The Mariana Trench is known as the deepest place in the oceans. Its length is about 1, 500 km, and the depth is 10, 994 m. Its shape resembles a crescent. Today we will discuss the animals of the Mariana Trench. Photos will also be provided.
What do we know about her?
The depression is located in the western part of the Pacific Ocean and is still of great interest to scientists. All because the study of its depths is a difficult task due to the high pressure of the water. However, researchers have long determined that life at the bottom of the Mariana Trench is, despite the enormous pressure, complete darkness and low temperature. And it is absolutely unique, and sometimes even terrifying. It is supported by geysers that throw numerous minerals into the water. They support life at the bottom of the trench.
In the Mariana Trench there is an active volcano Daikoku, which is located at a depth of 400 meters. It is absolutely unique. Scientists discovered a natural phenomenon similar to him only on the satellite of Jupiter - Io. The fact is that regular eruptions formed a lake of pure molten sulfur in the crater. This pit bubbles with a black mixture at a temperature of 187 degrees Celsius.
At the bottom of the Mariana Trench - viscous silt, which in fact is the remains of mollusks and plankton. If you consider that it is considered the oldest part of the ocean, you can imagine how long this layer has formed.
Numerous studies
In 1960, the American bathyscaphe "Trief" sank to the flat bottom of the Mariana Trench and stayed there for 12 whole minutes. Alas, no one else was able to repeat this feat. While in the gutter, researchers managed to see several fish unknown to science.
In the 90s of the last century, scientists managed to take soil samples from the bottom of the Mariana Trench. They discovered microorganisms that were several billion years old. However, not only they live in the mysterious depths of the gutter. There are monster fish that look worthy of horror films. In 2009, researchers also managed to discover amazing fish that emit light.
It is noteworthy that as a result of several dives, the equipment was damaged. In 1996, the New York Times published shocking material about sinking equipment into the Mariana Trench from the American scientific vessel Glomar Challenger. Researchers say they heard the terrifying sounds of rattle on metal, and after lifting the equipment, they found that it was partially sawn. A similar incident occurred with the apparatus of the German Highfish team. It is noteworthy that the monitors showed a huge lizard that was trying to crack open a steel object.
James Cameron, director of Titanic, also plunged to the bottom of the hollow in 2012. He and his team designed a bathyscaphe for immersion for three years. He claimed that at her bottom he was seized with a feeling of loneliness, as if he had been cut off from the whole world.
So, what do we know about the animals of the Mariana Trench? Who lives in its depths? The fauna of the Mariana Trench, in theory, cannot be varied. However, truly unique creatures inhabit it. For example, there you can find terrible one and a half meter worms, mutated octopuses, huge starfish and some other two-meter soft-bodied creatures, the name of which has not yet been invented.
Amoebas and mollusks in shells
Amoeba is a unicellular. We were taught this at school. However, amoebae live on the bottom of the Mariana Trench, whose size reaches 10 cm. Moreover, they are resistant to mercury, lead and other elements of the periodic table that are harmful to humans.
Questions are also raised by mollusks, whose body is covered with a shell. The fact is that the pressure at depth is so great that even calcium is found there only in liquid form. Vertebrates cannot live there. If you put a turtle at the bottom, the shell would crush its body. However, shellfish covered with shells live perfectly at the bottom. There are also much more unusual animals in the Mariana Trench.
Black-headed shark
This is a relict representative of the cartilaginous fish family. Why relict? Because from the time of its existence in the Cretaceous period, it has not changed a bit.
The fish got its name for six rows of wavy gills about 1.8 meters long. But these are trifles in comparison with 20 rows of sharp jagged teeth. Her serpentine body reaches almost 2 meters in length. She feeds not only on mollusks or flounders, but also on other species of sharks. Although the shark lives at a depth of 1000 meters, so relatives rarely come across to her. Recently, scientists have found that, if necessary, this species is capable of vertical migration, that is, approaching the surface.
Brownie Shark
Another view of the terrifying inhabitants of the Mariana Trench. Her animals are truly unique. A shark-brownie (or goblin) lives at a depth of 900 meters. Moreover, the older it is, the deeper it sinks. Therefore, the chance to meet her in the coastal waters is small. Its length is more than five meters.
Dragon fish
This creature reaches a length of only 16 cm, but is a ferocious predator. The marine creature is very reminiscent of a representative of an alien civilization - a predator from the movie "Alien". Alas, scientists were not able to study the fish, because after rising to the surface, it lived quite a bit due to the temperature difference. However, it is known that her body is capable of emitting light, which attracts a potential victim to it.
Viper fish
She lives at a depth of 3000 meters. The duration of her life in the depths is about 30-40 years. This creature is noteworthy in that it has huge fangs that extend beyond the jaw. Hunts for dragon fish.
Amphitretus pelagic
This amazing animal living in the Mariana Trench has a translucent body and amazing eyes resembling tubules. Eight tentacles are connected by the finest threads, like a cobweb. They can rotate around their axis. Amphitretus descends to a depth of 2000 meters.
Hatchet fish
This amazing, but creepy creature resembles a cleaver floating at a depth of 1.5 thousand meters. Like good nightlights, hatchets can change the degree of their glow depending on how much light comes from the surface. This trick helps them to remain unnoticed by predators.
Barrel eye
The uniqueness of this fish is that it has a transparent head, inside which you can see her … eyes. They usually look up to see a potential victim.
This fish was discovered back in 1939 at a depth of almost 800 meters. However, little is known about it, since the extracted specimen died even before it was pulled to the surface.
