Marine animals are very diverse. These include both huge giant whales and microscopic plankton. Captures the diversity of the inhabitants of the deep sea.
Photos of whales
The largest animals in the sea are whales. However, not only at sea, but also on land, whales have no equal in size.
In total, there are about 130 species of whales left on Earth, and approximately 40 extinct species of whales are known. Depending on the species, the length of whales ranges from 2 to 25 meters. The world's largest species is the blue whale.
Whales live in all oceans and almost all seas of our planet. IN northern waters whales feel great thanks to a thick layer of fat.
Most whales feed on small fish and plankton. But there is also a more predatory species of whale that hunts large animals - the killer whale. This is one of the most beautiful whales.
Although killer whales are similar in appearance to dolphins, they are very different from them. The most noticeable distinctive feature Killer whales are characterized by their contrasting black and white coloring.
Killer whales hunt for everything they can catch and are quite voracious. If killer whales lead a sedentary lifestyle, they feed on fish and small sea animals. Migrating killer whales can even attack sperm whales. There are known cases of killer whales attacking a herd of elk crossing a pond.
Photos of sharks
Another type of large marine predator is sharks. These are basically large predatory fish, which for billions of years have practically not changed their appearance in the process of evolution.
Like whales, sharks live in almost all oceans and seas. There are sharks that feed on fish, but there is also a species that feeds on plankton - the whale shark.
Photo of moray eel
Another genus of marine predatory fish is moray eels. They live in the Atlantic and Indian Oceans, Mediterranean and Red Seas.
Moray eels can be confused with snakes; they are very similar in appearance. But the appearance of moray eels is very disgusting, although there are terrible lovers of these fish.
In ancient European mythology, the moray eel became the prototype of huge sea monsters. Some ancients believed that moray eels are juvenile sea monsters; when they grow up, they swim far into the ocean.
Photos of dolphins
Probably the most beloved sea animals by people are dolphins. There are also many types of them in different sizes. Dolphins accompany various ships and bring joy to people with their jumps from the water.
Dolphins are mammals, not fish.
The life of dolphins in captivity is halved, but in the wild they live up to 50 years. Probably melancholy and despondency in captivity oppresses them.
Dolphins love to communicate with people; they are kind and social animals by nature. but these sea animals are tactful and never impose themselves.
Photos of seals
Seals live in the northern seas and oceans. These are carnivorous pinnipeds that establish colonies on coastal rocks. Such places serve as a refuge for them from predators.
Their main food is fish, but they do not mind eating shrimp or other crustaceans and mollusks.
See.
One of the most voracious seals is the leopard seal.
This species of seal got its name because of the unique shape of the male’s nose and because of its enormous size. Males of this species can reach six meters in length and weigh more than four tons.
Another large species of seal lives in the north of Russia - the bearded seal. The largest sea hares weigh 360 kg.
But despite its size, the bearded seal can become prey for a polar bear.
Photo of a walrus
Other pinnipeds that inhabit the seas are walruses. They have powerful tusks.
Only males have tusks. They use them as weapons during fights for females during the mating season.
Walruses can fend for themselves, as they are very large animals. But killer whales and polar bears are a threat to them.
Let's finish with pinnipeds and move on to mollusks.
Octopus photo
“Eight legs” is what this sea creature was called in ancient Greece. And the octopus lives up to its name.
Octopuses inhabit tropical and subtropical seas. In total there are more than 200 species.
Octopuses are able to change their color to camouflage themselves from other predators and use camouflage to wait for their prey. They can even take on the appearance of a predator and copy its behavior.
Photo of cuttlefish
The cuttlefish, like the octopus, is a cephalopod.
The cuttlefish has a beak-like mouth. It's hard to see behind the tentacles in the photo, but believe me, it can bite through a crab's shell.
Like octopuses, cuttlefish can change color and blend into an area in order to hide from an enemy or lie in ambush.
In total, approximately 30 species of cuttlefish are known. The smallest species measures 1.5-1.8 centimeters.
Photo of squid
Squids are another cephalopod. Squids inhabit all seas and oceans, including the northern ones. Northern species of squid are somewhat smaller and are often colorless. Other species also rarely have bright colors.
It is unknown how many species of squid live on our planet. Many species live at great depths, which makes them difficult to study.
Typically, the size of squid is 25 - 50 cm. But there is a unique species - the giant squid, its size can reach 18 meters. Some deep-sea species of squid are able to glow, so they attract prey in the pitch darkness of the deep sea.
Many types of squid have wing fins on their sides. These organs act as a balancer when swimming, and using them the squid can accelerate and jump out of the water to escape a predator.
Photos of crabs
From cephalopods we move on to crabs. These are representatives of the class Crustaceans.
These marine animals have five pairs of paws, one of which has evolved into claws. A crab can lose a claw in a fight, but it then grows back, like the tail of a lizard.
There are many types of crabs and they are very diverse in size and color. Different species feed completely differently; the diet may consist of algae, crustaceans, small fish or shellfish.
Lobster photo
Large crustaceans live in the oceans and seas: lobsters and lobsters. Lobsters are similar to regular crayfish, only they have larger claws.
Basically, the color of different types of lobsters is very simple, camouflage. This is caused by the presence large number these animals have enemies. But sometimes there are mutant individuals with an unusual color.
This is a blue lobster, a very rare specimen. One in two million lobsters has this color. Yellow, red, white or two-color lobsters are even more rare.
Photos of lobsters
Another large crustacean is lobsters. These crustaceans prefer warm waters, unlike lobsters, which are also found in cold waters.
Lobsters do not live at depths greater than 200 meters. They try to settle in places where they can find refuge. Many predators do not mind eating lobster.
Lobsters are loners. Lobsters spend their entire lives, except for the breeding season, in solitude, without communicating with members of their genus.
Marine animals also include seabirds. For example, penguins are unique seabirds that live in the Southern Hemisphere.
Penguins live not only in Antarctica. There are large colonies of these birds in southern Australia and South America.
There are 18 known species of penguins. They are different in size, there are some differences in color. but the main color is contrasting black and white.
Have we already written about the terrible creatures of the animal world? The underwater world is much less explored by people. Of course, it is completely unfamiliar to humanity. Therefore, even more incredible creatures from our point of view are hidden under water. They sometimes look amazing, but often they are simply incredibly shocking, if not downright terrible, and often they really pose a great danger to a person who finds himself in the water element. So let’s plunge virtually and briefly into these dangerous and treacherous waters to get acquainted with their creepy inhabitants.
