It’s no secret that the deep blue sea is home to some of the most unusual and fascinating ocean creatures on our planet. But some of those creatures outstrip the rest in their habits and appearances. From the wolffish to the blobfish, these incredible ocean creatures are sure to stimulate your imagination over what else could be residing in the abyssal depths of the oceans.
Atlantic Wolffish
Why it’s strange: It produces antifreeze to keep its blood moving
The Atlantic Wolffish is a strange-looking ocean creature native to the North Atlantic Ocean. It is also known by other thought-provoking names like devilfish, wolf eel, and seawolf. Unfortunately, their numbers are depleted due to overfishing and incidental bycatch in which un-targeted marine life is swept up into nets.
One of the most peculiar attributes of these predators is the natural antifreeze their bodies produce to keep their blood moving in frigid waters.
Warty Frogfish
Why it’s strange: Its body is covered in wart-like growths
The Warty Frogfish is also known as the Clown Frogfish. Its white, globular body is decorated with a distinct orange-red pattern giving it a striking appearance. Its skin is covered in spinules as well as numerous wart-like growths.
It is part of the Antennariide family and has the ability to change color and pattern in different environments. They are usually somewhere between white and black, but there are many examples of the fish becoming yellow, red, brown, and pink.
Gulper Eel
Why it’s strange: They have stretchy skin and can inflate their bodies like a balloon
The Gulper Eel is also known as the Pelican Eel or the Umbrella-Mouth Gulper. They live at incredible ocean depths in the mesopelagic zone and are rarely seen alive by humans. When removed from their environment, the lack of pressure distorts their bodies. This makes it hard to accurately describe the features of this strange ocean creature.
Despite this, it’s clear they have large, loosely hinged mouths that are around a quarter of their entire body length. It has very small eyes, especially compared to other deep-sea ocean creatures. It also has a long, thin tail that’s often compared to a whip.
Sloan’s Viperfish
Why it’s strange: It has a protrusible jaw and photophores along the sides of its body
The Sloane’s Viperfish is a deep-sea fish with a truly frightening appearance. It has long, needle-like sharp teeth and a lower jaw that can extend outwards to capture prey. This strange ocean creature lives in the deep ocean, inhabiting both temperate and tropical waters.
Sloan’s Viperfish have light-producing organs called photophores along their sides, bellies and on their dorsal fin. These flash on and off to lure unsuspecting prey. This hunting strategy is similar to that of the anglerfish. Viperfish can be green, black, or silver and may live for up to 40 years.
Red Handfish
Why it’s strange: Its pectoral fins resemble hands
The Red Handfish is a remarkably unusual member of the genus Thymichthys. It is found in Frederick Henry Bay in Tasmania. It has small wart-like growths that cover its pinkish-red body. Its peculiar pectoral fins resemble hands which it it uses to walk across the seafloor.
These strange ocean creatures are now confined to a small region in two reefs in Tasmania. Unfortunately due to numerous threats including habitat degradation, illegal aquarium trade, and competition with sea urchins, the IUCN has listed them as Critically Endangered.
The Blobfish (Blob Sculpin)
Why it’s strange: They don’t have any bones or muscles
Found off the coasts of Australia and New Zealand, the Blobfish is uniquely adapted to survive in the high-pressure environment of the deep sea. Its gelatinous body, lacking a swim bladder, allows it to conserve energy by hovering effortlessly above the seafloor.
What many people don’t realize is that the Blobfish’s infamous “blobby” look is actually a result of decompression. When brought above the ocean surface, the lack of pressure causes its body to expand and distort, giving it that characteristic frown. In its natural habitat, the Blobfish looks more like a typical fish.
Yeti Crab
Why it’s strange: They are covered in tiny hair-like “setae”
The Yeti Crab is aptly named for its hairy claws and body. These deep-sea creatures are found near hydrothermal vents near the ocean floor. These vents, essentially underwater geysers, provide the Yeti Crab with its primary food source: bacteria.
The Yeti Crab waves its hairy claws in the vent’s warm water, cultivating bacteria that it then “farms” for sustenance. This unusual feeding strategy, combined with its distinctive appearance and tendency to huddle in dense clusters around the vents makes the Yeti Crab a truly unusual ocean creature.
Sea Pen
Why it’s strange: They are comprised of numerous colonies of tiny polyps each with different functions
Sea Pens are strange ocean creatures named for their resemblance to old-fashioned quill pens. They are not individual animals, but colonies of tiny polyps working together for survival. Each Sea Pen has a stalk anchored in the seafloor and branches that extend upwards.
The polyps on the branches have different roles: some catch plankton for food, while others help with reproduction or water circulation. Sea Pens can even retract into the sand when disturbed. Although they come in various shapes and colors, they are all made up of these cooperative polyps.
Barreleye Fish
Why it’s strange: It has tubular eyes for detecting the faintest glimmers of light
The Barreleye Fish has unique upward-pointing, barrel-shaped eyes and a transparent head. In the deep, dark environment, where light is scarce, the Barreleye has evolved extraordinary adaptations to maximize its vision. They are found at great depths in the Bering Sea and North Pacific Ocean.
Its tubular eyes are perfectly suited for detecting the faintest glimmers of light filtering down from above. This allows it to spot potential prey silhouetted against the dim background. The transparent head, a rare feature in the animal kingdom, may further enhance its light-gathering abilities.
Dumbo Octopus
Why it’s strange: It is the deepest known living octopus in the world
The Dumbo octopus is also known as the Grimpotheuthis octopus. The name originates from the creature’s resemblance to the character Dumbo from the 1941 Disney film of the same name. The Dumbo octopus was first discovered around 1883, but the first specimen was not seen until the 1990s after the first deep-sea submersible vessels were invented.
The octopus’s gelatinous body is uniquely suited to the crushing pressure of the deep sea. They live close to the seafloor at extreme depths of 9,800 to 13,000 feet. This pressure is essential for its survival, and a sudden change in depth could prove fatal.
Ocean Insights: Hear From Our Experts
By Dr. Rabiah Ryklief
Principal Scientist and Lecturer of Marine Science, with a PhD in Zoology
The deep sea is an environment unlike any other on Earth. The lack of light, immense pressure, and scarce food resources have driven the evolution of unique adaptations in its inhabitants. Many creatures are transparent to avoid detection by predators, while others utilize bioluminescence for communication and hunting in the darkness. Huge eyes are common, allowing creatures to capture any available light, but some species have abandoned sight altogether, relying on other senses to navigate their environment. These adaptations, while appearing strange to us, are simply efficient solutions to the challenges of deep-sea life.
FAQ
What do Giant Isopods eat?
They mostly scavenge, which means they eat dead animals that sink to the ocean floor, like fish, crabs, and even whale carcasses. But they’re not just scavengers. They can also hunt live prey, such as shrimp and squid, making them opportunistic feeders.
How rare is a Sea Pig?
Despite their unusual name and appearance, sea pigs aren’t actually rare at all! In fact, they’re one of the most common creatures found in the deep sea, especially in places like Monterey Bay.
Does anything eat Vampire Squid?
While the low-oxygen environment of the deep sea offers some protection, it can still fall prey to sharks, whales, sea lions, and other cephalopods.
