marthaisamess-blog

[marthaisamess-blog]

Under the sea turned 1 today!

[marthaisamess-blog]

FANGTOOTH:

Kingdom:Animalia Phylum:Chordata Class:Actinopterygii Order:Beryciformes Family:Anoplogastridae Genus:Anoplogaster

When it comes to terrifying creatures of the deep the fang tooth is defiantly in the top 10. Not only are they monster like in appearance they are ferocious and skilled predators that terrorize prey in the deep dark waters. Fortunately they are no threat to humans as they max out around six inches of length. They have stout bodies that are usually brownish or orange in color. They have small fins and small eyes that range from black to a pale blue. Their most notable feature is of course their large needle like teeth that they use for trapping and tearing apart prey. They prefer temperate and tropical waters, and they have been most commonly found off the coast of Australia. They live far below the ocean at depths up to 6500 feet where the light can no longer reach. Once they find a mate their eggs are laid on the ocean floor and they soon develop into small larvae. They spend most of their time as juveniles on the surface hunting plankton and tiny crustaceans. Once they reach maturity they return once again to the depths of the deep. As adults though, they still return to the surface to hunt small prey like squids and other small fish. They have poor eyesight, so in order to hunt they have developed a lateral line on their body that helps them sense movement and vibrations. While they are ferocious predators, it can be risky hunting on the surface as they can easily become dinner for a hungry tuna. A lot is still unknown about this  fish and marine biologist are still studying these elusive fang tooth fish.

FUN FACT:

They have the largest teeth of any fish compared to their small body size.

LINKS:

http://www.seasky.org/deep-sea/fangtooth.html

[marthaisamess-blog]

THE VIPERFISH:

Kingdom:Animalia Phylum:Chordata Class:Actinopterygii Order:Stomiiformes Family:Stomiidae Genus:Chauliodus

This unsettling creature bears an extreme resemblance to the barbled dragonfish. Including there hinged jaw and jagged teeth. They have long bodies with bioluminescent spots, their fins are small and they have a long lure sticking out of their head to catch prey. They can only grow to be about a foot long but they are extremely fast and ferocious. They live at depths up to 5000 feet below the surface in cold waters around the world. They use their bioluminescence to attract mates, then they lay buoyant eggs that mature on the surface. They hunt by attracting small fish with their lights then they hold on to the prey with their sharp teeth. They eat mainly smaller fish and crustaceans that live in the deep.

LINKS:

http://www.seasky.org/deep-sea/viperfish.html

FUN FACT:

They have a very slow metabolism so they can live without food for weeks.

[marthaisamess-blog]

THE BLOB FISH:

Kingdom:Animalia Phylum:Chordata Class:Actinopterygii Order:Scorpaeniformes Family:Psychrolutidae Genus:Psychrolutes Species:P. marcidus

The blob fish took the internet by storm around 2012 when pictures of this slimy creature were released on social media. These poor creatures were even named the ugliest creatures in the world in 2013! (a little harsh if you ask me). These weirdo fish are actually not blob like while swimming, but when brought to the surface they lose their body pressure making them blob like. They are about a foot long and they have pinky or brown flesh. The have no teeth and very small fins. they have small eyes and a nose like lump on their faces. They have been found in fisherman's nets around Tasmania ,new Zealand, and Australia. They live about 4000 feet below the surface of the ocean and never come up to the surface to hunt or hang out. There is practically nothing known about the blob fish’s reproductive habits but as aquariums discover how to keep them in captivity scientists will soon know. They are lazy hunters and prefer to wait around until their food swims right in front of them. They will then inhale their food and proceed to lazily glide around the ocean floor. They eat small fish and crustaceans mostly. Unfortunately they are an endangered species and very few have actually been seen in the wild.

FUN FACT:

there is a blob fish cafe opening in London this summer. They will have a large pressurized tank containing three blobfish!

