Bizarre Creatures Found in the Mariana Trench

Footballfish

Footballfish are deep-sea anglers that live in the Mariana Trench. They look like a football, thus the name. The lure on the top of their heads is what attracts their prey, which they then quickly snap up with their fierce jaws.

Hatchetfish

Hatchetfish are deep-sea fish that are not exclusive to the Mariana Trench, but are still odd-looking. The hatchetfish are special creatures because they are capable of producing their own light, which helps them escape from predators. At those depths, a built-in flashlight is handy to have!

Frilled Shark

Frilled sharks are one of the oldest species around and they lurk in the depths of the Mariana Trench. They’re hard to spot, which makes them terrifying to prey when they use their snake-like bodies to sneak around.

Dragonfish

If for some reason you find yourself at the depths of the Mariana Trench, you’ll spot the dragonfish thanks to its own bio-luminescence. Their distinctive flashing chin barbell helps lure both prey and potential mates, so beware.

Blobfish

Ew! You’ll be surprised to know that when the blobfish is in water, it looks nothing like this gelatinous blob. It’s a deep-sea fish that lives in the deep waters and has been spotted in the Mariana Trench.

Barreleye

Barreleyes get their name from their barrel-shaped eyes that are directed upwards to detect their prey. They’re been found at depths of 2,000 feet and have highly sensitive eyes.

Goblin Shark

This shark is down-right terrifying, if you couldn’t tell from the .gif. They measure up to 13 feet long and can weigh up to 463 pounds. These scary sharks can pretty much swallow anything whole. Yikes.

Ping-Pong Tree Sponge

This sponge may look harmless, but it’s actually a carnivorous sponge. Its entire body is covered in tiny hairs that can hook any small creature that passes by. Once caught, the cells in the sponge move towards the prey and digest it. Creepy.

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Bizarre Creatures Found in the Mariana Trench