Featured Image Credit: ALAMY via The Inertia
Did you know that 95 percent of the world’s oceans are unexplored? That leaves plenty of room for our imaginations to wonder what lies beneath the ocean’s surface.
With Halloween just around the corner, here are a few of the strangest, monster-like creatures lurking in the ocean’s depths.
#1 BlobFish
Voted the World’s Ugliest Animal in 2013, the Blobfish lives up to its title. Dwelling in the deep waters off of Australia, the fish is composed mostly of gelatinous flesh. It floats near the bottom of the ocean floor feasting on small crustaceans that float into its mouth. The Blobfish has no muscle and can grow up to a foot long.
#2 The Sea Angel
These creatures are surprisingly a type of slug. Its translucent features seem to hover through the cold waters of the Atlantic Ocean, living up to its name. They can grow up to 5 cm (2 in) and can survive entirely on sea butterflies.
#3 Bioluminescent Octopus
We’ve all seen an Octopus before, but have you ever seen a glowing Octopus? This fascinating creature emits a blue-green light from its suckers. The Octopus has the ability to turn the lights on and off to either scare off predators or lure in small crustaceans. These creatures can be found in the deep North Atlantic Ocean.
#4 Yeti Crab
Much like the Abominable Snowman, this crab is covered in hair, a rare sighting of the crab species. These creatures have no eyes and were first discovered in 2005 near Easter Island.
#5 Humphead Wrasse
This strange looking fish has a large bump on its forehead, large eyes, big blue lips, and colorful scales. It stands out from much other fish with its vibrant colors but even more strange is that all of them are born female and change into males. They are also one of the few species that can eat toxic animals.
#6 Frilled Shark
These eel-like creatures are one of the oldest on earth dating back 80 million years. Found off the shores of Australia and Africa with 25 rows of sharp teeth, this ancient monster is a terrifying sight. The shark also has been seen to attack its prey much similar to that of a snake.
#7 Pink See-Through Fantasia
This unique creature is a type of sea cucumber that was only discovered in 2007. Its mouth, anus, and intestines can all be seen from the outside because of its see-through outer coating. Like other bioluminescent creatures, it can emit light to alarm predators. They can be found in remote areas of the western Pacific Ocean.
#8 Australian Ghost Shark
These ghostly creatures live deep in the ocean along the ocean floor, rarely seen by humans. Despite its name, the Ghost Shark isn’t actually a shark but a distant cousin of rays and sharks. It is also referred to as a living fossil, as it hasn’t changed much in 400 million years.
#9 Barreleye Fish
One of the strangest fish ever discovered the Barreleye fish’s transparent head seems to come straight from a fictional monster. They live near the depth where sunlight from the surface fades to complete darkness and its tubular eyes search for prey overhead. Their large, flat fins allow them to appear almost motionless in the water.
#10 Northern Stargazer
With a face straight from a horror film, these fish lurk at depths of 120 feet. They hide along the sandy ocean floor and attack prey from below with their large mouth lined with sharp teeth. If this creature wasn’t already scary enough, it has electric organs that can transmit an electric shock.