From giant squids to frilled sharks, the world beneath the surface of oceans and seas are filled with extraordinary creatures that appear to be too strange to be real. In fact, some of these mysterious animals are so bizarre that it can be hard to believe that they actually exist. Nonetheless, with each new discovery of amazing sea creatures and a better understanding of the ocean depths, more and more baffling species of the sea are being identified. Below are examples of five of the most bizarre sea creatures that can be found on Earth.
Vampire Squid
The vampire squid is a cephalopod that lives in the depths of the ocean. This strange creature, whose scientific name is Vampyroteuthis infernalis, has a sprawling black body with two large eyes that look like they were taken right out a horror movie. Their eight arms are dotted with tiny, spiny scales and are tipped with two, distinctive clusters of hairs. Although Vampire Squid have light-producing organs, the light these mythical sea creatures produce is quite dull compared to those produced by most squid.
Deep-Sea Anglerfish
The deep-sea anglerfish is one of the creepiest-looking and most unusual deep-sea creatures on Earth. It’s quite an astonishing sight when seen in real life. This creature lives in deep parts of the ocean, up to a mile below the surface. It grows to be approximately five inches long and has a set of huge, sharp teeth, an incredibly large mouth, and a strange, spiny appendage on top of its head. This appendage that looks like a fishing pole holds a small, fleshy light-emitting organ which attracts prey to the anglerfish.
Giant Isopod
Giant Isopods are among the strangest sea creatures on the planet. These animals, the largest of which can grow to the size of a basketball, are actually distant relatives of the pill bug and are among nature’s most bizarre creatures. These giant creatures live in the deep waters of the ocean, where they feast on dead corpses or scavenge for leftovers from other aquatic creatures. They have a distinctive, segmented body covered in a hard shell and posses large, strong claws which they use to protect themselves and capture their prey.
Goblin Shark
The Goblin Shark is another creature that belongs to the strange species in the deep sea. With its bulbous head, long, flattened snout and strange pinkish-gray skin, it looks like something straight out of a science fiction movie. These animals inhabit the deepest parts of the ocean and are rarely seen by humans, making them one of the most mysterious deep-sea creatures. Goblin sharks have two rows of sharp, barbed teeth and a long tail that helps them move through the depths of the ocean.
Frilled Shark
The frilled shark has long been known as one of the strangest creatures living in the deep sea. It’s an eel-like fish that belongs to the family of sharks, but it looks more like an ancient reptile than an actual fish. It has a long, thin body that’s covered with a series of gills that look like frilly ruffles. The frilled shark has an exceedingly long and protractile jaw that’s filled with hundreds of needle-like teeth. It is one of the few living species of shark that produces eggs, which are encased in a thin, tough membrane and a tough outer shell.
The depths of the world’s oceans are home to a wide variety of unusual and bizarre sea creatures. From the vampire squid to the frilled shark, these strange creatures exist in the dark depths of the ocean, often far from the reaches of humanity. While these creatures often appear to be too strange to be real, advances in marine exploration and ocean science have enabled scientists to identify and study these amazing animals that call the world’s underwater habitats their home. Knowing about these odd creatures may help us to understand the mysteries of the sea.