Sabertooth
The already small fish has a short body and a very large head. She lives in the depths of the oceans. Despite its small size - 15 centimeters in length - the saber-tooth still received the name man-eating fish because it looks very intimidating. Small body covered, as it were, with armor that reliably protects it from attacks by enemies. And four long and incredibly sharp teeth, for which the saber tooth received its main name, are a reliable weapon for killing its victims.
Witchfish (Hagfish)
This fish literally doesn’t even have a jaw at all. The hagfish lives at great depths, eats living and dead fish. The way she eats is undeniably terrible. The witchfish eats a hole through the gills of other fish, penetrates inside and eats its prey, starting with the entrails. Ultimately, only a skeleton remains of the victim. Witchfish can even attack sharks. The hagfish grows up to 40 centimeters in length. They know how to roll up into a knot, are nocturnal, and during the day they hide in the muddy bottom. They also differ in that they are the slimiest creatures on our planet, and also in that they can sneeze!
Giant squid
Photo: frontiersofzoology.blogspot.com
These inhabitants of the deep waters are quite well known because they reach enormous sizes. Science knows of individual specimens 13 meters long, and eyewitnesses claim to have met 20-meter squid. The food of scary animals is not only deep sea fish and animals, but also their relatives who are smaller in size. A special feature of the giant squid is the presence of ammonium chloride in its body, which allows it to float to the surface.
Goblin Shark
This shark received such a terrifying name for its bizarre appearance. The muzzle ends in a long beak-like outgrowth, and the long jaws can extend far. Because of this large outgrowth in front, the fish is also called a rhinoceros shark. The largest known specimen reached a length of 3.8 meters and weighed 210 kilograms. Scientists suggest that the unusual nose is needed to increase speed. It is considered a rather rare animal, partly because it hides well, but their numbers are really small.
Blob fish
Its appearance is not so terrible, but many people consider the blob fish to be extremely disgusting. The British Ugly Animal Society once held an online poll to choose the ugliest animal. The drop fish won in it. The community then made her their official mascot.
The blobfish looks more like a ball of slime than a Living being. But these fish live very deep in the ocean, where the water pressure is extremely high. And the blobfish's jelly-like appearance is a brilliant adaptation because its sticky flesh allows it to stay afloat in depths where gaseous bubbles can no longer function.
Sea Elephant
Although females and calves of elephant seals have a very pleasant appearance, males, when they reach sexual maturity at 3-5 years, acquire a large nose. Such sizes help to make especially loud, simply trumpet sounds, which are necessary to protect the territory.
Angler
The monkfish has a huge head, the entire mouth of which is filled with razor-sharp teeth. This, of course, is no representative of baked aquatic environment, but simply an extremely unappetizing and terribly bizarre type of fish, which in our time is already a delicacy. Although for many centuries, people did not consider fish to be edible at all, due to its repulsive appearance. But then we realized that such appearance is very deceptive. Now angler- an exquisite delicacy even in expensive restaurants.
Darwin's bat
Looking at Darwin's pipistrelle, you immediately get the impression that the fish is trying to compensate for its unusual body with lipstick. Scientists believe that males are attracted in this way bright red females These fish are most often found around the Galapagos Islands and near Peru. It is also interesting that Darwin's pipistrelle more often walks along the ocean floor than swims.
Anaconda
This is truly the most terrible snake on our planet, nicknamed the killer of elephants. And in the old days, the anaconda was simply called a water boa. She is the heaviest, weighing up to 250 kilograms, although there are rumors of much larger individuals. The anaconda on the ground is quite slow, but even here it is capable of killing very large animals. The eyes and nostrils, which are located at the very top of the head, help it in this - the snake can lie in the water, quietly watching its prey. The anaconda wraps itself around her and squeezes her, and the more the object she chooses resists, the stronger her embrace becomes.
The underwater world is mysterious and unique. It contains secrets that have not yet been solved by man. We invite you to get acquainted with the most unusual sea creatures and plunge into the unknown depths water world and see her beauty.
1. Atoll Jellyfish (Atolla vanhoeffeni)
The unusually beautiful Atoll jellyfish lives at such depths where sunlight does not penetrate. In times of danger, it can glow, attracting large predators. Jellyfish do not seem tasty to them, and predators eat their enemies with pleasure. 
This jellyfish is capable of emitting a bright red glow, which is a consequence of the breakdown of proteins in its body. As a rule, large jellyfish are dangerous creatures, but you should not be afraid of the Atoll, because its habitat is where no swimmer can reach.
2. Blue Angel (Glaucus atlanticus)
This very tiny mollusk rightfully deserves its name; it seems to float on the water surface. To become lighter and stay at the very edge of the water, it swallows air bubbles from time to time. 
These unusual creatures have an outlandish body shape. They are blue above and silver below. It is not for nothing that nature has provided such camouflage - the Blue Angel remains unnoticed by birds and sea predators. A thick layer of mucus around the mouth allows it to feed on small poisonous inhabitants seas.
3. Harp sponge (Chondrocladia lyra)
This mysterious marine predator has not yet been sufficiently studied. The structure of its body resembles a harp, hence the name. The sponge is inactive. It clings to the sediment of the seabed and hunts by gluing small underwater inhabitants to its sticky tips. 
The harp sponge covers its prey with a bactericidal film and gradually digests it. There are individuals with two or more lobes, which are connected in the center of the body. The more blades, the more food the sponge will catch.
4. Dumbo Octopus (Grimpoteuthis)
The octopus got its name because of its resemblance to the Disney hero, Dumbo the elephant, although it has a semi-gelatinous body of rather modest size. Its fins resemble elephant ears. He waves them around as he swims, which looks quite funny. 
Not only the “ears” help to move, but also the peculiar funnels located on the octopus’ body, through which it releases water under pressure. Dumbo lives at very great depths, so we don’t know much about him. Its diet consists of all kinds of mollusks and worms.
Octopus Dumbo
5. Yeti Crab (Kiwa hirsuta)
The name of this animal speaks for itself. A crab covered with white shaggy fur actually resembles Bigfoot. It lives in cold waters at such depths where there is no access to light, so it is completely blind. 
These amazing animals grow microorganisms on their claws. Some scientists believe that the crab needs these bacteria to purify the water from toxic substances, others suggest that the crabs grow food for themselves on the bristles.
6. Short-snouted pipistrelle (Ogcocephalus)
This fashionable fish with bright red lips can't swim at all. Living at a depth of more than two hundred meters, it has a flat body covered with a shell and fin-like legs, thanks to which the short-snouted bat slowly walks along the bottom. 
