When you think of marine animals and sea creatures, what comes to mind? Most of us conjure up images of friendly whales, cheerful dolphins, a colorful school of fish or two. Who could deny the general adorable-ness of the seahorse, or be afraid of an ancient sea turtle? As cute and cuddly as those animals are, they aren’t what this post is about. No, this post is about the creatures that live in the deeper, darker spots in the ocean, lurking in wait to scare the hell out of you should you ever encounter them. In other words, you won’t find Nemo here — but you might find the anglerfish who tries to meet him. Check out the lesser-known crowd that lives in the ocean in the images below. Sure, not all of them are scary — but some of them are so scary that they make up for the time you thought you were safe (that octopus might look like a cartoon, but the viperfish might be nearby). All we can say is, just be glad you can’t swim that deep.Yes, it really looks like this. The terrifying deep sea creature has a growth on its head called an esca. Essentially, the esca acts as a lure for the anglerfish’s prey.
The strategy is known as “sit and wait” hunting. Essentially, their food just tends to swim right into their mouths.
The bacteria metabolize certain chemicals and create their own light. That is known as bioluminescence.
This terror is called a Fangtooth and is known to be robust compared to many other fish of the deep sea. They can also survive in aquariums.
Those characteristics are crucial for surviving in the deep waters — and make it easier for their potential meals to swim right in.
As for these creatures, it appears that the fish on the left has as similar technique to attract prey as the Anglerfish does. The lure in this case seems to be hypnotic to its prey.
We’re not embarrassed to admit that we’re glad these guys live in the deepest, darkest sea so we don’t ever have to see them.
The Grimpoteuthis is a genus of pelagic umbrella octopus. It lives at the bottom of the sea and is rarely seen by humans.
There are 13 species in the genus, and naturally, these guys are the most adorable. Seriously, someone get this guy a reality show.
The Frilled Shark capture prey by bending their bodies and lunging forward like snakes. Nope, that’s not terrifying at all.
Hatchetfish are ghost-like creatures that have managed to evolve their strange shapes and bioluminescent photophores. In fact, that’s how they defend themselves from predators.
They have tubular eyes that are usually pointed upwards to be able to spot silhouettes of their next meal. Their eyes protrude from their heads, but are protected by a translucent dome.
Another name for it is the sea nut. They are found in the Arctic, and they are carnivorous creatures with sticky tentacles that release an adhesive goo in order to catch their prey.
It’s the only known jellyfish of its species, and instead of floating to the top to sting swimmers, it keeps it casual on the ocean floor.
It’s long snout makes it look otherworldly in the most disturbing possible way. Their noses can sense minute electric fields by nearby prey, making it easier for them to snatch the prey up.
Viperfish have long, needle-like teeth, hinged lower jaws, and lure their victims with their light-producing organs. Once the victims get close, they attack. Needless to say, let’s just hope that victim is never you.
