The deep sea is the final frontier of human exploration. Though we have, as a race, traveled all over the world and explored just about every piece of land we can, there are many deep sea creatures we still know nothing about. Not only do we know little about them, but many appear to be terrifying. Here are 10 deep sea creatures that are either straight out of your nightmares or will be sure to show up in them soon.
Number Ten: Goblin Shark. The goblin shark is known as a living fossil, because it represents a lineage that dates back 125 million years. It can grow up to four meters in length and lives in waters deeper than 100 meters.
Number Nine: Zombie Worms. Also known as bone worms or bone-eating worms, these zombie worms are called such because they dig into whale carcasses when they hit the ocean floor. Being as such, these worms inhabit only the deepest of waters.
Number Eight: Sloane’s Viperfish. This bizarre looking creature is a type of dragonfish and is found in tropical waters. Sloane’s viperfish holds the record for largest teeth relative to head size in a fish.
Number Seven: Anglerfish. The anglerfish is one of the more popular bizarre deep sea creatures – likely because of its terrifying yet whimsical appearance. The bioluminescent bulb attached to its head is used to lure unsuspecting prey so the anglerfish can easily strike.
Number Six: Fangtooth. The fangtooth, which is aptly named, lives in both tropical and cold-temperate climates. Despite their intimidating name, fangtooth fish are not very big and are absolutely no threat to humans.
Number Five: Basking Shark. The basking shark is second only to the whale shark in fish size. Though it looks quite scary, the basking shark feeds on a diet of plankton – its mouth is large to collect as much plankton as possible.
Number Four: Blobfish. Interestingly, the blobfish appears different in the water than it does outside of it. One of the ugliest creatures that exists, the blobfish lives between 600 and 1,200 meters below the sea, and it lacks the musculature necessary to maintain its structure outside of the water.
Number Three: Giant Isopod. Like something out of a horror film, the giant isopod is exactly that: a giant isopod. Giant isopods like cold, dark environments, and they are, unsurprisingly, the largest isopods in the world (that we know of).
Number Two: Stonefish. Look at that mean mug! The stonefish is called so because it is able to blend in seamlessly with stone on the ocean floor. But be careful if you see one – stonefish are extremely poisonous to humans.
Number One: Hatchetfish. Finally, the most bizarre deep sea creature is the hatchetfish, which appear to have the ability to suck your soul out from your body (not scientifically proven, of course). Hatchetfish are quite small, and they are also bioluminescent. Just be thankful you don’t have to live in the abyss with these guys lurking around.