LINKS:

http://facts.net/blobfish/

[marthaisamess-blog]

SIX GILL SHARK:

Kingdom:Animalia Phylum:Chordata Class:Chondrichthyes Subclass:Elasmobranchii Superorder:Selachimorpha Order:Hexanchiformes Family:Hexanchidae Genus:Hexanchus Species:H. griseus

The six gill shark is an interesting deep sea shark has many unique features. They are a massive breed of shark and can grow to up to 18 feet long! They have long grey bodies and large blue eyes that help them see in the dark waters of the ocean. Their most notable feature is of course their six gills, where most sharks only have five. It also only has one dorsal fin, which is rare among sharks. They are very widespread and variations of the species can be found in most oceans. They prefer the depths of temperate and tropical water, and can dive as far as 6000 feet. Six gill sharks are solitary creatures, but it is assumed that during mating season they migrate to meet up with other sharks to breed. The sharks eggs are carried in the mothers womb until they hatch as live babies. When they are born they are already two feet long, but are unfortunately prey for many other animals. They can live up to 80 years which is extraordinarily high, especially for deep sea animals. They eat mainly small fish, rays, crustaceans, and other marine animals. They are extremely camouflaged and can see well in the dark, making them a great a-pex predator. Unfortunately these creatures are endangered, they often run into divers and our caught in fishing nets. Because they are elusive scientists think they might be in more danger than originally thought. 

FUN FACT:

while usually thought to be slow and sluggish, they can actually cover small distances at incredible speed to catch prey.

LINKS:

http://www.seasky.org/deep-sea/sixgill-shark.html

[marthaisamess-blog]

THE SNIPE EEL:

Kingdom:Animalia Phylum:Chordata Class:Actinopterygii Order:Anguilliformes Family:Nemichthyidae

The snipe eel is a  bizarre fish that is so skinny it almost looks like a piece of kelp floating through the water or a weird snake-bird hybrid. They have long bodies that can grow up to 5ft in length, not to mention their strange beaklike mouth. They range in color from reddish orange, to silver, to almost transparent depending on where they live and which light you see them in. They have large bulging eyes that also come in different colors, although they are usually blue or black. This creature has the most vertebrae of any animal on the planet, an adult having around 750, which is why its body is so slender and flexible. They have been found in most temperate and tropical oceans in the world, and were discovered thanks to fishermen who accidentally pulled one up in their net. They can live at a depth of up to 6000ft below the surface, but have been known to occasionally visit shallower waters. Very little is known about the reproductive habits of the eel, but we can assume that the female lays buoyant eggs that are fertilized by the male. It is also speculated that after procreation the eel dies, so it may only reproduce once in its life. They eat mainly small crustaceans and shrimps, evan some tiny fish that they catch. They hunt by grabbing their prey with hooked teeth and trapping it in their mouth. Not much is known about these elusive creatures in known but we are hoping that biologists will find more specimens to research in the near future.

FUN FACT:

Before growing larger the Snipe eel will actually shrink during its larvae stage as it prepares itself to grow.

LINKS:

http://www.seasky.org/deep-sea/snipe-eel.html

[marthaisamess-blog]

 gif by 980x.jpg.gif

THE BIG RED JELLYFISH:

Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Cnidaria Class: Scyphozoa Order: Semaeostomeae Family: Ulmaridae Subfamily: Tiburoniinae Genus: Tiburonia Species: T. granrojo

The big red jellyfish is exactly what it sounds like, a three foot long red marshmallow like jellyfish. They have a big’ol red brown bell and 4-7 chubby appendages that they use to eat.  They live in most places of the Pacific oceans  especially in Hawaii and around the coast of California. They sometimes journey to the surface, but they prefer the deep dark waters of 5000ft below the shiny surface. Unfortunately there is very little known about the reproductive habits of these jellies, if they are like most jellyfish they lay their fertilized eggs on the ocean floor and wait for them to hatch. After they hatch they might swim up to the surface till they grow large enough to return to their deep ocean home. As you can see in the third picture the jellyfish have a bioluminescent glow underneath their bell, this is probably to attracted prey or to ward off predators. Another defense mechanism they have is actually the natural color of their body, red appears as black in deep waters making them extremely hard to see. They are very rare and so little is known about them we are not even sure what they eat. This is because they have no tentacles for catching prey like other jellyfish, all they have are some very dense chubby legs. This leads to the question... are they even true jellyfish? the answer is unknown, but further research may lead to finally uncovering the mystery of the big red jellyfish.

