CRAZY SEA CREATURES
Added on: 21st Dec 2014
LONGHORN COWFISH
Looking more like a Pokemon cartoon than anything the
Longhorn cow fish has been described as “cute” by
some people. Unfortunately for them, this little fellow is
especially dangerous and releases a highly lethal toxin
when under stress.
FLYING GURNARD
The Flying Gurnards are known for their disproportionately
large pectoral fins. In spite of their name however, they can’t
actually fly and some scientists argue that they should
instead be called the Helmet Gurnard.
BASKET STAR
The basket star is one of the strangest looking brittle stars
in the sea. It is also one of the most durable as it has
mastered the art of longevity with a possible lifespan of up
to 35 years.
RED FLASHING JELLYFISH
A recent discovery, the Red Flashing Jelly Fish has red
tentacles which it uses to lure it’ prey. What has science
nerds so excited though is that this jelly fish emits the first
ever observed red lights in an invertebrate; an interesting
discovery since it was believed that animals in the deepest
part of the ocean could not detect red light.
BLACK SWALLOWER
Also named the great swallower, this freaky looking deep
sea fish can swallow fishes up to twice its length and
10 times its mass (talk about a big stomach). Sometimes, it
can swallow fishes that are so large that they can’t even be
digested before decomposition sets in which results in excess
gas making the swallower float to the ocean surface.
WEEDY SEADRAGON
The marine emblem of the Australian State of Victoria can
only be found in the Australian waters of the Eastern Indian
Ocean. The dragons get their name from their leaf like
appearance which they use for camouflage. A relative of
the seahorse; dragons share similar appearances and
can measure up to 18 inches.
SEA SCORPION
Sea scorpions, or Eurypterids, are an extinct group of
arthropods related to arachnids which include the largest
known arthropods that ever lived. Although extinct, numerous
fossils have been found scattered all across the globe.
For all you science buffs out there, we realize the photo is
ambiguous, improbable, and likely photo shopped. But it
gives a good depiction of what one of these creatures
would look like.
TONGUE-EATING LOUSE
Like something straight out of Aliens; this parasitic louse’s
life revolves around destroying a fish’s tongue and
replacing it with…itself. Also known as Cymothoa exigua, the
female enters a fish’s mouth and attaches itself to the
base of the tongue. After it has destroyed it, the louse
will attach itself to the stub and act as the fish’s tongue.
Thank goodness we don’t have anything like that on land!
MATSUBA KOI (HUMAN FACED FISH)
No, it doesn’t actually have a human face. But, some
members of the species come pretty close and have
very human like characteristics such as eyes and noses
appearing on their heads.
YETI CRAB
Named after the mythical Yeti, this deep sea creature
lives in hydrothermal vents at the bottom of the ocean.
Males prefer warmer waters and the females who carry
the eggs and the younger ones prefer the coldest.
LEAFY SEADRAGON
With numerous protrusions all over its body serving as
camouflage it is popularly called a “leafy” and is also the
marine emblem of the state of South Australia.
SKELETON SHRIMP
Caprellidae is a family of amphipods commonly known
as skeleton shrimps. Their common name denotes the
threadlike slender body which allows them to virtually
disappear among the fine filaments of seaweed,
hydroids and bryozoans. They are sometimes also
known as ghost shrimps.
FIREFLY SQUID
Although it looks like the common squid, the sparkling
enope squid or firefly squid only grows up to 3 inches
(7.6 cm) long when it matures and dies after one year.
It is commercially fished in Japan and is known for
lighting up the shoreline when large numbers get
washed up.
CARPET SHARK
One look at the photo should explain the name.
Although not all carpet sharks resemble carpets to
this extent, as you can see some really live up to
their name.
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