Bonus creepy fact: The jaws and bodies of anglerfish are highly expandable, meaning they're able to swallow prey up to twice their own size. It has been recorded as far down as 5,000 metres below sea level, where the pressure is 500 times greater than that of land. Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute / Via, NTNU Vitenskapsmuseet/ Creative Commons / Via, Julian K Finn / Museum Victoria/ Creative Commons / Via, Sandra Raredon/Smithsonian Institution/Public Domain / Via, Flickr: JesseClaggett/Creative Commons / Via, Flickr: Damien du Toi/ Creative Commons / Via, Flickr: staticantics/ Creative Commons / Via, Masaki Miya et al./ Creative Commons / Via, Alexander Mayrhofer/ Creative Commons / Via. Giant isopods are creepy-looking crustaceans that could come straight from an Alien movie. They eat tiny crustaceans called sea lice and—as with sea horses—designate the males of the species to incubate eggs. Although it's a slender-looking beast, the black swallower has an expansive, expandable stomach that is capable of swallowing prey over twice its size and 10 times its mass. Their characteristic mode of predation is by using a fleshy growth from their head as a fishing lure, waving it back and forth to attract pray. With a multitude of yellowish or greenish appendages that allow it to camouflage itself as seaweed, this 14-inch deep sea creature, closely related to sea horses and pipefish, makes its home in the waters off south and east Australia, according to National Geographic. Bonus creepy fact: Ever seen pictures of sperm whales with scars on their backs? They're generally scavengers, but have been known to use their four sets of jaws to feed on live prey. They are able to instantly snap forward to capture prey. Lela Nargi is a veteran journalist covering science, sustainability, climate, and agriculture for Readers Digest, Washington Post, Sierra, NPR, The Counter, JSTOR Daily, and many other outlets. Bonus creepy fact: The jaws of a frilled shark are lined with 25 rows of backward-facing, trident-shaped teeth. Top predator lionfish are hunted by no other deep sea creature and lay as many as 2 million eggs—each—per year. We are no longer supporting IE (Internet Explorer), National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, only one of infinite numbers of amazing sights in the world’s oceans, 23 more of the biggest animals in the world, the strangest animal living in each state, Do Not Sell My Personal Information – CA Residents. They have the greatest leg span of any invertebrate animal, boasting a spine-tingling length of up to 5.5 metres from claw to claw, and can weigh up to 19kg. Using photophores located across its dorsal spine, the viperfish lures unwilling prey before capturing them in its long, needle-like fangs. Bonus creepy fact: Although the largest species averages a length between 19-36 centimetres, there have been sightings of isopods that are 76 centimetres long. Living in up to 2,000 feet of cold water, this family of nine species of long-nosed, scaleless fish is native to the Southern Hemisphere. We hold major institutions accountable and expose wrongdoing. According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), they all have two pairs of antennae, compound eyes, and four sets of jaws. The largest anthropods on Earth, according to National Geographic, spider crabs live at depths of 1,000 feet (although some have been found as deep as 1,800 feet) in Pacific waters around Japan. Self care and ideas to help you live a healthier, happier life. It’s a known cannibal—although it also enjoys a meal of stingray or crab. Covered in black, velvety skin is this eel-like monster, which resides in the darkness of the ocean 3,000 metres below the surface. Bonus creepy fact: An alternative name for the stareater is snaggletooth, which most likely refers to its sharp, needle-like teeth it uses to catch prey. They lay the largest eggs (5 cm) in the invertebrate kingdom, which take a year to hatch. Bonus creepy fact: The odd, stitch-like lines you see on chimaeras are actually sensory organs that detect movements and vibrations in the water. Don’t confuse the pigfish with Florida’s hogfish, named for the way it roots around the seafloor with its snout, trying to rustle up prey. Most creatures have to depend on food floating down from above. Little is known about these chimaeras, which were only filmed recently in their natural habitat for the first time. Nautilus tentacles called cirri allow them to pry the dead animals they scavenge from the seafloor from their shells. Bonus creepy fact: Sometimes the black swallower bites off more than it can chew, meaning that its meal may begin decomposing in its stomach before it can be digested. *Huge sluuuurrrp sound.