FUN FACT:

They have only been spotted seven times out of 10 years , and only a select few have been taken for research.

LINKS:

https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/journal-of-the-marine-biological-association-of-the-united-kingdom/article/div-classtitlespan-classitalicstellamedusa-ventanaspan-a-new-mesopelagic-scyphomedusa-from-the-eastern-pacific-representing-a-new-subfamily-the-stellamedusinaediv/0C5AFFB0A0945CF6C5C94A0622D095B4

http://www.realmonstrosities.com/2011/06/big-red-jellyfish.html

[marthaisamess-blog]

TELESCOPE OCTOPUS:

Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Mollusca Class: Cephalopoda Order: Octopoda Family: Amphitretidae Genus: Amphitretus Species: A. pelagic

The telescope octopus is a rare species that is totally tubular *wink wink*. It has a transparent body and eight webbed tentacles. all equipped with the swankiest of bioluminescent spots. They can grow to be about eight inches long and more than half of that is made up from their tentacles. They are found at depths up to 6500ft and have only been found in the warmer waters of the Indo-Pacific areas of the ocean. Unfortunately there is not much known about the reproductive habits of the telescope octopus,but because they spend their whole lives never touching the sea floor it is speculated they have some way of fertilizing eggs that then are released in the ocean. That i a process found mainly in fish,but perhaps the eggs have a buoyant coating that helps them stay afloat until they hatch. Because they are transparent, it is believed that they deceive both predator and prey by adjusting themselves to a point where they can no longer be seen from predators below them. Unfortunately they cannot conceal their strange digestive system and their crazy tube eyes, making them easy to spot from above.They probably eat the small fish and shrimps swimming in their deep sea habitat,and are hunted upon by larger fish or fish with bigger teeth. These creatures are not endangered and have only been photographed on a few special occasions, but scientists are doing all they can to learn more about these elusive beings.

FUN FACT:

Their wacky eyes are actually movable, and can swivel around to see above,left,right,and down. That is a trait that is exclusive to these creatures and helps them to sea shadows of prey and foe all around their environment.

LINKS:

http://www.realmonstrosities.com/2015/07/telescope-octopus.html

[marthaisamess-blog]

THE DEEP SEA HATCHET-FISH:

Domain: Eukaryota Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Class: Actinopterygii Order: Stomiiformes Family: Sternoptychidae

  This strange bug-eyed fish is called a hatchet fish because of the abnormal shape of its body. There are 45 different species of hatchet fish, but the strangest one by far is the deep sea hatchet-fish, due to its strange large orb like eyes.The regular hatchet-fish extremely thin silvery bodies making them appear to look like the blade of a hatchet which is why they were given the name Hatchet-fish. The deep sea breed has huge pale eyes that help it see in the darkest parts of the ocean and its scales help reflect the smallest rays of light to help it blend into the water. The hatchet-fish lives in waters all across the globe, some near the surface and some far below the suns reach living in complete darkness. The deep sea hatchet-fish likes to stay at a depth of 4,600 feet in temperate waters in most of the oceans across the planet. These fish are thought to use bio luminescence to attract a mate in the dark then it is assumed that they mate when the female releases her eggs to be fertilized. by a male. They only grow to be up to 6 inches long, but are still fearsome predators of the deep. They swim to the surface at night to hunt small unsuspecting fish by looking for their silhouettes and chasing them, then in the morning the return to the lower parts of the water.They are not an endangered species and they are currently thriving in their habitat. 