It obtains food using a special growth - a kind of retractable fishing rod with an odorous bait that attracts prey. The discreet coloring and spiked shell help the fish hide from predators. Perhaps this is the funniest animal among the inhabitants of the world's oceans.
7. Sea slug Felimare Picta
Felimare Picta is a species of sea slug that lives in Mediterranean waters. He looks very extravagant. The yellow-blue body seems to be surrounded by a delicate airy frill. 
Felimare Picta, although a mollusk, does without a shell. And why does he need her? In case of danger, the sea slug has something much more interesting. For example, acidic sweat that is released on the surface of the body. It's really bad luck for anyone who wants to treat themselves to this mysterious mollusk!
8. Flamingo tongue clam (Cyphoma gibbosum)
This creature is found on the western coast of the Atlantic Ocean. Having a brightly colored mantle, the mollusk completely covers its plain shell with it and thus protects it from negative influence marine organisms. 
Like an ordinary snail, the Flamingo's Tongue hides in its shell in case of impending danger. By the way, the mollusk received this name due to its bright color with characteristic spots. It prefers poisonous gongonaria as food. While eating, the snail absorbs the poison of its prey, after which it becomes poisonous itself.
9. Leafy sea dragon (Phycodurus eques)
The sea dragon is a true virtuoso of mimicry. It is all covered with “leaves”, which help it appear invisible against the backdrop of the underwater landscape. It is interesting that such abundant vegetation does not help the dragon move at all. Only two tiny fins located on its chest and back are responsible for its speed. The leaf dragon is a predator. It feeds by sucking prey into itself. 
Dragons feel comfortable in the shallow waters of warm seas. And these sea inhabitants are also known as excellent fathers, because it is the males who bear the offspring and take care of them.
10. Salps (Salpidae)
Salps are invertebrate marine inhabitants that have a barrel-shaped body, through the transparent shell of which the internal organs are visible. 
In the ocean depths, animals form long chains of colonies, which are easily broken even by a minor wave shock. Salps reproduce by budding.
11. Piglet squid (Helicocranchia pfefferi)
This strange and little-studied underwater creature resembles “Piglet” from the famous cartoon. The completely transparent body of the piglet squid is covered with pigment spots, the combination of which sometimes gives it a cheerful appearance. Around the eyes there are so-called photophores - organs of luminescence. 
This mollusk is leisurely. It's funny that the piggy squid moves upside down, which is why its tentacles look like forelocks. He lives at a depth of one hundred meters.
12. Ribbon moray eel (Rhinomuraena guaesita)
This underwater inhabitant is quite unusual. Throughout its life, the ribbon moray eel is capable of changing sex and color three times, depending on the stages of its development. So, when the individual is still immature, it is colored black or dark blue. 
Growing up to one hundred centimeters, the moray eel turns into a male and turns blue, and at the peak of maturation unique fish turns out to be a female and acquires a bright yellow color. Its body has no scales and is covered with bactericidal mucus, its nose resembles two delicate petals, and its mouth is always wide open, which gives the fish a menacing appearance. In fact, the moray eel is not at all aggressive, but keeps its mouth open due to underdeveloped gills.
13. Blobfish (Psychrolutes marcidus)
Drop fish - pretty14. Christmas tree worm (Spirobranchus giganteus)
Would it be possible to think that these unusual Christmas trees are worms, although not simple ones, but marine polychaetes? Their shape and bright coloring make these creatures elegant and unique. 
The bristles are very similar to feathers, but they are just digestive and respiratory organs, and the body is a calcareous tube. The “Christmas Tree” worm is a homebody. He spends his entire life in a hole in the coral, where one day he attaches himself, considering it the most suitable place for his existence.
The editors of the site invite you to get acquainted with the most unusual natural phenomena.
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The underwater world has been little studied; it is full of secrets and mysteries. In the abyss of the ocean lives a huge number of bright, diverse and amazing animals, including unsurpassed predators.
With some inhabitants underwater world we'll get to know each other better.
Pygmy seahorse
This is one of the most well-camouflaged inhabitants of the ocean. It takes a lot of effort to see this tiny creature measuring 2.5 cm among the dense thickets of coral. (Photo by David Doubilet):
Squid on the hunt
Usually squids are up to 50 cm in size, but there are also giant squid, which reach 20 meters (counting tentacles). They are the largest invertebrates. (Photo by David Doubilet):
A couple of stingrays
Stingrays are fish, and most of them live in sea water. A squad of electric stingrays is equipped with a special weapon, which can paralyze prey with electrical discharges from 60 to 230 volts and over 30 amperes. Photograph from the Tuamotu group of islands in the Pacific Ocean, belonging to French Polynesia. (Photo by David Doubilet):
Gastropod - flamingo tongue
Found on many coral reefs Caribbean and Atlantic basins. The mollusk feeds on poisonous sea gorgonians, but their poison does not harm the snail. The “flamingo tongue” absorbs toxic substances and becomes poisonous itself. These mollusks leave behind noticeable trails of dead coral tissue. (Photo by Wolcott Henry):
Eel catfish
The only species of catfish that lives on coral reefs. Their first rays of the anterior dorsal and pectoral fins are jagged, poisonous spines. (Photo by David Doubilet):
Sea eel
Peeking out from his hole. (Photo by David Doubilet):
Fish and sea sponge
Currently, about 8,000 species of sponges have been described. They are animals. (Photo by David Doubilet):
Underwater laboratory "Aquarius"
The only operating laboratory in the world, located at a depth of 20 meters underwater off the coast of Florida. (Photo by Brian Skerry):
Humboldt squid
Giant squid or Humboldt squid. These carnivorous predators reach a length of 2 meters and weigh more than 45 kilograms. (Photo by Brian J. Skerry):
Crab and sea urchins
The body of sea urchins is usually almost spherical, measuring from 2 to 30 cm, and the length of the spines ranges from 2 mm to 30 ms. Some species of sea urchins have poisonous spines. (Photo by George Grall): 
Shrimp and crab
Almost perfect underwater camouflage. (Photo by Tim Laman):
Nudibranch
Komodo National Park in Indonesia. Nudibranchs lack a shell. They are one of the most brightly colored and variegated marine invertebrates. (Photo by Tim Laman):
Body fish family
They feed on sea urchins, starfish, crabs, and mollusks, deftly blowing them out of the ground with a stream of water released from their mouths. (Photo by Wolcott Henry):
Lipped perches
Schools of these fish move through the ocean as a unit to protect themselves from predators. (Photo by David Doubilet):
Bell fish
This inhabitant of coral reefs is a truly unique fish, reaching 80 cm in length. She does not swim most of the time, but spends it in an upright position, hanging upside down. In a similar way, it disguises itself as a stick, protecting itself from predators and waiting for prey. (Photo by David Doubilet):
Colony of ascidians and sticky fish
Ascidians are a class of sac-shaped animals with a length from 0.1 mm to 30 cm, distributed in all seas. Sticky fish usually stick to big fish, whales, sea turtles, ship bottoms. (Photo by David Doubilet):
Red starfish
The sizes of these brightly colored animals range from 2 cm to 1 meter, although most are 12–25 cm. Starfish are sedentary and have from 5 to 50 arms or arms. These animals are predators. Photo by David Doubilet:
Giant spider crab
This is one of the most major representatives arthropods: large individuals reach 3 m in the span of the first pair of legs! (Photo by David Doubilet):
Great white shark
Reaching a length of over 6 meters and a mass of 2,3000 kg, the great white shark is the largest modern predatory fish. (Photo by David Doubilet):
Magnificent mantis crab (harlequin)
One of the largest mantis shrimp. It is about 14 cm in length, and the largest individuals measure up to 18 cm. (Photo by Tim Laman):
Dancing reef catfish
This frame Swirling striped eel catfish(Striped Catfish Eel or Plotosus Lineatus) is technically very complex, and not only did the author manage to capture a very dynamic school well, but also his colleague photographer was advantageously included in the frame in the background. Very unusual.
