Buzz
When people envision Antarctica, they often picture majestic icebergs, towering glaciers, and an endless blanket of snow. The thought of life in Antarctica likely conjures up images of penguins, seals, skuas, and the krill that thrive in the Southern Ocean.
Yet, Antarctica is home to even more astonishing creatures. Over the years, scientists have made numerous fascinating discoveries, gradually unlocking the secrets of this land teeming with unique wildlife.
10. Antarctic Feather Star
The Antarctic feather star (also known as Promachocrinus kerguelensis) belongs to the Crinoid family. These fascinating creatures reside on the ocean floor near the Antarctic coast. They are particularly adapted to cold waters, but their distinctive features go beyond just that, setting them apart from other feather stars.
Promachocrinus kerguelensis seems more delicate and feathery than it actually is. The animal's 20 arms act as filters, capturing food from the water, and they also help it swim when it needs to relocate. The feather star moves through the water with impressive grace, showing excellent coordination while gliding.
9. The Comb Jelly
Comb jellies (or ctenophores) are soft, translucent organisms that use eight rows of cilia to propel themselves through the Antarctic waters. They are the largest animals known to use this swimming method. These creatures come in various shapes and sizes, with some appearing bell-shaped, while others are round and spherical.
When light hits their paddles, comb jellies radiate various colors, giving them a striking and distinctive appearance. They are also bioluminescent, emitting a soft blue-green glow. These creatures typically inhabit the ocean's surface, where the water is more acidic and warmer due to elevated carbon dioxide levels, and they thrive in these conditions.
Similar to jellyfish, ctenophores are predators. However, rather than using stinging cells, comb jellies rely on sticky secretions to ensnare their prey. A word of advice: Don't be tempted to handle them, no matter how intriguing they may appear. You might regret it.
8. The Hoff Crab
The Hoff crab, a hairy creature residing on the seafloor, earned its name because it resembles David Hasselhoff’s famously hairy chest. It's amusing to imagine what Hasselhoff (the 'Hoff') thought about this comparison. Reportedly, he was flattered that such a creature had been named in honor of his chest hair. The crab was later assigned the scientific name Kiwa tyleri.
This species was discovered on the East Scotia Ridge in the Southern Ocean, where the water temperature is around 0 degrees Celsius (32 °F). This cold is too harsh for the crab, so it seeks refuge around hydrothermal vents on the ocean floor, where the volcanic rock formations help to warm the surrounding area.
The Hoff crab's distinctive, hairy appearance is due to the bacteria that cover its body. It uses its comb-like mouthparts to scrape the bacteria off and consume them, making them its primary source of nourishment, whether for breakfast, lunch, or dinner.
7. The Sea Spider
If you're an arachnophobe, you might want to skip this part. The giant sea spider, which inhabits the cold Antarctic waters, might be your worst nightmare. However, despite its name and appearance, it is not truly a spider, but rather a marine arthropod.
These creatures can reach sizes up to 35 centimeters (14 inches) in diameter. While the reason for the giant size of sea spiders remains unclear, this phenomenon is known as “polar gigantism.” In colder regions, many species have adapted to grow significantly larger than their relatives in warmer climates.
One hypothesis suggests that these sea spiders are so large because the freezing temperatures in their habitat slow their metabolism to the point where they require very little oxygen to survive. With an excess of oxygen available in the environment, scientists believe this allowed the sea spiders to evolve into larger creatures over time.
Giant sea spiders can also be found in the Arctic waters.
6. Antarcturus sp.
A little-known species, Antarcturus sp. dwells deep in the Antarctic waters. In fact, the Southern Ocean is teeming with these creatures. They are isopods, a type of crustacean, and belong to the Antarcturidae family.
The creature's limbs act as a defense mechanism, offering protection from potential predators. Antarcturus sp. resides on sponges and coral branches. When it’s time to feed, it simply extends its long frontal appendages to capture planktonic prey.
5. The Scale Worm
Other creatures inhabiting Antarctica’s waters may also give you a fright—such as the strange marine worm called the Antarctic scale worm, found on the Southern Ocean’s seafloor. It’s quite an unsettling sight.
The Antarctic scale worm (also known as Eulagisca gigantea) measures about 20 centimeters (8 inches) long and 10 centimeters (4 inches) wide. These flat, short worms belong to the Polynoidae family. Their bodies are covered in scales known as elytra.
Oddly enough, what appears to be the worm's head is actually a retractable mouthpart, which can be turned inside out and tucked back into its body. When the worm is ready to feed, it simply extends its long proboscis and tears its prey apart.
4. The Sandhopper
The sandhopper is an amphipod, a type of crustacean. While they reside in the cold Antarctic waters, they are also land-dwelling creatures. Like many other species in the polar regions, they are notably large. The sandhopper gets its name from its impressive ability to leap long distances when disturbed. It jumps by first curling its tail and then snapping it outward.
However, they are far less unsettling than some of the other inhabitants of this region. If you’re a fan of seafood like lobster, crab, and shrimp, there’s no reason for the sandhoppers to frighten you. All these creatures share a common ancestry.
3. Glass Sponges
Antarctic glass sponges may not resemble the usual cleaning sponges, nor are they made from glass. Their skeletons are actually composed of silica, a key ingredient in glass.
These sponges feed on organic debris and aren’t particularly selective about their diet. They consume whatever the ocean offers. It was once thought that these glass sponges didn’t grow at all, but marine biologists debunked this myth in 2013, revealing that these creatures do indeed grow rapidly.
In fact, the decline of ice shelves has triggered a rapid increase in the population of glass sponges. This shift has impacted both the continent and the Southern Ocean. Scientists are now focused on uncovering the cause of this phenomenon for two primary reasons: to enhance our understanding of sponge ecology and because these marine creatures could potentially store carbon.
This provides a significant motivation for scientists to investigate the accelerated growth of glass sponges. Unraveling this mystery could also help researchers better understand some of the factors contributing to climate change, a critical topic that we all need to explore.
2. The Springtail
Springtails represent another captivating species in Antarctica. These hexapods resemble insects and have earned the nickname 'the elephants of Antarctica' due to being the largest exclusively terrestrial creatures in the region. They usually measure under 1 millimeter (0.04 in) in length. (While penguins are larger and live on land, they are semi-aquatic.)
Unlike insects, springtails possess internal mouthparts, yet they resemble earwigs in appearance. Their diet primarily consists of fungus and bacteria.
Springtails have short life spans, typically living only one to two years. However, Antarctic springtails outlive those in more temperate climates. These resilient creatures are found only in regions without glaciers, including Victoria Land and the Antarctic Peninsula.
Their ability to endure such an unforgiving environment comes from their capacity to slow their metabolism to save energy. They also produce glycerol, which lowers their freezing point. Still, if the conditions become too extreme, they won't survive. Their remarkable survival mechanisms have their limits.
1. The Sea Pig
Sea pigs, also known as sea cucumbers, measure around 10–15 centimeters (4–6 inches) in length. They are commonly found off the coast of Antarctica and gather in large groups. However, they're rarely seen, as they reside in the deep waters of the Southern Ocean.
Sea pigs play a crucial role in their ecosystem. Much like earthworms on land, they help to consume scum, mud, and decaying plant matter on the ocean floor. Their mating habits remain a mystery, and their lifespan is yet to be determined.
Just to clarify, despite their name, sea pigs don’t resemble bacon in taste. In fact, they’re full of toxins.
