Strange Sea Dwellers

Hearing the name “dragonfish,” you would probably expect an enormous, monstrous beast with long fangs. Although the sight of this fish is enough to make you scream in horror, it is surprisingly small. However, unlike many of the frightening creatures on this list, it is indeed dangerous to humans through its potent venom. In this post, we will dive into fascinating qualities of the elusive dragonfish.

The dragonfish is surprisingly small—only about six and a half inches in length. Despite its size, it is not to be underestimated. These creatures are ferocious predators of the deep. They are known to feast upon fish over half its size. These small specimens pack quite the punch.

Although they are prey upon many types of fish, they are also the prey of other sea creatures. For example, red flounder fish are known to eat dragonfish. The dragonfish is essential to the food chain.

One defense mechanism that the dragonfish yields is its highly toxic venom. It emits a poison that is incredibly dangerous and deadly to its victims. The poison is located in special poison sacks, and it is excreted through its spines.

Dragonfish venom is best characterized by the excruciating pain it causes almost immediately after the sting. The pain can then last from a few hours up to multiple days. The body reacts to the toxin through swelling and a rise in body temperature. However, the affected area often loses sensitivity.

Although it is possible to be stung by a dragonfish, it is uncommon since dragonfish live so deep in the ocean, and it is unlikely to find one accidentally. The main threat to humans is consuming dragonfish. It is considered a delicacy and is said to have a unique nutty flavor. Highly-trained chefs must properly remove the fish’s poison in order to prepare this dish.

In an environment where light cannot reach, dragonfish produce their own light through bioluminescence. It has bioluminescent photophores on its jaw which allow it to attract prey and even communicate with other dragonfish.

Some species of dragonfish can produce and see red light. This is highly uncommon among sea creatures because red light waves poorly penetrate the dense water. This is why almost all sea creatures create blue light, which penetrates water much more efficiently.

Because other fish cannot see red light, they are experts at camouflage. Additionally, they have their own wavelength of light to communicate with other dragonfish.

Dragonfish also have extremely precise vision. Their eyes are chlorphyllic, allowing them to gather every bit of light possible in the dark ocean. They can see their way around in even the dimmest of conditions. This ability demonstrates just one of the many fascinating ways species have evolved to adapt to their environments over time.

The dragonfish is an intriguing creature that packs many advanced survival tactics in a small body. It is a classic example of not underestimating a creature based on its size.

I’m sure you’ve at least heard of the elusive blobfish. The name itself gives you a great idea of what this creature looks like: a blob of goop. The scientists in charge of naming it were clearly not thinking outside of the box. While many of the creatures covered on this list were enormous, terrifying, and dangerous, this specimen is none of the above. Allow me to introduce you to the blobfish: the world’s ugliest fish.

The blobfish is most famous for its hilarious appearance. It looks like a big, sad, droopy, squishy face. It looks like if Mitch McConnell was put in a vacuum chamber. The blobfish went viral on social media and was featured in countless memes due to its comical appearance. But is there more to this fish other than its looks?

There is actually a reason why the blobfish is so gelatinous and saggy. The blobfish resides at depths between 2000 and 4000 feet deep, where the pressure is much higher than on the surface. The creature’s bodily make-up is a result of thousands of years of evolving to survive the harsh conditions of the deep ocean.

The blobfish does not have bones, teeth, or much muscle mass. The crushing pressure of the ocean gives the fish enough support to not need bones. It is not a particularly active creature—spending most of its days looming above the ocean floor. Therefore, it does not need muscle.

Instead, the fish is composed mostly of water-filled cells. This jelly-like tissue is less dense than water, allowing it to stay buoyant. Because it can float effortlessly, it can conserve energy in its habitat, which is scarce in food.

Who knew this ugly fish was actually an astounding example of evolutionary adaptation? When it is in its natural habitat, it even looks pretty normal.

The blobfish is just as harmless and adorable as it looks. It is not a predator in its ecosystem, so it does not hunt other animals. Who could have ever guessed a creature so ferocious and beastly was so passive?