Of all the sea catfish, this species is the only one that prefers to settle in areas of coral reefs and they can often be seen sitting in small grottoes and cracks, crowded there like herrings in a jar. The attraction to groups is especially strong in young individuals; they gather in schools of 50-100 fish and live like that, in close quarters, but not in any way offended.
A school saves a fish's life, that's true. They also feed in schools, gather in a wall and plow the soil, looking for small bottom inhabitants. If you pursue them, the flock will rise into the water column and begin to form a terrifying ball, swimming at high speed from the edges to the center, as if everyone was trying to hide deeper. As a last resort, they have a special weapon - poisonous spines in the area of the dorsal and pectoral fins, which sting like a wasp; it is unpleasant to accidentally touch such a small fish with your bare hand.
Coral Triangle
Anyone who wants colorful and colorful dives should definitely dive in the coral triangle area - an area with the highest biological diversity of marine fauna, located on both sides of the equator and covering the islands of Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Papua New Guinea, and the Solomon Islands.
After all, what ensures the colorfulness of reefs in general is the number of species of corals and fish inhabiting the reef. The waters of this part of the ocean contain about 610 species of corals (80% of the world's species diversity), as well as about 2,300 species of fish (40% of the world's species diversity) and any dive turns into an endless alternation of colors and shades.
Diving in the western island of Papua (Raja Ampat region), scientists easily recorded more than 400 species of fish during an hour-long dive; for example, 420 species of fish live throughout the waters of the Hawaiian Islands. For me personally, the most important thing when diving is good transparency, because... On any reef slope or wall you can always find a lot of interesting things. On the picture typical beautiful reef with hundreds of beautifully rendered colorful Anthias fish.
Napoleon
Here is a very influential opportunistic predator, charming all divers at the first meeting. This representative bumphead wrasse(Cheilinus undulatus or Maori Wrasse) is very impressive in appearance, representative in size (about a meter on average), and also has such a rich palette of scale colors and contrasting colors that a meeting with it decorates the entire dive.
At the same time, this is a very smart and courteous hunter, it’s not for nothing that he name is Napoleon(although he is called that because of the bump on his forehead, which increases over the years and in profile he looks like Napoleon in a cocked hat). He always shows interest if he feels that there is something to profit from. More than once I watched him chase small fish or, teaming up with whitetip sharks, hunt on a reef plateau right during the day, without being embarrassed by other inhabitants.
The worst thing will happen to those who decided to feed the fish underwater and secretly pulled out a piece of bread from their vest pocket, losing the element of precaution. Napoleon will swim up from the side or behind and, extending his jaw, swallow the entire fist into his mouth, trying to chew it. Unusual sensations are guaranteed, both for the feeder and for the entire group.
Since Napoleon quite vigorously squeezed the diver’s hand with his jaws, it turned out that even through the glove there were traces of blunt teeth. They began to bleed, and under the glove you wouldn’t notice it right away. And since salt water doesn’t stop bleeding, several gray reef sharks began to become active around this diver and our group. In order not to provoke the sharks’ feeding behavior, we had to evacuate this diver out of harm’s way on the surface and then return to the group.
Glamorous sea sponge inhabitant
Here is a very nice-looking, but extremely small in size (1-2 cm), representative of crustaceans - crouching hairy lobster(Hairy squat lobster - Lauriea siagiani). Its peculiarity is that it is more related to hermit crabs because has a soft abdominal section and, in the absence of a shell, protects it by tucking it under itself and sitting on it.
However, at the same time, like lobsters, it can move backwards. Also similar to a lobster is given by more powerful forelimbs equipped with prominent claws. It is in this family of decapod crayfish that the length of the clawed limb can be 2-4 times greater than the length of the body, because their style of existence is simple - to hide in some crevice, protect the back of the body and wield claws.
This type of crayfish lives in sea sponges of red colors (mostly 1-2 species) and has a protective soft pink glamorous hue, revealing itself only by a bunch of yellowish hairs sticking out in all directions.
Thunderstorm for Red Sea holidaymakers
In the photo there is a graceful pelagic Longtip shark(Oceanic Whitetip Shark - Carcharhinus longimanus) accompanied by Pilot fish from the horse mackerel family. This species of shark has a formidable reputation, and scientists clearly classify it as one of the ten species of sharks that actually pose a danger to humans (all the other 400 species are only potentially dangerous).
In November-December 2010, the story of the attack of these sharks on tourists vacationing in Sharm el-Sheikh thundered very loudly. Several Europeans, Russians and CIS citizens were bitten. At that time, the media brought down dozens of versions and bloodthirsty scenarios on the minds of viewers, however, the true reasons established by biologists were poorly advertised. There is no doubt that this species of shark is dangerous, and many divers who have encountered them during safaris in the open areas of the Red Sea have observed their unpredictable behavior and aggressive manner of interaction.
The fact that the sharks came closer to the coast, and also concentrated on prey floating on the surface, is the fault of the crew of cargo ships from Australia and New Zealand, transporting sheep to this Arab region for the Eid al-Adha holiday. They simply threw the mammals that died along the way overboard, provoking the sharks to follow the ship all the way to the port of destination. Having swam en masse to the coast, the sharks also managed to sample people swimming, and then again swam out to the open sea to feed on fish and squid. This is the truth of life.
