World’s most mysterious sea creatures – including ‘ugliest animal’

Around 71% of Planet Earth's surface is covered by water, but there are depths of the oceans and seas yet to be explored.

Scientists know so much about what happens on land but, in comparison, very little about what what lives beneath the waves.

From fearsome creatures to giant crabs some of the seas' residents have been leaving marine biologists baffled for decades.

There are countless discoveries yet to be made in the deep blue abyss and some of its animals remain a mystery.

So let’s dive in! Here are some great ocean mysteries that live deep, deep down in the dark.

Japanese spider crab (Macrocheira kaempferi)

The mysterious Japanese spider crab sits about 1,000 feet down below the water surface.

The ominous creature is a massive crab that looks just like a spider (creepy!)

Even though they might look a bit scary, they are really gentle giants that scavenge dead animals and plants.

Spider crabs can live for a long time and some have been known to have lasted a century, or even longer.

Anglerfish (Lophiiformes)

The anglerfish is a bit famous after having a starring role in Disney's 'Finding Nemo.'

Anglerfish are well known for having a type of “fishing rod” at the top of their head that can light up.

The glow in the deep dark waters attracts unsuspecting fish which then get gobbled up by the anglerfish’s huge mouth.

Male anglerfish don’t have this skill since they latch on to the much larger females with their sharp teeth. Over time he fuses with the female and loses all his organs except the reproductive ones.

Unfortunately, this alien-looking fish is endangered because it is seen as a delicacy in certain parts of the world.

Blobfish (Psychrolutes marcidus)

You might have seen this little guy floating about on social media because they were voted the ugliest animal in 2013.

We think that's a bit mean and this little blobfish is actually quite cute.

When the blob is in its natural habitat — 3,000 feet deep — it actually looks pretty normal. It has adapted to the huge amounts of pressure at this depth that holds its shape.

Down there in the dark silent waters, the water pressure is 120 times higher than at the surface.

Greenland shark (Somniosus microcephalus)

The Greenland shark is a massive mystery to us still and very little is known about it.

What we do know is that the are one of the largest shark species growing 20 feet long and weighing up to 2,500 pounds.

We also know that they can come to be very old, with evidence of one shark that lived until it was around 512-years-old.

We also know that some strange things have been found in Greenland sharks’ stomachs, including the remains of polar bears, horses, moose, and in one case an entire reindeer.

Colossal squid (Mesonychoteuthis hamiltoni)

You must have heard of the fearsome giant squid.

They are truly colossal; they measure around 32 feet long (the size of a school bus!) and weight 1100 pounds.

Colossal squids have a beak, a hard structure much like a parrot’s beak that they use to catch fish.

They only have one predator: the sperm whale. When these two meet it is truly a real-life clash of the titans. The squid doesn’t go down without a fight and many sperm whales carry the battle scars from their dinner.

Black swallower (Chiasmodon niger)

It's hard to think that this tiny fish can be fearsome, being only around nine inches long.

But what makes it a scary little creature is the way that it eats its food.

They feed by eating their prey whole, even prey measuring twice their size.

They do this with a massive jaw that they can extend to engulf their target.

When they get too greedy and take on a fish that is too big, the meal sits in the black swallower’s expandable stomach, releasing gases.

This gas floats the black swallower up to the surface, ending in its untimely demise since they are not adapted to the low pressure at the surface.

Goblin shark (Mitsukurina owstoni)

You might think that this shark looks a bit like a dinosaur and you wouldn't be far wrong, because it first swam the oceans 125 million years ago.

And you can probably guess where it got its name from with its creepy head with protruding sharp teeth.

In fact, it has many many teeth: 53 rows at the top and 62 at the bottom. It lives at around 4,300 feet deep but has also been spotted at 130 feet at night.

It feeds by slingshotting its jaw forward.

If we were able to eat like that, we could eat a piece seven feet away from our face. They have a pinkish colour because of their translucent skin.

Giant grenadier (Albatrossia pectoralis)

This spooky creature can reach six feet in length and is know as a rat tail because of it long thin tail.

They have a gaping mouth and light-emitting organs to attract their favourite prey, the vampire squid.

These interesting fish can become pretty old, estimated at around 70 years.

They have been found 6,000 feet below surface level.

More people have been to the moon than have been this far in the deep blue.

For the latest breaking news and stories from across the globe from the Daily Star, sign up for our newsletter by clicking here.

Source: Read Full Article

Previous post Putin humiliated: UK comes to Moldova’s aid with NATO weapons to combat Russia
Next post Sophie Turner Said Joe Jonas 'Gave Me the Ick' When They First Met