The eerie deep sea creatures that are hardly EVER seen by humans: Glass squid, fangtooth fish and frilled shark are among the mysterious beasts that lurk alongside ‘doomsday’ oarfish
- MailOnline reveals some of the wackiest and mysterious deep water creatures
- READ MORE: It comes after scuba divers filmed encounter with a giant oarfish
Forget zombies, ghosts and vampires.
Lurking in the deepest depths of the world’s oceans are creatures so bizarre you’d think they were straight out of a science fiction novel.
Glass squid, fanged fish and even a ‘doomsday’ beast are among the numerous creatures hiding up to 26,686ft (8,134m) below the surface.
And many of these deep-water species are rarely ever seen by humans – only adding to their mysteriousness and allure.
In the wake of divers capturing the extremely rare moment a giant fish believed to predict earthquakes came to the surface in Taiwan, MailOnline has put together a list of some of the other bizarre creatures of the deep.
1. Glass squid
This ghostly creature is known as the glass squid – with its inner organs on display for all to see as it lurks in darkened waters.
In addition to its clearly visible digestive gland, the 20-inch balloon-like squid retains ammonia solutions inside its body, helping it float along.
But in times of danger, the squid can curl into a ball by stuffing its head and tentacles inside of itself, according to Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution.
Switching their transparent skin to a camouflaged black is also another ability of the squid, which it does by injecting itself with ink.
It’s believed there are at least 60 species of the glass squid, which often live in surface waters during their youth before heading to the ‘twilight zone’ as they age.
Some species even live 2,000m (6,000ft) below the sea surface.
The glass squid has its inner organs on display for all to see as it floats in darkened waters
2. Snailfish
In 2017, this scaleless species was found to be the world’s deepest living fish – existing more than 26,686ft (8,134m) below the ocean’s surface.
The Mariana snailfish was observed at the Izu-Ogasawara Trench, located south of Japan which is named the ‘hadal zone’ after Hades, the Greek God of the Dead.
This translucent fish is a top predator in its dark world, living off tiny crustaceans and shrimp at depths nearly as far down as Mount Everest is high.
Dr Alan Jamieson, from Aberdeen University previously told MailOnline: ‘This really deep fish did not look like anything we had seen before, nor does it look like anything we know of.
‘It is unbelievably fragile, with large wing-like fins and a head resembling a cartoon dog.’
Sadly, humans rarely ever see this 11-inch fish in the flesh as they generally steer clear of sunlit waters.
In 2017, a rare Mariana snailfish was found to be the world’s deepest living fish
3. Fangtooth
This aptly named fish is known for its terrifying razor sharp fangs and grotesquely huge jaws.
According to Smithsonian, they even have special mouth pouches to prevent them from slicing themselves up with their own teeth.
Fangtooth fish are also some of the deepest living fish we know of, often existing in depths 5,000m (16,404ft) below the surface.
But they do occasionally make an appearance in sunlit waters when hunting for food late at night.
Crustaceans, small fish and even squids are part of their diet, with the talon-like teeth used to snag prey before they’re swallowed whole.
This aptly named fish is known for its terrifying razor sharp fangs and grotesquely huge jaws
4. Dragonfish
This mystical deep-sea fish is a shimmering metallic hue that makes them almost seem too pretty to be a skilled hunter.
But don’t be fooled, its bronze scales are the perfect camouflage disguise for sneaking up on prey.
While dragonfish are strong swimmers, they prefer to lie patiently before ambushing unsuspecting fish and crustaceans.
They often use light as a clever trick to lure their prey, thanks to a light-emitting filament which extends from their chins.
A tool known as counter-illumination can also be used to mask their silhouette helping them blend in with surroundings when it’s vital to hide.
However, their disguise can also be their downfall, as going unnoticed means they are often swallowed completely unknowingly by other bigger fish.
The twilight zone begins where only 1 per cent of light reaches and ends where there is no light at all. There’s so little light at this level that marine life have to rely on faint silhouettes to find prey. So the highfin dragonfish produces light to mask its silhouette
5. Oarfish
In many parts of the world, this fish is known as an omen for bad news.
There is a popular but unproven belief that oarfish sightings are a warning of coming natural disasters, as they are said to appear before tsunamis or earthquakes.
Oarfish are very rare to see in the wild as they typically swim at a depth of 650 to 3,300ft (198m to 1,005m) – but they do occasionally swim near the surface where they can be sighted.
While they can grow up to 26ft in length there are also unconfirmed sightings of oarfish up to 50ft.
Because they thrive in great depths, few of them can survive being pulled into shallow waters where the currents are more turbulent.
The giant oarfish with shimmering silver scales was spotted floating eerily upright near Ruifang District in Taipei
6. Frilled shark
This dark brown species is actually known as the frilled shark – named after its six pairs of notable frill-like gills and dorsal fins
At first glance, there’s no doubt that many mistake this creature as an eel.
But this dark brown species is actually known as the frilled shark – named after its six pairs of notable frill-like gills and dorsal fins.
Believe it or not, the shark’s origin date back 80 million years and is only one of two species still alive from this period.
Scarily, they usually have around 300 teeth in 25 separate rows and grow to 1.5m long in many cases.
Right now, very much remains unknown about its biology and living environment, but they’re usually found between depths of 393ft to 4,199ft (120m and 1,280m).
READ MORE: Climate change is coming for the Twilight Zone: Up to 40% of creatures living deep in the ocean could be wiped out by the end of the century amid rising temperatures
Many creatures from the ocean’s mysterious ‘twilight zone’ could be wiped out by the end of this century in the midst of worsening climate change.
Scientists warn that life in the deepest and darkest corners of the ocean could plummet by up to 40 per cent as temperatures spike towards 2100.
Stretching from 200 to 1,000-metres deep, the twilight zone hosts numerous alien-like species such as strawberry squids, glow-in-the-dark fish and even sharks.
Within 150 years, it is predicted that life here could be severely diminished on a global scale, with no recovery for several millennia.
‘We still know relatively little about the ocean twilight zone, but using evidence from the past we can understand what may happen in the future,’ said lead author, Dr Katherine Crichton, from the University of Exeter.
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