Buzz
The deep sea is the lowest layer of the ocean, at a depth of 1800m or more. Little or no light penetrates so deep; it was therefore thought historically that no life would be found there. But on the contrary, sea life thrives in the deep sea. Almost miraculously, we are finding interesting, bizarre, never-before-seen life on every dive – so here are ten recently discovered deep sea creatures.
10. Polychaete Worm
This worm was trawled from the sea floor (3,900 feet/1,200 metres) off the northern coast of New Zealand this year. Yes, it may be pink; and yes, it may reflect rainbows – but polychaete worms can be ferocious predators. The “tentacles” on its head are sensory organs designed to detect prey. This one can turn its pharynx inside out in a sudden grab for smaller creatures – think Alien. Thankfully, these types of worms rarely grow longer than 10cm. They also tend to stay well out of our way, often found near hydrothermal vents on the ocean floor.
9. Squat Lobster
Looking rather unnervingly like a headcrab, these unique lobsters were found on the same dive that discovered the polychaete worm, but a little deeper, at around 4,600 feet/1,400 metres. Although the squat lobster was already known to science, this particular species had never before been seen. Squat lobsters live as deep as 5,000 metres, and are distinguished by their large front claws and compressed bodies. They can be detritus-feeders, algal grazers, scavengers or predators. Not much is known about this particular species, except that it was almost exclusively found near deep-sea corals.
8. Carnivorous Coral
Corals primarily get their nutrients from photosynthetic algae living within their tissues, which means they typically reside within 200ft/60m of the ocean surface. However, the harp sponge defies this norm. Discovered off California's coast in 2000, it wasn't until this year that it was confirmed to be carnivorous. Its structure resembles a candelabra, designed to maximize surface area. The sponge uses small Velcro-like hooks to capture tiny crustaceans, then envelopes them with a membrane, slowly digesting them with chemicals. To top it off, it reproduces through ‘sperm packets’—those round clusters on the tops of its branches. Every so often, these packets float off to find another sponge to fertilize.
7. Tonguefish
This striking creature is a tonguefish, typically found in shallow estuaries or tropical oceans. But this particular species lives deep beneath the surface, trawled from the western Pacific earlier this year. Interestingly, some tonguefish have been observed near sulfur-spewing hydrothermal vents, although scientists are still unsure how this species survives in such extreme conditions. As is typical for bottom-dwelling tonguefish, both of its eyes are located on one side of its head. What's even more peculiar is that these eyes resemble googly eyes, straight out of a golliwog.
6. Goblin Shark
The goblin shark is one of the ocean’s most bizarre creatures. First discovered off eastern Australia in 1985, it gained more attention in 2003 when over a hundred were caught off northeastern Taiwan (reportedly following an earthquake). Despite these occasional sightings, very little is known about this mysterious species. A slow-moving, deep-sea shark, it can grow to over 3.8 meters long (with the largest on record being even bigger!). Like other sharks, it can detect prey using electro-sensitive organs and has multiple rows of teeth—some designed for grabbing prey, while others are made for crushing the hard shells of crustaceans.
If you're curious about how this shark captures its prey, you can check out this video. Just try to picture a nearly 4-meter-long shark with those terrifying jaws coming right at you! Thankfully, they usually live deep enough that we don’t have to worry about that.
5. Flabby Whalefish
The vividly colored creature shown above (though those colors are somewhat pointless when living in total darkness) belongs to the rather awkwardly named 'flabby whalefish' species. This particular specimen was pulled from a depth of over 2 kilometers (1.3 miles) off the east coast of New Zealand. Deep in those dark waters, they weren’t expecting to find many fish, and indeed, the flabby whalefish seems to prefer solitude. This species has been discovered as deep as 3,500 meters, has tiny, almost useless eyes in the pitch-black depths, and relies instead on an exceptionally developed lateral line to sense vibrations in the water. Additionally, the fish lacks ribs, which may explain why its body appears so 'flabby.'
4. Dumbo Octopus
First documented in 1999 and filmed in 2009, this charming creature (for an octopus, at least) can live as deep as 7,000 meters below the ocean's surface, making it the deepest-dwelling octopus species known. Named for the ear-like flaps on either side of its bell-shaped head, the dumbo octopus belongs to a group of animals that may include up to 37 species, all of which live in complete darkness. These octopuses hover above the ocean floor using a type of siphon propulsion and feed on snails, bivalves, crustaceans, and copepods that inhabit the deep sea.
3. Colossal Squid
The colossal squid truly lives up to its name, reaching lengths of 12-14 meters (39-46 feet)—roughly the size of a bus. It was first ‘discovered’ in 1925, although only its tentacles were found, inside a sperm whale's stomach. The first complete specimen was located near the surface in 2003. In 2007, the largest known specimen (10m) was captured in the Antarctic waters of the Ross Sea and is now displayed in New Zealand’s national museum. It's believed that the colossal squid is a slow-moving ambush predator, attracting large fish and other squid with bioluminescence before striking. Alarmingly, sperm whales have been found with scars that seem to have been made by the squid's swiveling hooks on its tentacles.
2. Eastern Pacific Black Ghost Shark
Discovered deep off California's coast in 2009, this enigmatic shark belongs to the chimaera group—possibly the oldest surviving group of fish. Some scientists believe these creatures diverged from sharks around 400 million years ago and have managed to survive by dwelling in the extreme depths. This particular ghost shark ‘flies’ through the water using its fins, and the male possesses a retractable, spiky, club-like sexual organ protruding from its forehead. While it might serve to stimulate or draw the female closer, scientists are still uncertain about the exact function of this odd feature.
1. Vampire Squid
The vampire squid (Vampyroteuthis infernalis, literally: vampire squid from Hell) is surprisingly more beautiful than terrifying. This squid doesn’t inhabit the same depths as the top entry on this list, but at 600-900 meters, it’s still considered quite deep for a squid. While its upper range still gets some sunlight, the vampire squid has evolved to have the largest eyes of any animal, proportionally, to capture as much light as possible. What truly sets it apart, however, are its defense mechanisms. Living in these dark waters, it can release bioluminescent 'ink' to dazzle and confuse predators while it escapes. Check out this fascinating video where a vampire squid turns itself ‘inside out’ to evade danger: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IWAnliNc6wk. This strategy works best when the surrounding sea isn't lit up. Typically, it can emit a bluish glow that helps with camouflage when seen from below, but when threatened, it flips itself to show its black underside... and vanishes.
+ Cascade Creature
What was once thought to be a strange, new species of deep-sea jellyfish—or perhaps even a floating whale placenta or a piece of trash? Until recently, nobody knew. Speculation ran wild after this mysterious creature went viral on YouTube. However, marine biologists have since confirmed it as a type of jellyfish known as Deepstaria enigmatica.