FUN FACT:

They can arrange the muscles on their underbelly to help them reflect the few rays of light in the deep to make them appear invisible.

LINK:

http://www.seasky.org/deep-sea/hatchetfish.html

[marthaisamess-blog]

images/gifs from google

BARREL-EYE FISH:

Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Class: Actinopterygii Order: Argentiniformes Family: Opisthoproctidae

     The barreleye fish is one of the most peculiar creatures living in the deep. Its most notable feature is its transparent head and the fact that its large eyes are actually inside of its head! It has a long rectangular body that is usually black or dark brown. Its has frilly fins and its back fin has a semitransparent and a blue tinted tip. They can grow to be over a foot long but usually stay around seven inches in size. The barreleye fish is most commonly found off the north coast of California at a depth of 3330 feet below the water. Little is known about their reproductive habits but it is assumed that hey release their egg and sperm into the water to be fertilized by a mate. They spend their life just below the limit of the suns rays in complete darkness, using their extremely light sensitive eyes to find prey while swimming completely silently. In order to hunt they suspend themselves horizontally and stay motionless until prey swims overhead, then they strike. Because of their reflective scales they appear almost invisible from below, making them a hard fish to hunt in the darkness. They eat mainly small jellyfish and little fish, really anything you can fit your mouth around is fair game in the deep sea. Many things are still unknown about this fish but biologists are hoping that soon they will uncover all the mysteries about this odd little creature.

FUN FACT:

Their transparent head is actually a rubbery film that helps them pick up small rays of light deep in the ocean. Oh and did I mention their organs glow!

LINKS:

 http://www.animalspot.net/barreleye-fish.html#Diet

[marthaisamess-blog]

photos from google images

THE SCALY FOOT GASTROPOD:

Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Mollusca Class: Gastropoda Superfamily: Neomphaloidea Family: Peltospiridae Genus: Chrysomallon Species: C. squamiferum Binomial name Chrysomallon squamifer

          The scaly foot gastropod is a unique breed of sea snail that lives deep under the ocean. They have a curly shell covering their body, and their body has many scale like frills that help the snail swim and move. They usually have a pinkish reddish tint to their bodies and their scales are usually white, brown, or blackish green. They can live up to 7300-8600 feet below the surface, commonly found around deep sea vents in the Indian ocean. The specifics of the reproduction habits of these creatures is unknown, but scientists have seen their eggs which float surprisingly well in the deep sea environment. They spend their whole lives around the sea vents that give them the nutrients they need. They have a bacteria in their body that helps sift the molecules in their environment into nutrients they can use as food. They can survive in harsh pressure conditions and are not preyed upon by any predators we know about. 

FUN FACT:

They have shelves covered in a layer of iron, and their scaly bodies are covered in a layer of iron sulfides.  The entire creature is also covered in the mineral pyrite. So not iron man...Iron snail.

LINKS:

http://www.amusingplanet.com/2015/06/scaly-foot-gastropod-snail-with-armor.html

[marthaisamess-blog]

THE GIANT TUBE WORM:

Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Annelida Class: Polychaeta Order: Canalipalpata Family: Siboglinidae Genus: Riftia Species: R. pachyptila

