Oceans cover approximately 72 percent of the Earth’s surface and the deepest point, at the Mariana Trench in the Pacific Ocean, is around seven miles. Only a tiny fraction of the Earth’s oceans have been explored and, in fact, we know a great deal more about the surface of Mars than these regions of our own world. Oceanographers are constantly discovering new species of sea life, particularly far beneath the surface in the deepest, darkest depths of the oceans. Here are five of the most remarkable creatures of the sea.
The Colossal Squid
Aside from its slightly smaller sibling, the giant squid, which is also an extremely rare deep sea dweller; the colossal squid is an absolute monster growing to a maximum estimated length of almost 50 feet. Only a handful of specimens have ever been recovered. One of the most notable is one which was caught by a fishing boat near Antarctica. This one proved to be the largest cephalopod ever caught, with a length of 33 feet. This rather unwieldy-looking creature is now on display in the national museum of New Zealand.
The Immortal Jellyfish
Biological immortality might sound like something that belongs to fantasy fiction, but there is actually one species in the world which is truly biologically immortal. Turritopsis nutricula, as it is known as in the scientific world, the immortal jellyfish, is the only life form known to boast this truly bizarre quality. Once it reaches its adult form as a medusa, it reverts to a polyp, which is basically a baby jellyfish. This process of starting its life cycle from scratch can, theoretically go on indefinitely.
The Blobfish
The uninspiringly named blobfish, not exactly a looker if a quick Google Image search is anything to go by, lives at a depth of around 3,000 feet. This miserable-looking blob of gelatinous unpleasantness grows up to twelve inches in length. A rather lazy creature, the fish floats around just above the seabed, thanks to its low density, without making any effort to actually swim. Sadly, however, this ugly, yet remarkable, creature is also facing extinction at the hands of deep-sea fishing.
The Yeti Crab
Among the many unusual creatures which dwell around hydrothermal vents deep below the ocean’s surface is the yeti crab, known officially as the kiwa. The crab is characterized by its huge, hairy pincers and a beige body color. It was first discovered in 2005, strolling around the sea bed near a hydrothermal vent some 7,200 feet beneath the waves. A closely related creature of the same taxonomic group was also discovered a year later.
The Dumbo Octopus
Known as grimpoteuthis among marine biologists, the Dumbo octopi are known for their large fins which look rather like ears. They live deeper under the surface of the oceans than any other known species of octopi, thriving at depths of up to two miles. Some of these animals grow to be particularly large with lengths extending to as much as six feet and weighing up to 13 pounds. Dumbo octopi mostly float around just above the seabed looking for prey. Scientists have discovered eighteen species of the Dumbo octopus.
