Located in The Pacific Ocean, the Mariana Trench is the deepest part of any of the oceans in the world. It is 1,580 miles long with a maximum depth of 6.831 miles. Its depth makes it pitch black and the temperatures there are few degrees above freezing. Strange and different sea creatures live here. According to scientists who’ve explored the trench, creatures living here have learned to live in different kinds of severe conditions. They can protect themselves from cold, light up the dark parts of the ocean and manage to evade even the sea’s scariest predators.
This terrifying creature measures between 8 and 13 feet. It was discovered first in 1898. The male’s weight can go up to 463 pounds. Those fangs look scary...
2. Hatchet-fish
The hatchet-fish produces its own light using special organs. They are mostly found at 600 to 4500 feet and this is why they need the protruding sensitive eyes.
3. Footballfish
It’s vaguely shaped like a football and uses a bulbous lure to draw its prey before using its jaws to snatch it up.
4. Frilled Shark
The frilled shark is prehistoric with 300 trident-shaped teeth that are neatly aligned in 25 rows. According to scientist, this beast takes 3 and a half years to give birth. It’s a gestation period record holder!
5. Dumbo Octopus
The Dumbo octopus earns its name from its ear-like fins. It lives at depths of between 10,000 to 11,000 feet. The Dumbo Octopus feeds on worms and other crustaceans found on the sea floor.
These creatures can be termed as the cutest on the Mariana Trench.
6. Fanfin Seadevil
6. Fanfin Seadevil
Their males grow to about ½ an inch in length while the female can go up to 8 inches. The right words to describe the male during breeding can only be ‘overly attached’. This is because it fuses itself onto the female and shares the female’s bloodstream just like a parasite. See, very overly attached!
8. Telescope octopus
This octopus has an incredible vision range due to its rotatable eyes that are on top of its long movable stalks. It appears ghost-like due to its transparent body.
7. Dragon fish
The dragon fish produces its own light. To attract potential mates and prey, the dragon fish uses a flashing barbell that’s attached to its chin. This creature uses its pitch black stomach to hide unlucky prey.
9. Barreleye
It’s mostly found at depths of 2000 feet and is most notable for its highly sensitive eyes and transparent head. The barreleye has green lenses found above each of its eyes. These allow it to filter any light that makes it to those depths of the sea and helps it focus on the lights from its prey. Cunning creature!
10. Viper Fish
10. Viper Fish
The viperfish has teeth so long they can’t fit in its own mouth! They instead curve back towards its eyes. It’s found at 5,000 feet and to take out prey, it swims at high speeds and impales the victim using its fangs. They only grow to 12 inches in length but look terrifying.
11. Fangtooth
The fangtooth has the largest teeth known in the ocean. Despite its fearsome weaponry, however, if it veered closer to the surface, it would be food for the tuna since it only grows to six inches in size.
12. Hirondellea Gigas
They live in the deepest parts of the sea. Swarms of up to two inches long are found at 30,000 feet where food can rarely be found. They feed on plant and tree debris that make it to the sea bottom. They also digest what other fish consider trash using special enzymes produced in their guts.
13. Ping-Pong Tree Sponge
They can be found at 9,000 feet and are carnivorous. The ping-pong tree can grow to a height of 20 inches. They may not look dangerous on sight but they have tiny hair hooks that they use to catch small creatures passing by. Cells in the sponge, then slowly move towards the prey and digest it.
14. Enypniastes
14. Enypniastes
The enypniastes is a sea cucumber that lives at 16,400 feet. The mouth is the red area and around it are tentacles that scoop up from the sea floor, edible mud. It leaves nothing to the imagination as you can see.