The giant tube worm, also known as Riftia pachyptila is a species of sea worm living deep in the ocean around deep sea vents. The have large red and white folded heads that resemble tulip flowers or maybe velveeta mac n cheese. They have tube like trunks that bind them to the edge of the sea vents, and they grow to be at least 8 feet long! They live at an average depth of 5000 feet throughout the pacific ocean hanging out around some of the hottest air pockets in the ocean. The giant tube worm reproduces by releasing their eggs and sperm into the ocean to be fertilized. After the eggs have hatched they are but small larvae that swim to the bottom of the ocean where they can attach themselves to a sea vent of their choice. They spend the rest of their lives on the ocean floor in colonies of hundreds of other worms. When they first attach to the ground they have very basic moth like organs that help them capture a certain type of bacteria. That bacteria has a symbiotic relationship with the worm, in which the worm provides the bacteria nutrients and the bacteria makes food for the worm. These sea giants play an important role in deep sea life by providing an ecosystem for thousands of shrimps and crabs to live, and by recycling nutrients back into the water. Unfortunately due to the habitat of these worms, if the vent they live on becomes inactive, they will all die out within a matter of weeks but will always appear again around new sea vents.

FUN FACT:

tube worms are some of the only living things on earth that do not use sunlight as a source of energy.

LINKS:

http://www.seasky.org/deep-sea/giant-tube-worm.html

[marthaisamess-blog]

images from google (could not find link)

SWELL SHARK:

Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Class: Chondrichthyes Subclass: Elasmobranchii Superorder: Selachimorpha Order: Carcharhiniformes Family: Scyliorhinidae Genus: Cephaloscyllium Species: C. ventriosum

The swell shark is a breed of deep sea shark that gains its name by the unusual way it swallows air when threatened to make it appear larger and to attach on to objects. They strongly resemble the common algea cleaner sucker fish you find in many fishtanks. They have flat heads with long striped brown bodies,large eyes and square fins. Swell sharks grow to be up to two or three feet long and they have 55-60 sharp teeth that they can regrow. They are found in the eastern Pacific, California, southern mexico, and Chile. These sharks enjoy a rocky hapitat with plenty of places to hide and to corner their prey. Swell sharks usually prefer the more shallow water, but it is not uncommon to find them at depths up to 1500ft below the surface. They reproduce sexually like other sharks and because they are not rare or endangered they can often find  mate. They baby sharks are coated in a hard sack like egg and deposited on the rocks, which protect the baby till it is ready to hatch. They hatch in 9-12 months and at that point are ready to fend for themselves. The swell sharks feed on mainly small fish, crustaceans, and mollusks.

FUN FACT:

In order to make it appear larger the swell shark will turn itself into a U shape and bite onto its fin, it then will suck up lots of air wich can help it suction to rocks and plants. When it wants to return to its original size it lets out a bark like noise and releases all the air inside it.

LINKS:

http://marinebio.org/species.asp?id=383

[marthaisamess-blog]

THE ATOLLA JELLYFISH:

Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Cnidaria Class: Scyphozoa Order: Coronatae Family: Atollidae Genus: Atolla Species: Atolla wyvillei

The Atolla jellyfish is an interesting breed of deep sea jelly. They are not very large only reaching about 6 inches in diameter.They are a reddish orange tint which helps them survive in the deep sea. This is due to the fact that in the deep water there is almost no light and so most creatures that live there can not sea color making the atolla jellyfish almost invisible to predators.They have about 20 tentacles,and there whole body is covered in a pretty pattern of bioluminescent dots.They live in most cold oceans around the world,but are more prominent in the atlantic and antarctic oceans they live anywhere from 3280 ft - 16000ft below the surface. Atolla jellies can reproduce sexually or asexually  because it can be hard to find a mate so deep underwater. They offspring begin as small polyps that spend their early life eating plankton and floating the open ocean. They eat mainly small crustaceans and plankton which are in great abundance in the deep ocean.

FUN FACT:

When a predator approaches them they will blink with a strong blue light to attract another predator to eat the first. It’s more affective that you would think.

