The sea, which most people associate with summer vacations and a wonderful pastime on a sandy beach under the scorching rays of the sun, is the source of most unsolved mysteries stored in uncharted depths.
The existence of life under water
Swimming, having fun and enjoying the sea during vacations, people do not realize that it is not far from them. And there, in the zone of deep impenetrable darkness, where not a single ray of sunlight reaches, where there are no acceptable conditions for the existence of any organisms, there is a deep-sea world.
The first research of the deep sea
The first natural scientist who dared to plunge into the abyss in order to check whether there are inhabitants of the deep sea was William Bib, an American zoologist who specially assembled an expedition to explore the unknown world from the Bahamas. Plunging to the bottom in the bathyscaphe to a depth of 790 meters, the scientist discovered a wide variety of living organisms. The monsters of the deep sea - fish of impressive sizes in all colors of the rainbow with hundreds of paws and sparkling teeth - sparkled the impenetrable water.
The studies of this fearless man made it possible to break down the myths about the impossibility of life at the bottom due to the lack of light and the presence of the highest pressure that does not allow the presence of any organisms. The truth is that the deep-sea inhabitants, adapting to the environment, create their own pressure similar to the external. The existing fatty layer helps these organisms to swim freely at great depths (up to 11 kilometers). Eternal darkness accommodates such unusual creatures: the eyes that they don’t need there replace baroreceptors - special organs of touch and smell, which allow you to instantly respond to the slightest changes around.
Fantastic images of sea monsters
Deep-sea monsters have a frighteningly ugly appearance, associated with fantastic images captured in the paintings of the most daring artists. Huge jaws, sharp teeth, lack of eyes, external coloring - all this is so unusual that it seems unrealistic, invented. In fact, the inhabitants of the deep sea in order to survive are forced to simply adapt to the whims of the environment.
After many studies, scientists came to the conclusion that even today the most ancient forms of life can exist on the seabed, hidden at great depths from ongoing evolutionary processes. And to this day, you can meet spiders the size of a plate and jellyfish with 6-meter tentacles.
Megalodon: Monster Shark
Of great interest is megalodon - a prehistoric animal of enormous size. The weight of this monster is up to 100 tons with a 30-meter length. The two-meter mouth of the monster is dotted with several rows of 18-centimeter teeth (there are 276 in total), sharp as a razor.
The life of an amazing inhabitant of the deep sea terrifies marine animals, none of which are able to resist his power. The remains of triangular teeth, which had deep-sea monsters, are found in rocks in almost all corners of the planet, which indicates their widespread distribution. At the beginning of the 20th century, Australian fishermen met with megalodon at sea, which confirms the version of its existence in our days.
Anglerfish or Monkfish
A rare deep-sea animal of an ugly appearance - a monkfish (anglerfish), first discovered in 1891, lives in salty waters. In place of the missing scales on his body are ugly tubercles and growths, and around his mouth hang swaying rags of skin resembling algae. Due to the dark color, which makes it plain, dotted with spikes of a giant head and a huge mouth gap, this deep-sea animal is rightfully considered the most ugly on planet Earth.
Several rows of sharp teeth and a long fleshy process sticking out of the head and serving as bait represent a real threat to fish. Luring the victim with the light of a “fishing rod” equipped with a special gland, the anglerfish draws her to the mouth itself, forcing her to swim inside of her own free will. Featuring incredible gluttony, these amazing inhabitants of the deep sea can attack prey that is several times larger than them in size. If the outcome is unsuccessful, both die: the victim is from wounds, the aggressor is from suffocating.
Interesting facts about breeding anglers
The fact of reproduction of these fish is of interest: the male, when meeting with a girlfriend, digs into her teeth, growing to the gill cover. By connecting to someone else's circulatory system and eating the juices of the female, the male individual actually becomes one with her, losing the jaws, intestines, eyes that have become unnecessary. The main function of attached fish during this period is the production of sperm. Several males may be attached to one female, several times smaller than her in size and weight, which, if the latter dies, die with her. Being a commercial fish, the monkfish is considered a delicacy. His meat is especially appreciated by the French.
Huge squid - mesonichtevis
Of the most famous mollusks of the planet, living at great depths, mesonichtevis - a colossal squid with a streamlined body shape, allowing it to move at great speed, is striking in its size. The eye of this monster of the deep sea is considered the largest on the planet, reaching a diameter of 60 centimeters. The first description of the huge inhabitant of the seabed, the existence of which people did not even suspect, is found in documents of 1925. They describe the discovery by fishermen of a 1.5-meter tentacle of squid in the stomach of a sperm whale. In 2010, a representative of this group of mollusks weighing more than 100 kg and about 4 meters long was thrown off the coast of Japan. Scientists suggest that adults reach 5 meters in size and weigh about 200 kilograms.