Down in the deep, there is very little light. Therefore it does not actively look for food. It generally eats whatever happens to float in front of its face. Crustaceans, mollusks, and sea urchins make up a majority of its diet.

You might be wondering, “Why don’t we eat blobfish?” First of all, they live so deep in the ocean, it would be ridiculous to do the work to catch one just to eat it. The second reason is more somber.

The blobfish is an endangered species. It is estimated that only 420 blobfish remain in the world. This is because even though these fish lay thousands of eggs, only a few survive to adulthood. Additionally, overfishing and deep-sea trawling have resulted in the decline of their population.

As funny as it is to make memes with the blobfish’s goofy-looking face, these creatures could disappear off of the Earth forever if we do not start taking conservation efforts seriously. As a collective, we could work together to protect our oceans and the many unique creatures that inhabit it.

Beauty is pain: a famous saying that wonderfully describes the next specimen on this list. I’m sure you have seen or at least heard of the Portuguese man o’ war. With its vibrant coloring and strangely long tentacles, it is certainly hard to miss. This creature (not actually a creature which I will soon elaborate on) is greatly misunderstood. Let’s dive into it.

Calling the Portuguese man o’ war a creature would be misleading, for it is actually a colonial organism, which means it is composed of numerous individual organisms with different functions. The man o’ war consists of as many as seven of these organisms, called zooids, that all depend on each other.

One zooid is the gas-filled sac that keeps it afloat at the surface of the water.  Another zooid is the tentacles that help the man o’ war hunt for prey. The other zooids aid in digestion and reproduction.

Although the man o’ war is widely believed to be a type of jellyfish due to its appearance, it is not. It instead belongs to the Hydrozoa family, which are small, predatory animals that live in salt water and are often colonial.

Have you ever been stung by a jellyfish before? Depending on the type of jellyfish, it probably caused a few hours of pain and irritation, but was overall not unbearable and mainly just annoying. A man o’ war’s sting, on the other hand, is described as unbearable.

If you are stung by a Portuguese man o’ war, you will immediately feel an intense burning pain on your body. The tentacles will leave stringy, red welts on the skin that can last hours. You can also develop a rash that can last for up to six weeks after the sting.

Additionally, like some jellyfish, the man o’ war can still sting you after it dies and washes to shore. Although its sting is rarely lethal, you will definitely never forget the feeling of being stung by this lovely colony. Do not be tricked by its dazzling appearance. The man o’ war is a rose, and the tentacles are its razor-sharp thorns.

Can you believe this militia of a marine specimen also has predators? There’s always a bigger fish, I guess.

The blanket octopus is one of man o’ war’s predators. Sometimes these octopi will attach the tentacles of defeated man o’ wars to its suckers, using it as a weapon against their prey and a defensive mechanism against their predators. If you can’t beat ’em, join ’em.

The loggerhead turtle is another one of the man o’ war’s predators. Turtles have very thick skin and tongues, rendering them immune to stings. However, because plastic bags look so similar to the flotation zooid on the man o’ war, turtles will often get confused and try to eat plastic bags floating on the ocean’s surface. The man o’ war arguably benefits from plastic pollution in the ocean? That’s a first.

With its unique characteristic of being a colony, its brutal sting, and its unexpected vulnerability, the man o’ war is quite the alluring and mysterious inhabitant of the ocean. Through protecting its ecosystem and admiring from a distance, we can peacefully coexist with this fascinating being and continue to observe its interesting behaviors. So, next time you come across a Portuguese man o’ war, bask in its beautiful colors, and for the love of God, do not touch it.

Have you ever wondered what the terrifying fish in Finding Nemo is, or if it even exists? Well, I’m here to tell you that it indeed exists, and its arguably even stranger than you would imagine. Today we will dive into this odd and terrifying creature, and how it accommodates to the desolate, dark environment of the deep sea.

The anglerfish is characterized by its glowing appendage that hangs over its head, dangling near the entrance of its mouth. It utilizes its bioluminescence to lure its prey into its terrifying gape. The anglerfish is the lightbulb of the ocean, while its prey are mosquitos.

