Strange Deep Sea Creatures You Didn't Know Exist!

Ready to meet some seriously strange creatures?

Things you would not believe actually exist?

Then take a deep breath and join us as we dive into the deep to get up close and personal with the ocean's weirdest marvels...

  Phronima (Amphipod)   

An extremely versatile parasite, the Phronima (Amphipod) is able to live not only in many regions of the oceans but also in places other than the sea floor. Thought to be the inspiration for the xenomorph from Alien, this creature is barrel shaped with a semi-transparent mass and large front claws. These creatures can carve away the interiors of their prey, salps, and crawl their way inside, floating the ocean from within. In this barrel shape, the females are able to reproduce and carry their eggs on-the-go.

  Leafy Seadragon  

Named seadragons after the dragons of Chinese legends, leafy seadragons definitely resemble the dragon of fairy tales. They are bony fish in the family Syngnathidae which includes seahorses and pipefishes. Although relatives, their appearance is quite different in that they have a tail that cannot be coiled and they have leaf-like appendages on the head and body.

  Pink See-Through Fantasia  

The Pink Sea Through Fantasia is an incredible creature that was only recently discovered. This appropriately named Pink Sea Through Cucumber was found in the Celebes Sea. It was discovered dwelling at a depth of approximately 8,200 ft. (2,500 m.). Little is known of this creature except that they do have webbed swimming structures which allow them to propel themselves further faster.

  Frilled Shark  

Prefering to remain in the oceans' depths, up to 5,000 feet (1,500 meters) below the surface, frilled sharks rarely encounter humans. Considered living fossils, frilled sharks bear many physical characteristics of ancestors who swam the seas in the time of the dinosaurs. In 2007, a 5.3-foot (1.6-meter) specimen was found in shallow water in Japan in 2007 and transferred to a marine park. It died hours after being caught.

  Fangtooth Fish  

This swimming nightmare is among the deepest-living fish ever discovered. The fish's normal habitat ranges as high as about 6,500 feet (2,000 meters), but it has been found swimming at icy, crushing depths near 16,500 feet (5,000 meters). Fangtooth fish reach only about six inches (16 centimeters) long, but their namesake teeth are the largest, proportionate to body size, of any fish.

  Dumbo Octopus  

Named after Walt Disney's famous character Dumbo the elephant because of the ear-like fins, these interesting animals can be found in all oceans around the world. There are around 37 different species of dumbo octopi but are rarely seen because they live at the botom of the sea; depth ranging from 1 300 to 23 000 feet.

  Clown Frogfish  

The warty(clown) frogfish grows up to 15 cm (5.9 in) long. It has a globulous, extensible body, and its soft skin is covered with small dermal spinules. The skin is covered with numerous small, wart-like protuberances. Its largeprognathous mouth allows it to consume prey its same size. The coloring of its body is extremely variable because it tends to match its living environment and is capable of changing color every few weeks.

  Spider Crab  

Thought to be the largest arthropods on Earth, giant spider crabs spend their time foraging on the ocean floor up to a thousand feet (300 meters) deep. These rare, leggy mammoth creatures, native to the waters off Japan, can measure up to 12 feet (3.7 meters) from claw tip to claw tip.

  Sea Cucumber  

Sea cucumbers are part of a larger animal group called Echinodermata, which also contains starfish and sea urchins. Their body shape is similar to a cucumber, but they have small tentacle-like tube feet that are used for locomotion and feeding. One way that sea cucumbers can confuse or harm predators is by propelling their own toxic internal organs from their anus in the direction of attack. The organs grow back, and it may save them from being eaten.

  Sea Angels   

This small species only reaches lengths of 5 cm with gelatinous semi-transparent body. The Sea Angel has two wing-like appendages, called parapodia, which inspired the creature's name. Sea Angels also have tentacles that enable them to grasp their prey; as carnivores, this creature usually eats fellow pteropods.

Weirded out yet? We are too. However you might be asking yourself why you've never seen many pictures on these creatures? That's because it takes certain high tech equipment to even catch a glimpse of them.

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