X
    Categories: Facts

10 Weirdest Sea Creatures That Live in Our Oceans

© wayne smith – Flickr

The ocean is full of all sorts of mysterious creatures and natural wonders. And despite the fact that the oceans take up about 70 percent of our planet, we have only explored about 5 percent of them.

That means that there are tons of things down there in the depths of the seas that we don’t even know exist.

This is especially spooky when you think about the creepy and weird sea creatures we have observed so far.

Let’s take a look at some of the weirdest sea creatures you won’t believe really exist in our oceans!

© JOEL SAGET – Getty Images

Leafy Seadragon

The leafy seadragon looks like, well, almost like a leaf. This creature, closely related to seahorses, is found in the south and east Australian waters. According to National Geographic, they are some of the “most ornately camouflaged creatures on the planet.” They are covered in leaf-shaped appendages that allow them to blend in perfectly with seaweed and kelp to stay safe.

© Seang Y Teng – Flickr

Dumbo Octopus

This photo might look like a cute cartoon character in a video game, but it’s a real life creature.

This is the dumbo octopus, a rare octopus found in the depths of the deep ocean.

According to Oceana, they move very slowly by flapping their ears, which are like fins. They are so deep that they are rarely captured or seen.

© Guillaume – Flickr

Yeti Crab

This sort of looks like a nightmare version of a stuffed animal mixed with a lobster, which seems fake, but it’s real. Officially known as the kiwa hirsuta, or the yeti crab, this is a hairy crab with no eyes.

It was discovered in 2005 near Easter Island as a totally new species, and got is name after Kiwa, the mythological Polynesian goddess of shellfish.

(c) Reef Nation

Viperfish

According to SeaSky, the viperfish is one of the most unusual-looking fish out there. Viperfish have a very large mouth with sharp teeth that are like fangs (imagine swimming into that!).

Their teeth are actually so big that they don’t even fit inside their mouths, and are used to impale victims.

The viperfish has a long spine with a photophore at the end, which is an organ that looks like a light. They use this to lure victims close to them before killing them with their fangs.

(c) kids.nationalgeographic.com

Goblin Shark

According to National Geographic, goblin sharks live at the bottom of the ocean along continental shelves, along the coast of Japan (they were named after mythical goblins in Japanese folklore).

Goblin sharks are very rare and mysterious. Since they’re pretty slow, they have another way to grab their victims: their huge mouths can actually extend out really far to grab victims that are getting away from them.

© Dan Kitwood – Getty Images

Fangtooth

Another super creepy fish is the fangtooth, which is also found in the deep, depp waters of the oceans.

The fangtooth has, you guessed it, lots of sharp fangs. They’re so big that they are actually the largest teeth of any fish in the ocean in proportion to body size, according to SeaSky.

© Auscape – Getty Images

Anglerfish

Anglerfish just look mean. There are more than 200 species of them, and they live in the depths of the Atlantic and Antarctic oceans, although they can also be found in shallow, tropical environments sometimes.

They have giant heads and huge mouths filled with sharp, translucent teeth, but their most notable feature is the piece of their spine that hangs over their mouths like a fishing pole. It lights up to lure in its victims.

© Prisma Bildagentur – Getty Images

Red-Lipped Batfish

This strange looking fish is found in the Galapagos, and lives on the sandy bottom of the reefs or the ocean floor. They have bright red, almost fluorescent lips that resemble lipstick. Even weirder? Their fins are basically used as legs.

© andyaj58 AJ – Flickr

Vampire Squid

Just the name of the vampire squid sounds weird and spooky. This squid will invert its cape when it’s disturbed, showing off its large spine to make it look terrifying.

But actually, according to Oceana, it’s pretty harmless and is not predatory. Vampire squids feed on plant and animal matter in the ocean and do not even expel black ink.

© Secret Sea Visions – Getty Images

Warty Frogfish

This might look like a blob of coral, but it’s actually a warty frogfish, which can also go by many other names (like clown frogfish). They hang among the corals and sponges, and easily camouflage into them with the color and pattern of their bodies.

They feed on small dish and lure in prey with a stalk between their eyes. The creepiest thing is that the mouths can extend as big as their bodies.

C.C.:
Related Post