Get Premium
Dark mode theme is available exclusively for premium users. Learn more about the benefits of subscribing.
No fees, cancel anytime.
Dark Mode 
No fees, cancel anytime 
then open in external browser
and click "Open in External Browser" 
Scientists Share The Terrifying Creatures They Found In 16,000 ft Deep Ocean, And We Almost Wish They Hadn’t
You don't need to go to space to explore places that no man has ever been to. Recently, an international team of scientists went on the world's first survey to explore marine biodiversity in the abyssal waters off the east coast of Australia.
The abyssal zone is a layer of the ocean at depths of 13,000 to 20,000 ft (4,000 to 6,000 metres). This zone remains in perpetual darkness. The temperature there is around 36 to 37 °F (2-3 °C) and it's a very food-limited environment. "The abyss is the largest and deepest habitat on the planet, covering half the world's oceans and one-third of Australia's territory, but it remains the most unexplored environment on Earth," said Museums Victoria senior curator Tim O'Hara on the voyage's departure.
The researchers divided themselves into two shifts (2:00─14:00 and 14:00─2:00). Tirelessly sending their equipment nearly 16,000 foot deep, they hauled over 100 different species aboard their vessel, the Investigator. Five of them are thought to have never been discovered before!
Processing the catch involved separating different species, photographing the creepy specimens to record their colors, extracting muscle samples for DNA analysis, and so on. Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) ichthyologist John Pogonoski claimed they spent many hours processing the samples. According to him, the voyage is nothing less than "frontier science" that will undoubtedly increase our understanding of the deep-sea. The scientists are still busy preserving the finds for museums around the world. They will be available for research in the future as well. While everyone's waiting for CSIRO Australian National Fish Conference (ANFC) where names to these faceless critters will be given, scroll down and check out some of the spookiest from the whole gang.
More info: nespmarine.edu.au
This post may include affiliate links.
#1
Red Spiny Crab
This bright red spiny crab sports an armour of spikes which protect it from the dangers of the deep.
These are not actually true crabs but related more to hermit crabs – although this hermit has traded in its shell for gnarly spikes.
RELATED:
#2
Coffinfish
This mysterious little deep-sea coffinfish, with its bluish eyes and red feet, belongs to the anglerfish group. It is potentially a new species.
Barbara Baxendale 7 years ago
It won't be a new species for long, in fact, it'll be extinct by humans who just want to inspect it, no wonder it looks sad !!!!!!
#3
Glass Sponge
These incredible glass sponges have a skeleton of a lattice of silica filaments, some of which can be up to a metre long.
They feed by sifting bacteria and other single-celled organisms from the water, gently passing over their delicate glass housing.
#4
Peanut Worm
The peanut worm (Sipuncula) is a deep-sea worm resembling a phallus.
When threatened, they can contract their long head inwards and look more like a peanut. They can reproduce both sexually and asexually.
glowworm2 7 years ago
I was about to say, that worm DOES not look like a peanut but rather like something else.;)
Tammy Chapman 7 years ago
I still like the Prickworm or the Sea D**k, and someone called it a flying d**k...I guess like it's a flying fish or something. Can you imagine being out on a boat somewhere and these things just start flying into your boat and smacking you upside the head? Thank God it's in the deep sea. I don't ever plan on visiting there.
Load More Replies... Dian Ella Lillie 7 years ago
Yeah, I think that they meant 'penis worm' but autocorrect changed it to 'peanut'.
Dian Ella Lillie 7 years ago
Really?! 'Peanut' worm was the best that they could come up with?
Dian Ella Lillie 7 years ago
That said, imagine saying to a guy "oo, that looks just like a peanut worm!" Some guys would probably need counselling afterward...
Load More Replies...
Tammy Chapman 7 years ago
Sometimes you get a nut, but this one won't...it's nutless.
Load More Replies... #5
Cookiecutter Shark
This nasty little bioluminescent shark, with its neatly arranged serrated teeth, inhabits the oceanic “twilight zone” in depths of up to 1,000 metres.
It preys on big fishes, whales, dolphins and the occasional unfortunate swimmer, latching onto them before gouging out cookie-sized chunks of flesh.
Dian Ella Lillie 7 years ago
Please, it's not "nasty." That's a human value-judgement . These things are meant to be doing what they do in their ecological niche. It might not be nice for the prey species, but that's differnt to being "nasty."
diane a 7 years ago
leave these creatures in their habitat = why drag them up, kill them and disect them
Angie Hance 7 years ago
If it's different, we can't let it live really far away from most humans. That would be....NATURAL!!! We can't have that going on, now can we??
