It’s amazing how complex animals can be, especially creatures of the deep. How can they survive under such pressure or even in extreme temperatures? Some of the creatures are absolutely beautiful and some are right out of a horror movie. Most of what we know about the creatures of the deep have only been discovered within the last few decades. Who knows what else lurks in the mysterious deep of the waters. I’d like to specially thank Chan Lee Peng for the inspiration behind this article. For more information on bizarre animals of the deep, please visit his article Odd Looking Marine Animals (You Never Knew Existed) on www.darkroastedblend.com.

Pompeii Worm

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Named after the ruined Roman city Pompeii after its destruction from the eruption of Mount Vesuvius, this amazing worm is able to survive temperatures of up to 176 degrees Fahrenheit. They are found only by hydrothermal vents (fissures where heated water gushes out of). The worms can grow to be 5 inches long. They are “hairy” in nature, but the hair is actually colonies of bacteria. The bacteria acts as insulation. Scientists theorize that the bacteria could help the worms survive the extreme heat of the vents. The bacteria contain proteins, which provides protection. Not much is known since these worms are unable to survive decompression.

Pacific Bobtail Squid

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The squid is a type of cuttlefish (a type of mollusk). Cuttlefish are actually not fish. They belong to the family of squid, octopus, and nautiluses. The cuttlefish have an internal shell, or cuttlebone (a gas-filled shell used for buoyancy). The bobtail occurs off New Zealand, and in the Nazca and Sala y Gomez. The mantle doesn’t grow to be more than 1.5 inches. Their head and eyes are relatively large, while their arms are short.

Deepsea Lizardfish

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They can be found at depths of 1600 to 11,000 feet. They are found in tropical and subtropical seas. It has a broad flattened head with a large broad mouth. The lower jaw juts out further than the top. Their jaws are covered with harpoon like teeth that are used to catch their prey. Even their tongues have teeth on them. They are known as ambush predator, waiting ever so patiently on the sea floor. When their prey comes swimming by, unbeknownst to them, the lizardfish grasps them with their jaws of death.

The Stoplight Loosejaw

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This fish is an elongated compressed fish. The jaws are longer than it’s skull. It has a coma-shaped photophore (a circular light-producing organ) under the eye, and one behind the eye. The photophores use red bioluminescence. This is advantageous for the fish since most creatures of the deep are unable to see red. Its lower mandibles can shoot forward to catch prey, dragging it back to its oral cavity where it can be consumed. It can live from the deep at 3200-13,000 feet. It can also live in open water from 667-3200 feet.

Deep-Sea Giant Spider

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They can grow to be a foot across. They feed on hydroids and bryzoans (coral-like animals), sucking up their contents with huge-like proboscis. They are more abundant in the Antartic than anywhere else in the world. Cold temperatures and few predators attributes to their large growth. Their legs contain all their vital organs.