Underwater macro abstraction
Since ancient times, the study of coral polyps , I still love the unique macro textures of sea animals that reflect their features anatomical structure. For example, surface starfish Nectria Ocellata is a remarkable pattern consisting of dozens of calcareous bodies, each of which, like an independent fungus on a stalk, slightly rises above the collagen tissue of the skeleton.
Stars belong to the phylum echinoderms, and it is these plates that are peculiar spines, only in sea urchins they are more obvious, and in stars they are smoothed and often look like mini spines, plates, rods, etc. Tell me, who besides nature can create such a harmonious, symmetrical palette?
Underwater coral rose
Beautiful Colony coral Montipora Tuberculosa resembling a rose flower (viewed vertically from top to bottom). If we assume that the colony grows by 2-3 mm per month, then the formation of such a flower requires many years of painstaking work of coral polyps.
Various species of Montipora are found everywhere and are often called Lettuce Coral (lettuce) or Cabbage Coral (cabbage), extensive colonies on the walls of channels almost always form an excellent refuge for small fish and such areas of the reef are called fish apartments.
Manta Parade
Of the more than 1,100 Maldives islands, as well as countless banks and lagoons, you should definitely pay attention to a place famous throughout the diving world - Hanifaru Lagoon. This micro-atoll, located on the northwestern border of the larger Baa Atoll, has gained popularity due to its unique geological structure.
Under certain circumstances, namely at the height of the southeast monsoon (July-November) and during a special phase of the moon, this lagoon turns into a huge plankton trap and attracts dozens of manta rays feast in its waters. The point is that the current enters a narrow channel on the south side of the faro (the Maldivian word for a rounded reef), and since it is a dead end, the water exits through the reef near the surface, and the plankton mostly accumulates, literally forming a cloud.
It is into this channel that numerous manta rays swim; scientists counted up to 200 individuals in a water area of 100–500 meters, as well as another plankton lover - whale sharks, 2-8 individuals on average. A real show opens up for the diver - 20-50 manta rays circling in different trajectories and eating plankton. It’s difficult to see more at once, because... It’s a little unclear, there’s still plankton around. I don’t know any more places in the world where you can most likely photograph 14 manta rays at the same time.
Fire sea urchin
Top view of the shell fiery sea urchin (Fire Urchin or Asthenosoma varium) or they are also called needle-cushion hedgehogs, because. at the tips of the needles they have small pads with potent poison. In this type of hedgehog, these pads are brightly colored of blue color, but in general the pads can be all the colors of the rainbow.
In addition to spines, the surface contains pedicillariae - flexible skeletal structures ending in tweezers that serve many purposes, for example, to clean the surface or protect the hedgehog. This is why these types of hedgehogs have particularly severe burns, because... The pedicillaria themselves are also equipped with sensitive receptors; they inject poison upon contact and even cling to the enemy.
The most amazing thing is that they live on their backs interesting views shrimp - Coleman's shrimp (Periclimenes colmani), which are cohabiting commensals of hedgehogs, i.e. They don’t do much harm, but they don’t do any good either. Cooperation is beneficial only for the shrimp; they receive protection, food, transport and many other useful things. Who saw the shrimp in the photo?
Bearded shark eater
The photo shows the only (according to some scientists) documented representative of sharks, who not so long ago, right in front of those same scientists, swallowed another species of shark from his biological order and began to devour it as if nothing had happened.
Turns out, Bearded wobbegong(Tasselled Wobbegong or Eucrossorhinus dasypogon), has long been suspected of regular cannibalism (based on the stomach contents of the studied individuals), but this is the first time he ate a shark on camera. It would not be true to say that other species of sharks do not eat each other at all. Yes, relatives are not included in the regular menu of other sharks, but from time to time shark cannibalism occurs, during the same food rush, when an excited shark grabs everything in sight, or even more exotic intrauterine cannibalism, when more developed shark cubs feed on weaker ones while still in the confined space of a mother shark.
Wobbegongs or carpet sharks are not dangerous for humans (subject to logical precautions); divers can observe them in the waters of Australia, New Zealand, the large island of Papua, and there are even specific Japanese wobbegongs.
Close acquaintance
Funny photo frog fish(Antennarius pictus), illustrating the difference in size between a native inhabitant and a visiting guest in the underwater world. During a regular dive you can find many more such exotic little things than the coveted and not always present large ones. The peculiarity is that it is impossible to see small objects without concentrating on a small area of the reef.
Any reef slope is teeming with hundreds of species of small fish and invertebrates, and swimming 20 meters in a dive can see more than swimming 500 meters along the same slope. One client, who dived for sharks and did not notice anything else, after several dives in my company, became an avid macro diver and even asked me for an underwater magnifying glass as a gift. It’s a matter of the amount of knowledge, the more you know, the more interested you are in the details, details, features of the marine world.
The soft smile of a tough predator
Without unnecessary drama, but for some reason such photos evoke the idea of the last frame. It makes you shiver when you realize that you can find yourself in the water column face to face with an ideal predator, in whose eyes you can read plans to study you in more detail.
This photograph was taken from a special cage where, under the protection of steel bars, a person can tickle his nerves and feel the power of the evolutionary ideal of sea fish. Such dives are practiced in waters South Africa, Pacific Mexico, southern Australia and New Zealand, the Californian coast of the USA.
Arriving for a week, a diver is almost guaranteed to be able to see big White shark (Carcharodon carcharias), and several individuals and more than once, and the most important thing is to do it in a safe way. The impressions of meeting a 3-6 meter giant will remain in your memory for a long time. Who knows whether there will be more such meetings in your life, there are not so many great White sharks - according to rough estimates by scientists, there are only 3,000-4,000 individuals in the entire ocean.
Fighting crab
A curious object, beloved by all photographers - boxing crab(Boxing Crab or Lybia tessellate). A brilliant example to illustrate mutually beneficial cohabitation (mutualism) in the underwater world. Its manifestation consists in the fact that the crab, in the adapted claws of the front pair of legs, tenderly carries two anemones, whose tentacles, strewn with stinging stinging cells, represent a formidable weapon in its weight class (the crab measures 4 cm, the anemone up to 1 cm). As a result, the crab receives a weapon, which it swings and shakes menacingly, like a boxer, and the sea anemone receives enhanced washing and nutrition.
By the way, do not underestimate small sea anemones; their burn is very sensitive even to human skin.