LINKS:

http://animals.mom.me/scyphozoan-jellyfish-atolla-wyvillei-3409.html

[marthaisamess-blog]

THE ANGLER FISH:

Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Class: Actinopterygii Subclass: Neopterygii Infraclass: Teleostei Superorder: Paracanthopterygii

There are up to 200 different species of angler fish living deep in the ocean. Angler fish  have very round bodies with long jaws and jagged teeth. They have orange brown bodies with semitransparent and bioluminescent fins. They can only grow up to about 12 centimeters. Angler fish are found at depths up to 3000 ft,where there is little to no light.There are usually 2 or more species of angler fish in each of the worlds oceans,and they are found all over the world.The male angler fish are significantly smaller than the females and completely different in appearance.Angler fish reproduce in very strange ways,the male will bite the female and then release a dissolving enzyme that will help attach the male permanently to the female.The male will live out the rest of its life like a parasite sucking all the nutrients it needs from its mate.In turn the male will fertilize the females eggs when needed,but will never swim on its own again.Angler fish eggs laid in long sheets and will float in the vast ocean till they hatch into larvae.They will hunt near the surface till they are large enough to return to the deep ocean.It eats small fish and shrimp like creatures that live deep in the ocean.

FUN FACT:

The bull at the end of the angler fishes barb is bioluminescent and is used to lure prey into its mouth.

LINKS:

http://www.seasky.org/deep-sea/anglerfish.html

[marthaisamess-blog]

THE COOKIE CUTTER SHARK:

Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Class: Chondrichthyes Order: Squaliformes Family: Dalatiidae Genus: Isistius Species: I. brasiliensis

The cookie cutter shark is a small shark that can grow up to 50cm long.They are reddish orange and semitransparent ,and they have a row of large knife like teeth on the bottom of their mouth.They have huge creepy black eyes that help see light even in the darkest of waters.They usually inhabit the deep warm oceans surrounding islands and coasts near the equator.Cookie Cutter sharks live at up to 3500m below the surface,and during the night they swim up to about 300m below the water to feed on larger prey.

The cookie cutter shark males reach sexual maturity when they are about 36cm long ,and for the females it is 40cm.They are usually found alone and only live in groups for a short time in order to mate.The female will cary the eggs inside her for 12 months, till she can give birth to them already in the pup stage and ready to hunt.They hunt at night to take bites out of larger creatures that swim near the surface,the bites are not large and won't kill the creatures.

FUN FACT:

Their scientific species name is related to the Egyptian goddess light named Isis.This is because cookie cutter sharks have a large bioluminescent strip on their stomach.

LINKS:

http://www.sharksider.com/cookiecutter-shark/

http://marinebio.org/species.asp?id=491

[marthaisamess-blog]

THE GIANT SPIDER CRAB:

Kingdom: Animalia

Phylum: Arthropoda

Subphylum: Crustacea

Class: Malacostraca

Order: Decapoda

Infraorder: Brachyura

Superfamily: Majoidea

Family: Inachidae

Genus: Macrocheira

Species: M. kaempferi

Macrocheira kaempferi,more commonly known as the Japanese spider crab is one of the largest known arthropods in existence.It has a rounded orange brown body with long appendages and two strong pinchers.They have a maximum leg span of 12 feet and their bodies can only grow up to about 15 inches.They weigh a whopping 44-50 pounds.Can you imagine a 44 pound crab being dumped on your table at a restaurant?Thankfully they are rarely hunted for food,and are only served in Asia as special delicacies.They inhabit the cold waters of the pacific ocean usually around Japan,and live on the sea floor around 2000 feet below the surface.They reproduce like most arthropods,when the male fertilizes eggs which the female then carries until they hatch.The newborns are small plankton like organisms that float on the surface until mature.The mature crabs are omnivores and usually scavenge for fish corpses,or just simply eat algae off the ocean floor.Some of them are known to find crustaceans and pry them open with their claws.They are not an endangered species and are not directly threatened by over fishing at the moment.

FUN FACT:

They will pick up small anemones and cement them to the top of their shells for extra camouflage,or just to look stylish.

LINKS:

http://www.georgiaaquarium.org/animal-guide/georgia-aquarium/home/galleries/cold-water-quest/gallery-animals/japanese-spider-crab

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Japanese_spider_crab