*. The deep ocean is full of wonders and the anglerfish is another one of them. Bonus creepy fact: The goblin shark's skin is semi-transperent, so that pinkish hue you see is actually a direct look at their insides. Bonus creepy fact: Similar to the fangtooth, the viperfish's large fangs are unable to fit inside their mouth. Seldom observed by humans, the species lurks deep in the Atlantic and Pacific oceans at depths between 120 and 1580 metres. Technically the monkfish isn't strictly a deep sea fish, but various species have been found at depths of 1,000 metres. A solitary, foraging predator of the ocean around Japan, Alaska, and California, this is the biggest octopus of all; the largest recorded weighed 600 pounds and measured 30 feet, according to Oceana. This futuristic-looking fish is named for its barrel-shaped, tubular eyes that are directed upwards to detect prey. We are no longer supporting IE (Internet Explorer) as we strive to provide site experiences for browsers that support new web standards and security practices. Discover unique things to do, places to eat, and sights to see in the best destinations around the world with Bring Me! Recently found in the waters between Australia and New Zealand is this aggressive-looking fish. Bonus creepy fact: Spider crabs can survive with up to three legs missing, and are able to grow back their missing limbs during successive molts. Very little is known about this mysterious, scarlet-bodied creature that is thought to reside at lightless depths of up to 900 metres. In comparison to the other marine life on this list, this creature looks relatively docile. The conditions down here are extreme – there's no light, no plant life, and the environment is entirely still because it is unaffected by storms or ocean currents. The Giant isopod is in good company, from other unbelievable underwater species to an underwater graveyard, the 13 creepiest things you can find at the bottom of the ocean give this crustacean a run for its money. The resulting gases released by the decomposing body forces the black swallower to the surface, where it cannot survive. Even hearing the name of this deep-sea monster would be enough to give anyone the chills. Bonus creepy fact: An odd characteristic of this species is the absence of some vertebras in its spine. Don't be fooled by its looks though. Obsessed with travel? The enormous species also has the largest eyes documented in the animal kingdom, with scientists estimating a 30-40cm (12-16 inches) in diameter. Bonus creepy fact: Some species of the stargazer fish can cause electric shocks via a special organ located behind its eye. Think again, because this marine creature is no bedtime story. This elusive ocean floor dweller is commonly referred to as a ghost shark. It can puncture its prey (lobsters, small sharks) with its beak during the four to five years of its life. The sixgill shark (a juvenile of the species is shown here) swims around in the serious deep—up to 8,200 feet, according to National Geographic—biding its time till nightfall when it rises to the surface of the ocean to feed. Thought the colossal squid was a made-up legend? Just like in Finding Nemo, the deep sea varieties of anglerfish have nightmarish mouths filled with long, fanged teeth. Their seven-segmented bodies have seven sets of legs for walking, and their six-segmented abdomens have more legs for swimming and breathing. They live up to 100 years—just like these 10 other longest living animals—scuttling around the ocean floor to find their food—although they often lose a delicate limb or two in their lifetimes. Bonus creepy fact: The reddish colouring of this squid isn't the only reason for its spooky name. Armed with four to six fang-like teeth on its jaws, there are a further three rows of crushing teeth behind that. These ancient, eight-armed cephalopods that are endangered in their home habitats in the Indo-Pacific, have existed in the deep seas of our planet for 500 million years. There are over 1,300 known species of sea spiders lurking both in the shallows and in waters as deep as 7,000 metres. Well those scars are believed to have been caused by the hook-like tentacles of a colossal squid. Like other octopus species, this one has three hearts and nine brains. It's clear where this bottom-dwelling wolffish gets its name from. Their shells contain chambers that are filled with air for buoyancy—except for the last and largest of them, which contains the animal itself. Here the saturation of oxygen may be as low as 3%, but the vampire squid is easily able to thrive in these suffocating conditions.