Load More Replies...
Rebecca Thuesen 7 years ago
.. 'Fishes'? Someone's been watching too many mobster-movies, I think.
Candy Murray 7 years ago
I would not call them "Nasty" They are just doing their thing. I would refer to the injury that they leave behind as Nasty
Grumble o'Pug 7 years ago
He's not f*****g nasty, bored spamda. It's the way he evolved to fit his niche. FFS.
Janette Smith 7 years ago
Looks like the doll from Trilogy of Terror https://goo.gl/images/GNLXz4
#6
Lizard Fish
Being the dominant predator of the depths isn't easy though: at depths of 1000–2500 metres there is very little food, so lizard fish are few are far between to maximise scarce resources.
Barbara Baxendale 7 years ago
And now there's one less, probably making them extinct by 2019 !!!!!
Christina Sersif 7 years ago
it's like an alligator and a fish had a baby and this was the result
#7
Blob Fish
This blob fish was collected from a depth of 2.5 kilometres off New South Wales.
It has soft watery flesh and is an ambush predator that lies very still on the bottom, waiting for unsuspecting prey to pass by.
Janine B. 7 years ago
It actually looks a lot different in its natural habitat. The low pressure completely changes its outer appearance.
The Archer Frog 7 years ago
THE BLOBFISH IS MY FAVORITE ANIMAL!!! They live deep in the sea around Australia. Many, sadly, are caught by deep sea fishing nets. On the bright side, there's a place called "The Blobfish Cafe" opening up in Europe, where three blobfish will be placed under water pressure (as how they like in the wild) and will be seen by the guests! They don't look "ugly" deep underwater, due to said water pressure. They look like normal fish, until taken out! There's your daily dose of Blobfish facts!!!!!
Aisha La Gatta Pelirroja 7 years ago
To be honest, I wouldn't have thought, that something called blob fish could be a predator. Especially with that kind of look.
Tammy Chapman 7 years ago
I'm weird too, and it in its natural habitat it looks very cute.
Load More Replies...
#8
'Faceless' Fish
With no eyes, the “faceless” fish was found four kilometres below the surface.
The species was first collected in the northern Coral Sea more than 140 years ago during the voyage of HMS Challenger, the world’s first round-the-world oceanographic expedition. It has been rediscovered in Australia after more than a century.
glowworm2 7 years ago
If that's the case, then, I think they forgot to put up a picture of the fish. I don't see anything.
Load More Replies... #9
Corallimorph
These coral organisms belong to the same group as anemones, jelly fish, hard corals and other tentacled creatures of the sea.
Pattie Kelly 7 years ago
I have learned never touch any jelly fish, or any other of the same type under the sea you could live to truly regret it.
#10
Brittle Star
The brittle star can be found right across the globe from Siberia in the north to Antarctica in the south, yet we know almost nothing about them.
Tammy Chapman 7 years ago
That looks SO cool. I wonder if I could create that look with clay? It would make a really cool craft project.
#11
Dumbo Octopus
Dumbo octopus flap their ear-like fins, just like the Disney character of the same name, except this animal flaps its ears to glide gracefully through the deep, dark abyss.
#12
Zombie Worm
Zombie worms (Osedax) are commonly found in the decaying remains of whales on the ocean floor, burrowing into their bones to reach the sustenance within.
With no functioning mouths, guts or anuses, they have bacteria that digest the grisly remains for them.
Anthony Tilke 7 years ago
Sounds like it is a bacteria delivery system rather than an animal in its own right.
Prue Walling 7 years ago
do they eat brains with hot sauce? anybody get my referencece? no? okay...
#13
Giant Anemone-Sucking Sea Spiders
These alien lifeforms are not actually spiders at all but one of the oldest arthropods to grace planet Earth.
Simplicity is their motto, being little more than a tube within a tube. Many sea spiders have legs that glow in the dark.
#14
Herd Of Sea Pigs
These cute little pink pigs, found in the Freycinet Marine Reserve off Tasmania, are the ocean’s vacuum cleaners, using their tube-like feet to move across the abyssal mud and hoovering up micro-organisms.
Aahzmandus Pervect 7 years ago
They probably lose their color soon after being taken out of the water, so they might have been pink, but have never been cute.
Load More Replies...
Pattie Kelly 7 years ago
OK people look at this fish and tell me how many "feet" they have? I bet it's more than 4.
