sea turtle with a wide, smooth shell. Weighing up to 320 kg, the green sea turtle is one of the largest sea ​​turtles in the world.

24. Mollusk Phyllidia Babai

photo: Iain Fraser

A species of nudibranch that is found in several areas of the Pacific Ocean, such as Papua New Guinea, South Korea and Australia.

25. Crown of thorns, or acanthaster(Acanthaster planci)

photo: Joey Jojo

A starfish that is found in the Indo-Pacific region. Despite its beautiful appearance, the crown of thorns is often considered a pest because a large number of these creatures pose a significant threat coral reefs, especially the Great Barrier Reef.

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Despite the fact that water occupies 70% of the surface of our planet, the oceans remain a mystery to humans. No more than 5% of the world's oceans have been explored, the rest of it is beyond human knowledge. But several interesting information Nevertheless, we managed to obtain information, for example, about what creatures live deep underwater, where sunlight does not penetrate.
1 place. Bathysaurus

This lizard-headed creature is very reminiscent of long-extinct dinosaurs in a reduced form. This similarity is probably why it got its name. Bathisaurus lives in the seas of tropical and subtropical climate at a depth of 600 to 3500 meters and reaches a length of 50-65 cm. It is considered the deepest predator, a mini-machine killer that devours everything that gets in its way. Bathysaurus even has teeth on its tongue. By the way, this monster is a hermaphrodite, i.e., it has both male and female sexual characteristics.

2nd place. Angler

This is probably the ugliest creature in the world; when you see it, you can’t help but be scared. There are about 200 species of deep-sea monkfish, most of them found in the Atlantic Ocean. Some of these creatures grow up to a meter, and they lure prey with a glowing tail. Their mouth is so large and their body is so flexible that they can swallow prey twice their size.

3rd place. frilled shark

This prehistoric creature lived and hunted well back in the days when dinosaurs roamed the earth. People very rarely have the opportunity to see this formidable predator, since the frilled shark prefers to stay at a depth of 1500 meters, where it hunts mainly for cephalopods.

4th place. Fish - drop

This fish somewhat resembles a person with an unhappy expression on his face, upset by his ugliness. It lives mainly off the coast of Tasmania at a depth of 800 meters and feeds on mollusks and sea urchins. The blob fish does not have an air bubble, and its body consists of a jelly-like substance, slightly denser than water, which allows it to easily move along the seabed.

5th place. Pisces - Leo

According to some reports, the lion fish appeared in the Caribbean Sea relatively recently, and became a real disaster for the local inhabitants. Unfamiliar with this type of fish, many try to taste it, and as a result they themselves become prey. These fish have poisonous spines, so the only one who can eat a lion fish is another lion fish, since they are not only predators, but also cannibals.

6th place. Fish - viper

This deep-sea fish is known as one of the most ruthless predators of the seabed. She is easily recognized by her large mouth with huge sharp fangs. In fact, the teeth are so long that they don't fit in her mouth and reach her eyes. Like the monkfish, the viperfish lures its prey with its glowing tail and pierces it with its terrible teeth. Her body is so flexible that she is able to swallow victims larger than herself.

7th place. Woodlice eating tongue

8th place. Sac-eater, or black eater

This fish, up to 30 cm long, lives in the seas of a subtropical climate. It got its name because of its elastic stomach, which can accommodate fish four times the size of the bagworm. The lower jaw has no bony connection to the skull, and there are no ribs on the stomach. All this helps the fish swallow food.

9th place. Macropinna Microstoma

This small fish is known for its transparent head, inside of which there are green eyes. It lives in the cool waters of the Pacific and Arctic Oceans at depths of 200 to 600 meters.

10th place. Sea bat

This is a bottom-dwelling fish, very reminiscent of a stingray, lives mainly in warm waters seas and oceans at depths from 200 to 1000 meters. She has big head and a small tail, the body itself is practically absent. The bat does not know how to swim, and crawls along the bottom with reluctance. Basically, he just lies there and waits for the food to swim up to him.