25 Amazing and Bizarre Deep Sea Creatures

Flounder (Paralichthys)

These fish range in total length about from 34cm to approx. 55cm. These fish are laterally flattened bottom dwellers with both eyes on one side. They have distinct coloration such as spots, irregular blotches and rings on one side of their body with the other being pale.

Loose-Jawed fish (Aristostomias grimaldii)

This 5 inch (13 cm) fish is found in the Atlantic Ocean and the Caribbean Sea. It has large, sharp teeth.

Tulip-shaped Glass Sponge

Tulip-shaped glass sponge grows to about 16 in (40 cm) high and is raised off the seafloor by long stalks of twisted silica. The silica “skeletons” are just like fiberglass.

Venus Flower Basket (Euplectella aspergillum)

Venus flower basket is a type of glass sponge. The Venus’ Flower Basket is the only Hexactenellida in the phylum Porifera to be used in hobbyists’ aquariums.

Halosaur (Halosauropsis macrochir)

The Halosaur is another type of bottom-dwelling fish. It is about 6 ft 6 in (2 m) long, with a sharply pointed snout and a tapering body. The halosaur is thought to use its snout to dislodge invertebrates from the seabed. It also eats deep-sea squid.

Gulper Eel (Eurypharynx pelecanoides)

The gulper eel has huge, pouch-like jaws. These can open wide enough, and its stomach stretch far enough, for it to swallow fish much bigger than itself. The gulper eel can unhinge its jaws, opening its cavernous mouth even wider. This fish grows to a length of 2 ft (60 cm). It is found at depths below 6,500 ft (1,998 m).

Deep-sea Anglerfish (Lasiognathus sacestoma)

The deep-sea angler fish has a long fishing-rod fin hanging down over its mouth, with a blob of light at the end. Small fish mistake the light for food and swim straight toward it – right into the angler fish huge, wide-open mouth.

Female Deep-sea Anglerfish and Attached Male (Linophryne orgyresca)

The tiny parasitic male of this angler species attaches itself permanently to its mate’s abdomen. The female reaches a length of about 3 inches (8 cm).

Current Crustacean – Squat Lobster (Munidopsis tridentatus)

Squat lobster is a vent crustacean that is completely blind, with no eyes in its eye sockets. It scavenges for scraps of food in the currents stirred up by gushing hot vent water.

Orange Sea Pen (Ptilosarcus gurneyi)

Sea pens are soft corals to stony, reef-building corals. They are named after old-fashioned quill pens. Sea pens can reach a height of 5 ft (1.5 m).

Underwater Dandelion (siphonophore)

Scientists discovered at the vent sites an odd creature called siphonophore. It looks like a dandelion, but is in fact related to the jellyfish. It hangs just above the seabed, held in place by fine, thread-like tentacles.

Flying Gurnard (Dactylopterus volitans)

The flying gurnard is a marine fish notable for their large pectoral fins. They have also been observed to “walk” along sandy sea floors while looking for crustaceans and other small invertebrates by using their pelvic fins.

Clownfish (Amphiprion)

Clownfish live among the tentacles of sea anemones. A mucus coating protects the fish from tentacles’ sting.

For more amazing marine creatures see

World’s Most Brightly Colored Fishes

Spirobranchus Giganteus: Seabed’s Delightful Sites in Connection with Christmas

10 Amazing Sea Creatures

Giant Creatures of the Deep-Sea

Beauty and the Beast: 20 Most Venomous Fishes in the World

Amazing Flying Sea Creatures

Waterworld Creatures With Wings

Aquatic Animals with the Most Prominent and Longest Snouts