Alona Bilunka 7 years ago
Cute? What? They are disgusting! Wouldn’t touch any of the animals on the list ... all look creepy. Almost,feels like they will jump on you . . .
diane a 7 years ago
I thought wildlife rerserves were about conservation and protection
Load More Replies... #15
Pancake Urchin
These round discs of concentrated urchin are not actually flat in their natural habitat.
Pattie Kelly 7 years ago
Now I have seen them in the ocean and on the beach they are round. Nothing flat about them.
#16
Flesh-Eating Crustaceans
Crustaceans such as this amphipod are deep-sea scavengers and will eat almost anything nutritious they come across – including the decaying remains of a dead whale, drifted down from the world above.
Stephanie Hansen 7 years ago
Looks like a sea rolly polly, which I only found out recently are actually crustaceans as well and not bugs.
#17
Tripod Fish
These iconic abyssal fishes, often called spiderfishes, prop high off the sea floor on their stilt-like fins.
Like all fishes in the spiderfish family, they have very reduced eyes.
To feed, they face into the current, extending their elongated pectoral fins forward and “feel” their prey items drifting by.
Tiny Dynamine 7 years ago
Very likely because 1. fish breathe water and 2. humans were involved and most think they can do whatever they want.
Load More Replies...
Rebecca Thuesen 7 years ago
What is it with the writer of this article? The plural of fish is FISH! The only time it's appropriate to use 'fishes', written og verbally, is when you are quoting The Godfather.
Fireworksworld 7 years ago
Just checked it because I also thought that it's said "fishes" but it's appear to be one or the other. There are no precise rule about when you can use "fish" and when you can use "fishes". Although the site that I checked said that "we can use "fishes" when we are talking about different species". Apparently "Fishes" is a biological term.
Load More Replies... 
Add New Image
What do you think ?
Zori the degu 7 years ago
It's a very rare occasion to find a list that has animals I've never heard of. That's the biggest drawback of being zoology freak. However, this one had lots of species I've never heard of(in fact, like 70% of all)! Creepy but awesome, nonetheless! Thanks for sharing!
Ankita Pattanayak 7 years ago
The deep oceans are still unexplored and this could be just 0.1% of all species in there.
Load More Replies...
Myriam Ickx 7 years ago
Thrilling pictures that show how little of the marine life we know. Yes, the species already discovered represent a tiny percentage of what may be existing down there. The most amazing point is the fact that life can exist in places where the lack of light, scarcity of food and enormous pressure would make you think that nothing can survive these conditions. Nature is truly marvelous in its many inventions and adaptations, and, unfortunately, we are ruining a lot of it without even knowing it or caring to know.
Youn Le Goff Jędrzejowicz 7 years ago
With the pressure difference, shouldn't they explode when brought to the surface ?
Alessandra Ricotta 7 years ago
I LOOOVEEEE what's hiding in the deep waters of the oceans! More pls!
jevais 7 years ago
How sad that humans have already destroyed half the world's oceans, now they (humans) must kill animals that will never be in contact with us. Scientists should find ways to clear up the mess that humans have made on Mother Earth. No respect, money, sex, selfish politicians, creed, wars, all of these rule this World. No wonder we are all going straight into the wall. Why spend money for scientists to do such research.
Zori the degu 7 years ago
It's a very rare occasion to find a list that has animals I've never heard of. That's the biggest drawback of being zoology freak. However, this one had lots of species I've never heard of(in fact, like 70% of all)! Creepy but awesome, nonetheless! Thanks for sharing!
Ankita Pattanayak 7 years ago
The deep oceans are still unexplored and this could be just 0.1% of all species in there.
Load More Replies... Myriam Ickx 7 years ago
Thrilling pictures that show how little of the marine life we know. Yes, the species already discovered represent a tiny percentage of what may be existing down there. The most amazing point is the fact that life can exist in places where the lack of light, scarcity of food and enormous pressure would make you think that nothing can survive these conditions. Nature is truly marvelous in its many inventions and adaptations, and, unfortunately, we are ruining a lot of it without even knowing it or caring to know.
Youn Le Goff Jędrzejowicz 7 years ago
With the pressure difference, shouldn't they explode when brought to the surface ?
Alessandra Ricotta 7 years ago
I LOOOVEEEE what's hiding in the deep waters of the oceans! More pls!
jevais 7 years ago
How sad that humans have already destroyed half the world's oceans, now they (humans) must kill animals that will never be in contact with us. Scientists should find ways to clear up the mess that humans have made on Mother Earth. No respect, money, sex, selfish politicians, creed, wars, all of these rule this World. No wonder we are all going straight into the wall. Why spend money for scientists to do such research.
Related on Bored Panda