Its light source is produced by symbiotic bacteria within the anglerfish’s attractive appendage. The anglerfish waits for smaller fish to swim to its mesmerizing light, then chomps down on its meal. Because food is so scarce in the deep ocean, the anglerfish must conserve its energy to survive. This unique lure allows the specimen to do so.

Matriarchal societies within different species is so fascinating because it is a total twist from the standard human patriarchy. The roles that the two sexes of anglerfish play are completely different from one another. In their world, females are far larger than the males. Females have a body length of about 73 cm, whereas the males are about 49 cm on average.

When a male encounters a female anglerfish, it fuses itself to her body for the rest of its life. This allows the male to permanently give its sperm to the female, so the female always has a mating partner. They are the parasites of the sexes, but even then, the female is the one that is taking from the male. Anglerfish certainly take romantic attachment to a whole new level.

You might be asking yourself, “Why do certain species have such wildly different processes of reproduction than we do?” Animals that reside in far different environments must adapt to continue to survive and thrive. Anglerfish are just one example of evolution’s creativity and variation.

Upon learning about the elusive anglerfish, I wondered why I have never seen one in the wild or in an attraction. Turns out, it is because these animals reside in one of the most extreme environments on Earth. They live in the deep sea, up to 3,000 meters below the surface. At this extraordinary depth, it is pitch black. No sunlight can penetrate the amount of water that shields them from the surface. It is also extremely cold: about 39 degrees Fahrenheit.

Finding one of these mysterious creatures unintentionally is like finding an extraterrestrial creature in your backyard. It’s just not going to happen. Whether that is a good or bad thing is entirely your opinion. Personally, I am very grateful for the miles of ocean separating us from these critters.

So far we have talked about the anglerfish’s bioluminescent lure, its unique dimorphism, and its extreme habitat. Unfortunately, there is another characterization of this animal that is worthy of being brought up: its endangerment. The population of anglerfish is steadily declining, and one species of anglerfish is considered critically endangered by the World Conservation Union.

These fish are threatened due to global warming, deep-sea fishing practices, and habitat destruction. As humans alter the environment, anglerfish are not able to thrive in the conditions in which they are designed. Conservation efforts, such as establishing marine protected areas and sustainable fishing practices, are necessary in preserving these unique creatures.

A common theme in this blog is that the deeper the water, the stranger and spookier the specimens. Today we will dive (pun intended) into, in my personal opinion, one of the scariest looking creatures on this list. The Japanese spider crab will certainly pinch you back into reality as to how uncanny nature’s creations can be.

To say this crab is large is quite the understatement. When stretched out, it is 12 feet long from claw-to-claw, and 18 feet long from leg-to-leg. To put that into perspective, this crab is about as long as the width of a double-car driveway. Japanese spider crabs display a trait called deep sea gigantism, which is explains why creatures that live in deeper waters tend to be monstrously huge.

Surprisingly, Japanese spider crabs are commonly found around the coast of Japan. However, they can be found anywhere in the depths of the Pacific Ocean. They tend to occupy the cold, dark waters from about 300-2,000 feet deep. As most of the creatures on this list, you will likely not come into contact with one by accident.

Although you might expect these beasts to feast upon the souls of the unfortunate, their diet includes dead fish, invertebrates, and algae. They scour the bottom of the ocean floor to find small creatures to eat. They are known to use their claws to tear open the shells of mollusks and feast upon their innards. I will spare you of an image of this event, as it looks like it could be a scene out of John Carpenter’s The Thing.

Japanese spider crabs molt to grow. Molting is a process that most arthropods perform. They shed their old exoskeletons and emerge with a new, softer one that allows them to grow larger. You might be wondering, “Where do their exoskeletons go after they shed them?” Well, these absolutely horrifying skin suits are simply left on the ocean floor until they eventually decompose. They keep pretty well, so I suppose you could keep one as a souvenir… if that’s what floats your boat.