It was previously believed that the squid is able to destroy its enemy - the sperm whale - by holding it under water. In reality, the threat to the mollusk’s victim is represented by its tentacles, with which it penetrates the victim’s breath. A feature of the squid is its ability to exist for a long time without food, so the latter’s lifestyle is inactive, involving camouflage and a quiet pastime in anticipation of an unfortunate victim.
Amazing sea dragon
With its fantastic appearance in the thickness of salty waters stands out deciduous sea dragon (rag, sea pegasus). Translucent fins of a greenish tint, covering the body and serving to mask unusual fish, resemble a colorful plumage and constantly sway from the movement of water.
Inhabited only off the coast of Australia, the rag reaches a length of 35 centimeters. He swims very slowly, with a maximum speed of up to 150 m / h, which is in the hands of any predator. The life of an amazing inhabitant of the deep sea consists of many dangerous situations in which salvation is their own appearance: clinging to plants, the deciduous sea dragon merges with them and becomes completely invisible. The male carries the offspring in a special bag in which the female lays eggs. These inhabitants of the deep sea for children are especially interesting because of their unusual appearance.
Giant isopod
In the sea space, among the many unusual creatures, such inhabitants of the sea depths as isopods (giant crayfish), reaching a length of up to 1.5 m and weighing up to 1.5 kg, stand out in size. The body, covered with movable rigid plates, is reliably protected from predators, when they appear, the crayfish curl up into a ball.
Most of the representatives of these crustaceans, preferring solitude, live at a depth of up to 750 meters and are in a state close to hibernation. Amazing inhabitants of the sea depths feed on sedentary prey: small fish, sea cucumbers descending to the bottom of carrion. At times, hundreds of cancers can be observed devouring the decaying carcasses of dead sharks and whales. Lack of food at depth adapted the crayfish to calmly do without it for a long time (up to several weeks). Most likely, the accumulated layer of fat, which is gradually and rationally spent, helps them to maintain vital functions.
Drop fish
One of the most terrible inhabitants of the bottom on the planet is a drop fish (for deep-sea photos see below).
Small close-set eyes and a large mouth with downward angles vaguely resemble the face of a sad person. It is assumed that fish lives at a depth of up to 1.2 km. Outwardly, it is a shapeless gelatinous lump, the density of which is slightly less than the density of water. This allows the fish to safely swim for long distances, swallowing everything edible and without spending any special effort. The lack of scales and the strange shape of the body put the existence of this organism at risk of extinction. Inhabited off the coast of Tasmania and Australia, it easily becomes the prey of fishermen and is sold as souvenirs.
When laying eggs, a drop-fish sits on eggs until the last, subsequently carefully and for a long time taking care of the hatched fry. Trying to find quiet and uninhabited places for them in deep water, the female responsibly guards her babies, ensuring their safety and helping to survive in difficult conditions. Without natural enemies in nature, these inhabitants of the deep sea can accidentally, along with algae, get caught only in fishing nets.
Meshkoglot: small and gluttonous
At a depth of up to 3 kilometers, a perch-like representative lives - a sack-gulp (black eater). This name was given to the fish due to its ability to feed on prey several times its size. She can swallow organisms four times longer than herself and ten times harder. This is due to the absence of ribs and the elasticity of the stomach. For example, the corpse of a 30-centimeter sackcloth discovered near the Cayman Islands contained the remains of a fish about 90 cm long. Moreover, the victim was a rather aggressive mackerel, which causes complete bewilderment: how did a small fish overcome a large and strong rival?
These amazing inhabitants of the deep sea have a dark color, a medium-sized head and large jaws with three front teeth on each of them, forming sharp fangs. With their help, the sackcloth holds its victim, pushing it into the stomach. Moreover, the production, often large in size, is not immediately digested, which causes cadaveric decomposition directly in the stomach itself. The gas released as a result raises the sackcloth to the surface, where they find strange representatives of the seabed.
Murena - a dangerous predator of the deep sea
In the waters of the warm seas you can meet a giant moray eel - a terrible three-meter creature with an aggressive and evil character. A smooth, scaleless body allows the predator to disguise itself effectively in the muddy bottom, waiting for prey to pass by. The moray eel spends most of its life in shelters (on a rocky bottom or in coral reefs with their cracks and grottoes), where it awaits prey.
Outside the caves, usually remains the front of the body and head with a constantly open mouth. The color of moray eels is a wonderful disguise: a yellow-brown color with spots scattered across it resembles the color of a leopard. Moray eats crustaceans and any fish that can be caught. For eating sick and weak individuals, it is also called a "sea orderly." Sad cases of eating people are known. This happens due to the inexperience of the latter when dealing with fish and with its persistent pursuit. Having seized the prey, the predator will open its jaws only after its death, and not earlier.