Seawater aquarium
What a unique creation our great ocean is! It is obvious to me that somewhere in an invisible dimension there is a creator of all this splendor: millions of meters of reefs, thousands of species of animals, all of this coexists, self-regulates, changes and continues to strive for the ideal.
A natural aquarium that has existed for hundreds of millions of years, every dive into which should be perceived as an excursion into another world, all these colors, shapes, features, everything leaves an indelible impression. Why it's not ideal gentle reef slope of Bali what's in the picture? Compositionally, I really like the photo - 2/3 shades of reef and 1/3 blue, it’s simple, but that’s how hundreds of dives are remembered in my head.
Underwater macro abstraction 2
Is this photo from the underwater world? Could this be a satellite image of volcanism on the surface of Io, one of Jupiter's moons? You can’t tell right away. In reality, this is a site mantle of a huge tridacna mollusk. They are famous for their incredible colors and patterns on their robes. There are two answers to how these patterns are created and why they are unique to each individual. The simple answer is that the specific coloring is due to colonies of dinophyte algae, whose ability to photosynthesize provides 80% of the tradacna’s nutrition. There are thousands of species of these algae, and depending on which algae have formed colonies on the mantle, the color will be the same.
The answer is complex - of course, algae have a color component and coloring pigments, but in fact, the beautiful tints and shades of the mantle are a play of light. All color patterns and iridescence are the reflection of light by crushed particles inside the mantle, and in fact an optical illusion (like a colored film of gasoline on water or the iridescent surface of a CD). If you move a tridacna from a depth of 5 meters to 15 meters, the pattern is guaranteed to change.
Sea dragons
Who should not be interested in tenderness and attention to future offspring? sea dragons(Weedy Sea Dragon or Phyllopteryx taeniolatus) from the needle fish family. In a supposedly monogamous family relationship (it’s hard to say for sure, because there is not a single scientist who has swum next to the fish for a couple of years), the father is the guarantor of procreation and takes into his own hands the process of bearing eggs.
After changing color, courtship ritual, parallel swimming and other mating dances, the dragonets begin to mate. On the tail of the male there is a special surface where the female lays about 100 bright pink eggs, and after fertilization of the clutch he continues to carry them for a month and a half. During this period, he is very cautious and hides more in algae thickets than swims, so it is much more difficult to photograph him. When born, small dragons are completely independent, immediately begin to swim and actively feed, and one in ten survives to adulthood.
Every meeting contains a surprise: trigger
I admire the courage of the photographer who shoots with a wide angle across the entire frame Bluefin ballistod(Titan Triggerfish or Balistoides viridescens) is a titan among its fish family. They are slightly larger than an A4 sheet, but there are also stockier specimens over half a meter. They have a very specific reputation; they are unpredictable, fearless and biting.
Particular aggravations occur in them at the time of reproduction, when the fish cares for the eggs on the sandy bottom. The conditional nest is easy to notice by its special shape in the form of a circle with a pile of coral chips in the center. The trigger does not move away from this zone and swims around it, turning its muzzle towards the bottom. The security zone includes both a horizontal plane and a vertical one, as if rising upward with a cylinder, i.e. if you are in the water above the nest, you will be considered a trespasser.
The triggerfish does not stand on ceremony with unwitting victims; it usually lies on its side, protrudes its dorsal spine, fills its eye with blood and, like Fedor Emelianenko (a fighter so great, who knows), with acceleration, boldly rushes at any opponent, regardless of size. When it just scares you for the first time, when it pokes you in the side with its muzzle, and when it bites on a protruding object, it depends on your luck. In the memory of any experienced diver there is a lot of evidence in the form of bitten fins, suits, slates or boxing with a trigger underwater.
The most outstanding incident in my memory happened to my colleague Alain, an instructor from the Philippines. During a drift dive in a channel with a sandy bottom, the trigger bit off a piece of his ear. Since then, Alain has been covering his ear with a flesh-colored plaster, similar to how someone puts it on a finger.
Aliens are already here, only they are small
Gorgeous shot of an unusual representative of crustaceans - sea goat(Skeleton Shrimp or presumably Caprella Penantis). They are difficult to identify due to their extremely small size; many divers have never seen them at all. Goats usually sit attached to algae, hydroids or sponges. They are on average 1-3 cm in length and translucent in appearance.
Sea goats have an interesting structure in the form of an oblong body, on one end of which there is a head with eyes and antennae, and on the second, an abdominal section with legs with which the crustacean is attached to the surface. A disproportionately long and mobile thoracic region with numerous, so to speak, arms, among which 2 main arms with massive grasping apparatuses covered with hairs, spines and bristles stand out. They feed on various small things, floating algae, plankton, detritus, although if they were five meters in size, then, I think, there would be nothing worse under water; they would definitely feed on divers.
A line of gray reef sharks
There are places where you can meet one shark in a week of diving, and local dive guides will tell you that you are lucky. We have to explain that creating the conditions for a shark oasis is not difficult, you just need to, at a minimum, not catch them and not sell their fins to the Chinese.
A photo from diving in the South Channel of Fakarava Atoll, in French Polynesia, clearly shows what quantities gray reef sharks can gather at the moment of a favorable current in a compact area of the reef. A couple hundred, that's for sure. Throughout the dive, they swim past in an endless line, looking at the divers with interest. The photo frame limits the coverage area, but even inside it you can count 28 (who is more?) gray reef sharks. The water area of the atoll is part of biosphere reserve and is considered one of best places diving world - Fakarava Atoll, South Pass dive site.
Filipino fishermen's best friends
There is a small region in the Philippines called Oslob, located on the southeastern coast of the island of Cebu. It is curious because its population not so long ago radically changed economic activity. Previously, locals fished more and more in the surrounding waters, but now, due to an unusual incident, they have become apologists for tourism.
The point is that this stretch of coastline has been visited for many decades whale sharks(Whale Shark or Rhincodon typus), but only since September 2011 fishermen realized that sharks need to be fed and then they will swim more willingly, and even if locals are willing to pay a dollar to see sharks, then foreign guests will pay the full twenty. Now, putting aside the nonsense, the donk and the jig, and armed with the sign “I’ll take you to see the shark. Inexpensive” they attract visiting tourists, who are becoming more and more numerous. The most resourceful fishermen have become village managers, organizing a team of boatmen and coordinating visits from hotels and resorts.
The place is unique in that, unlike natural shark aggregations, which, as a rule, occur seasonally in water areas saturated with plankton (and therefore muddy - 5-10 meters visibility), here sharks are fed from a boat from a bag, and those who wish can observe and photograph sharks in clear water(15-30 meters), which leaves the best impression and allows you to take good shots.