Japanese spider crabs are not currently categorized as an endangered species. However, their numbers are steadily dwindling. This is as a result of overfishing and habitat destruction. Although their meat is usually not sought after, they often accidentally are caught in fishing nets and die. Habitat loss occurs due to pollution, mining, and a multitude of other factors that degrade the environment enough to the point where the life that resides there can no longer be sustained.

Japan has made conservation efforts to protect these crabs from going extinct. They banned fishing for them during their mating system in efforts to increase their population.

With all of the Japanese spider crab’s unique traits and behaviors, they are rendered as one of the most interesting beings this earth has to offer. Although the sea creatures featured on this list are scary and unappealing to the eye, it is important to remember that they are simply animals just like us. It is important that we work together to preserve their habitats and protect their species.

Among the vast array of fascinating creatures that roam the depths of our oceans, there is one in particular that puzzles scientists and animal lovers: the mantis shrimp. Its powerful punch, complex social interactions, and amazing bodily abilities make the mantis shrimp one of the most mystifying inhabitants of the sea. In today’s post, we will be doing a deep-dive (no pun intended) into this perplexing creature.

The mantis shrimp is a marine crustacean generally found in shallow tropical or subtropical waters. It is about 2-7 inches long, which is minuscule compared to the other creatures we covered in previous posts. Despite its small size, it packs a powerful punch. It can deliver an explosive 60 mph punch in a matter of milliseconds with its front claws. Its strike has the same acceleration as a .22-caliber bullet, and its claw moves so fast that it momentarily heats the water around it to nearly as hot as the surface of the sun. It uses this mechanism to instantly kill and tear the appendages off of its prey. For perspective, if it were to punch you, it would tear your flesh clean off and probably break your bones. Do not underestimate this guy because of its small size.

The mantis shrimp is unique in its means of communication. Its mating ritual is one of them. Two mantis shrimp do a special mating dance to attract one another. They flail their legs around and showcase their impressive range of colors. They can change the color of their bodies to a multitude of vibrant hues. If the two shrimp decide they are interested in each other, they engage in a relationship that can last the rest of their lives. The new couple will find somewhere to burrow together. They will call this place home and cooperate to raise their children here. It’s clear the term “love birds” apply to more than one species. Additionally, when communicating casually with other mantis shrimp, they will move their bodies in intricate ways, flash different colors, and strike different poses. They do this to mark their territories, engage in mating rituals, and convey other pieces of important information among each other. Their communication style is sophisticated and complex, proving them to be intelligent specimens. Maybe these mysterious creatures are smarter than we can even comprehend—a spooky thought.

Being a tiny creature, the mantis shrimp packs a number of impressive bodily functions. In fact, they are renowned for their impeccable eyesight. Their eyes are divided into three sections. One is for polarized vision. Another is for color reception, and it has 16 cones. For reference, humans only have 3 cones. These shrimp can see things that we cannot. Their world consists of a variety of other colors that we simply cannot process with our eyes. The third part enhances their depth perception. This function allows them to spot their prey from astounding distances with extreme precision. In union with their deadly punch, their super-sight makes them a dangerous threat and a biological machine.

The giant squid is a species of cephalopod that is known for its monstrous size: around 12-13 meters. It wields the title of the largest invertebrate on Earth. This incredibly large creature serves as an example of abyssal gigantism, the tendency for deep-sea invertebrates to grow much larger than their shallow-water dwelling counterparts. To put it into perspective, if the giant squid were measured from the tips of its tentacles to the top of its head, it would be the same size as about 12 baseball bats lined up (I would need all of them to feel safe around one). The largest giant squid ever discovered measured a whopping 18 meters. In addition to its terrifying body size, it has the largest eyes of any animal on Earth—roughly the size of a soccer ball. It uses them to locate objects in the deep, dark waters—a place where most animals couldn’t see anything. Even through the picture, its enormous eyes pierce straight through your soul.

These beasts are almost never seen by humans because of the depths of waters they occupy: from 1,000 to 2,000 feet. They dwell in the depths of all oceans around the world.  Most research conducted and recorded about these creatures is from dead ones washing up onto shore and their carcasses being found in the stomachs of whales. It is very unlikely you would find one in the wild (thankfully), unless you tried very hard to do so. Although they are rare to find, they are known for being extremely aggressive and territorial; there are several documented accounts of giant squid attacking deep sea divers. They use their eight long and slimy tentacles to grab their prey and pull them down into the water. If you’re especially unlucky, they will pull you towards their beak, which is the hard and sharp opening of its digestive system, used to slice their victim’s flesh into swallowable pieces. It is safe to say you do not want to cross paths with this horrifying brute. Beware of becoming human salami.

When prompted with the name “giant squid,” a popular myth might come to mind. The Kraken is a cephalopod-looking monster originating in Norse mythology. According to the myth, the Kraken haunts the Northern European seas, and it tricks sailors into thinking its massive body is an island to land on (which barely makes sense because why would an island be shiny and red). Once the ship is within the beast’s grasp, it pulls the entire vessel underwater, destroying it entirely. Finally, it brutally slaughters the sailor and the unlucky passengers that happen to be on it. There are reported sightings of the Kraken dating back to the 1700s. It is now known that this mythological creature was based on the sightings of giant squid. Surprisingly, Greek and Roman naturalists already knew about existence of the giant squid; Aristotle even wrote about it in his works. However, the extreme rarity of this mystic animal sparked the mythos to be written about it. Similar massive, squid-like beasts are featured in Japanese and Chinese mythology, showing how one elusive creature was able to produce so much wonder.

The frilled shark is a peculiar looking shark that grows up to nearly seven feet long. Its loose, ribbon-like gills near its throat give the specimen its name. It is sometimes referred to as a “living fossil” because of its prehistoric qualities, like its fin placement, color, and impressive length. These creatures have been lurking our oceans for approximately 80 million years, and they have barely evolved during their time here on Earth.

Despite their terrifying appearance and enormous size, frilled sharks are not known to show aggression towards humans. No matter how friendly, I would not touch this beast with a 10-foot pole. Regardless, they live in extremely deep waters, usually ranging from 500-1000m deep in the ocean. It is extremely unlikely you will come across one of these. In fact, only two known species of this shark have ever been discovered. They were first discovered in Japan in 1884, and the only other species was discovered in 2009. It is safe to say that if you do not want to cross paths with these creatures, it is an easy task to do so.

Despite all of their other horrifying qualities, their mouths arguably take the cake. Frilled sharks have 300 teeth in total, arranged into 25 rows of trident-shaped points. The shape of their teeth ensures that their pray cannot escape once they have shut their jaws on their victim. Additionally, lining its mouth, frilled sharks have spines, called dermal denticles. Whether this creature is docile to humans or not, the sight of their maw is enough to make you stay far away.

Frilled sharks are located all over the world. However, they thrive in water 500-1000m deep in the ocean, so it is highly unlikely to come across one. However, there are a few documented cases of these critters making their way to the surface. In 2007, a Japanese fisherman discovered a frilled shark in Awashima Marine Park. It is speculated that the shark was sick or weak because of how unusual it is to see one in shallow waters. The shark unfortunately died only a few hours after it was caught. Additionally, the way this creature moves and swims renders it even more ominous and creepy. Because of their bodily make-up, they are naturally buoyant, and they tend to hover in the water. They move similarly to that of an eel or a snake, even striking their prey like one. They strike at their prey by quickly propelling themselves toward the victim, unhinging their jaw, and immediately trapping it with their pronged teeth.

Although creepy, these fascinating serpents act as an artifact of ancient sea creatures. Their primitive build is reflective of extinct sea creatures that lurked under the waves millions of years ago along with them. Their distinct look is due to their lack of evolution since when they appeared in the Late Cretaceous period. Although these creatures are rare to find, they are not endangered, most likely because they live too deep in the ocean for humans to go. These shocking animals not only serve as a glimpse into the past, but as a reminder of how strange and terrifying-looking some creatures on Earth are.

Hello everyone! I will be sharing some bizarre and shocking creatures that live in our oceans.