On average, individuals are about 2-6 meters. By the way, they are fed with young shrimp, which are lured to the light and scooped out of the sea with nets the night before, then packed into bags and stored in ice until the morning. In my opinion, this is a completely natural breakfast and lunch, and during the night and evening the shark also eats something in the depths of the sea and balances its diet.
Macro photography sea anemone tentacle(Bulb-tentacle Sea Anemone or Entacmaea quadricolor) with a tip-swelling effect that amusingly changes shape, giving the tips a bulbous or pear-like shape with a process of varying curvature and shape.
The question of why in the same species swellings sometimes appear on the tips of the tentacles and sometimes disappear remains open. There are opinions that this is due to the amount of light on a particular day or to the feeding regime of the sea anemone, but I prefer the more logical version, which is not without support in the world and is especially advocated by aquarists: if the sea anemone has swelling on its tentacles, then a fish already lives in it - clown, i.e. she's busy. Other clown fish clearly see this signal and do not claim housing, because... The symbiotic resources of sea anemones are also not unlimited. Pay attention to this the next time you dive.
Beautiful, but not tasty
The photo shows a bright and typical owner of a frightening color - nudibranch Hypselodoris infucata- one of more than 3,000 species of nudibranchs represented in the world's oceans. If on land a fruit becomes more beautiful and attractive at the moment of ripening, provoking a desire to eat it, then in the sea the nudibranchs are the opposite: the brighter and more beautiful it is, the more poisonous and unpleasant it tastes. In fact, even in places on the coast where Asians ate all the seafood, including the smallest thing, there are a lot of nudibranchs and they are the main attraction for divers, for example, Phu Quoc Island in Vietnam or the Anilao area in the Philippines and others.
The vitality of mollusks stems from the ability to accumulate toxic chemical components of food and metabolism in the body and, if necessary, release them through special glands. Some of these bright markings and multi-colored dots on the mantle represent these glands. If you disturb a mollusk, you can see something subtle, whitish and cloudy begin to ooze from it - this is a powerful repellent compound. However, if we assume that this is the only defense mechanism, then many nudibranchs would have been eaten by fish long ago.
They are eaten, but they are “washed” before eating. I observed this process and it is also described in the literature. The point is that the fish sucks the nudibranch into its mouth, starting the process of releasing toxins, and then immediately spits it out along with the water. She repeats this 20 times - and that’s it, the dish is ready. The supply of toxic chemicals is not endless and the mollusk simply releases most of them into the water.
Cute American sea cows
An excellent photo of a family idyll - mother and baby, our distant relatives, marine mammals Manatees(Trichechus manatus). Such meetings can be brought to life if you visit American state Florida, where about 5,000 manatees live along its coastline. Since they feel equally at home in sea and fresh water, they often swim into rivers and canals and can move tens of kilometers inland.
The best time to view manatees is in October-March, when they are more willing to migrate from the cool sea to warmer rivers and bays fed by underground springs. Iconic place - Crystal River, Three Sister Springs. There, in a water area of a couple of square kilometers, hundreds of manatees gather. This is the largest local accumulation of these animals on the planet. Many people wonder why such a populated state as Florida is full of unafraid manatees? The answer is quite obvious - for harming an animal they can get up to 3 years in prison, and there are no people willing to shoot at manatees instead of beer cans.
Green-eyed tangero
Curious reef inhabitant - (Dancing Durban Shrimp or Rhynchocinetes durbanensis). They live in hundreds on reefs and are especially easy to spot at night, when their eyes reflect the light of a flashlight and literally shine back from the reef wall like spotlights.
Wonderful natural pattern. At first it may seem that this is a still frame from a creative advertising video about bonduelle corn or something like that, but in fact it is surface area of a starfish, facing towards the bottom, and the yellow round pieces are its legs.
Stars are the champions of various textures, and unlike the coloring of fish or others, stars have three-dimensional plots. This star is called Culcita New Guinea(Pin-Cushion Star or Culcita novaeguineae). In this type of star, the legs do not have suction cups, but they have special glands, and when the star needs to climb an inclined surface, they secrete an adhesive substance, thereby improving traction.
At a lower magnification, you can see the strict five-ray symmetry of the oral side of the star, and in the center, accordingly, its mouth. The color scheme is from another star of the same species, they can be of different colors, from red to green:
But this is what Kultsita looks like under water, if you don’t turn it over - it’s almost like it’s not a star at all, but some kind of pin cushion from Ikea. That's what they call her - pincushion star. Interestingly, when she is young, she is flat and swells with age. Previously, scientists even confused and attributed juveniles to different types, and then we realized what was going on:
Is it good or bad for the ocean when ships are artificially sunk in it? The photo clearly shows that any hard surface over the years of being in water turns into a basis for sea life. In fact, in the sea there is a noticeable shortage of solid surfaces on which life could anchor.
If we take a large bay, in the center of which sandy desert, and flood an object there, then after a few years small invertebrates, such as sponges, corals, ascidians, will settle on it, then mollusks and shrimp will settle, and only then smaller fish will come, and then larger fish. There will be such an oasis in the desert, which arose only thanks to the introduction of a solid surface.
The photo shows that the ship has been lying there for more than 10 years and is literally covered with a bright carpet of marine life, the metal is no longer visible, and large perches, like the owners of the oasis, patrol along the sides. Even car tires grow overgrown and become home to marine life. In Russia, there is no question of intentional flooding; everything itself sinks periodically.
The main point in sinking a ship is preparation, for example, the removal of the same petroleum products, because the fuel will cause more one-time harm than the potential release in the future. If the ship is going to be dived as a tourist attraction, then positioning is also important. If it sank upside down, then it is less expressive, so the question of how to blow it up comes to the fore in the right way, ensuring consistent filling with water. People's work is interesting.
We had a big report about artificial reefs.
Hollywood smile
Interesting photo of a bright reef parrotfish(Queen parrotfish or Scarus vetula) with an emphasis on the powerful jaw apparatus, reminiscent of the forked beak of a parrot. The fish feeds mainly on algae that inhabit coral colonies; it literally scrapes off layers of polyps from flat corals, and also crunches, biting off shelves of branched corals. Over the course of a year, one fish grinds about 150 kg of coral, forming the most delicate and pleasant tropical sand.
However, not many people know how to take such a photo, because the nimble fish does not like excessive attention. The secret is that this is night photography. At night, parrotfish sleep in a funny way while lying on the reef. Anyone who dived at night could see parrots lying in a coma, surrounded by some strange transparent mucus. This is their sleeping bag, like a cocoon for protection. Before going to sleep, the parrot secretes mucus through its mouth and it envelops it, making it less vulnerable to predators who rely on vision last.
An amazing world opens up to everyone who dares to look deep under the water. Californian David Robel, a biologist and photographer rolled into one, set out in search of amazing deep-sea creatures: beautiful and monstrous. His reward was amazing photographs of ocean inhabitants.
1. Long-horned sabertooth
If we think logically, then all the saber-toothed inhabitants of the planets should have disappeared long ago. This does not seem to apply to fish. This fish, only 15 centimeters long, has a serious weapon - 7-centimeter teeth. So that they can fit in the body of the owner of such a “treasure,” the sinuses for the teeth go into the skull and, which seems absolutely incredible, divide the fish’s brain into two parts.
2 Brown Cat Shark Embryo
The brown cat shark is not very common among researchers and fishermen. Therefore, it has been little studied. An adult shark is predominantly nocturnal and never lives in pairs or schools, and therefore almost never gets caught on spinning reels. Scientists suggest that this species of shark easily picks up the electrical impulses of other creatures and is highly sensitive to magnetic fields.
3. Cycloton
This fish is doomed to swim with the current all its life, because it does not have enough strength to move independently of it. The only thing that a fish can do is swim up and down within the current. The fish feeds on plankton.
4. Long-horned sabertooth
The fry of this predatory fish with a monstrous appearance looks very cute and harmless. Well, the fish itself, thanks to its teeth, equal in size to half the fish itself, looks terrifying and is considered a serious predator. The saber tooth feeds on other fish and shellfish.
5. Piglet squid
This cute creature brings a smile to everyone who sees it. The small squid is shaped like little pig, its tentacles give the creature a mischievous look - it seems like an outlandish hairstyle. And it complements the touching spectacle... Smile. Of course, the squid does not smile, but the pigmentation on its body is located in such a way that its shape resembles a real smile.
6. Carnivorous copepod
Copepods are an absolutely amazing creature - scientists suggest that their DNA is arranged in a special way. Because crustaceans are constantly changing. Not a single creature on our planet is capable of such rapid “evolution.”
7. Hatchetfish
This small fish is distinguished not only by its unusual shape, due to which it received its name, but also by the fact that it creates its own lighting. The thing is that these fish spend most of their time at great depths, where sunlight does not penetrate at all. Therefore, the fish’s body has special organs that are located on the sides of the body and glow. The brighter the light, the darker the space surrounding the fish. This helps to find food.
8. Giant ostracod
This creature belongs to crustaceans. But, besides the shell, he has special antennas that help him move. If the ostracod is in danger, it closes its shell and falls to the bottom, where it lies motionless for a long time and waits until the enemies leave or the fishing gear disappears.
9. Atlantic idiot
The idiot lives in tropical zone. Surprisingly, the photophores of the fish, which illuminate its path, occupy a third of the body. And the fish larva is so original in shape that for a long time it was classified as another type of fish.
10. Crankhiid
This creature can safely be called one of the best chemists among the inhabitants of the sea. This squid has a special sac in which a substance accumulates that significantly increases its buoyancy - ammonium chloride.
11. Gonatid
Gonatids are classified as cephalopods. This unusual creature lives in the deep waters of the Pacific Ocean. Most cephalopods live from several months to two years and reproduce only once in their lives, and then die.
12. Atoll
Scientists consider the atoll to be a “cunning” jellyfish. When she is in danger, she begins to glow very brightly. Presumably, a predator should appear in the bright light and destroy the danger threatening the jellyfish itself. Unusually, its light can be seen at a distance of about 90 kilometers.
13. Black-bodied blowmouth
Like many other deep-sea fish, the pufferfish has photophores that allow it to see at great depths. These fish can live at a depth of two or even four kilometers. At night they usually float to the upper layers of the water.
14. Histioteuthio
Histioteuthio belongs to a mysterious and not fully studied family - the octopuses. This variety of octopus is distinguished by its “leopard” color.
15. Light-finned wallbill
Another unusual deep-sea fish. It got its name (at least part of the name) thanks to its gentle appearance. Its fins almost appear translucent. And their delicate-looking flexible structure is associated with delicate feathers strange bird. That’s why they called the fish light-finned.
16. Periphylla
Medusa Periphylla is a very colorful sight. Bright and at the same time tender, she cannot but evoke surprise and admiration. In Norway, many photographers and diving enthusiasts specially come to special centers where they organize periphylla safaris - at night the jellyfish rises close to the surface of the water and can be easily found and photographed. This kind of safari is very popular among both local residents and tourists.
17. California smoothhead
This fish is often mistakenly called the Talisman, although it is from a completely different family. What is really remarkable is the age of the fish. Smoothhead is a long-lived fish. According to scientists, the maximum age to which these fish live is approximately 38 years.
18. Polar ptychogastria
Polar psychogastria got its name for a reason. It immediately becomes clear that its habitat is cold polar waters, which at first glance are poorly adapted for life. It seems that life is impossible both in the waters of cold seas and oceans and near them. However, many species of living beings have proven that cold water for someone it will be a wonderful home. This amazing jellyfish, similar to a predatory flower, is a clear confirmation of this.
19. Smoothhead
Another specimen of an amazing fish - a long-liver, only now a different variety. This fish lives in the cold waters of the North Atlantic Ocean. It feeds on jellyfish and shrimp. It lives surprisingly long for a fish, but its size usually does not exceed one meter.
20. Sculpted polycheles
An amazing creature that lives in the dark waters of the ocean at great depths. Its bright color and frightening appearance distinguish it from deep-sea creatures, which do not very often boast of their beauty - rather, their unusualness and menacingness. The lateral spines serve as excellent protection for polycheles, which got its name due to its structure - due to the abundance of limb processes, it was dubbed polyheles.
21. Pacific howlyod
At first glance, it seems that this fish has not changed since the times when mammoths and dinosaurs walked the earth. She has a very prehistoric and menacing appearance. This fish is found in the Pacific Ocean, and some of its varieties are found in the Mediterranean Sea. Despite its frightening appearance, the fish is small - about 35 centimeters. Hauliod is a predatory fish, and is not afraid to hunt even fairly large crustaceans, which form the basis of its diet.
22. Pacific howlyod
During the day, the hauliod lives at the bottom of sea and ocean spaces, and at night it rises to the upper layers of water in search of prey. The fish uses its photophores not only as lighting, but also as a way of communicating with other fish of its species.