10 Deep Sea Creatures Seemingly From Another Planet

The deepest parts of the ocean are known for being pitch black and teaming with bizarre wildlife that most people have never seen and probably never will up close. There are giant isopods, anglerfish glowing brightly in the dark, and even the gigantic squid that spawned tales of the Kraken. Sadly, the deep sea doesn’t get quite enough press time like it should, which we’re hoping to rectify by teaching everyone about the monstrosities living deep under those flowing waves. Here are ten deep sea creatures that look as if they’re from another planet!

Giant Ostracod

The Giant Ostracod is sometimes referred to as a “clam shrimp.” They are found all over the world in varying sizes, but the biggest are in the deepest parts of the ocean. Their most unusual feature are their enormous eyes.

Whalefish

The Whalefish is a deep-sea predator, of which only females have been discovered, that are known as “whale mimics.” They are a long fish with big noses, and for some reason they do not have a digestive track, but they do have a short lifespan.

Toothed Seadevil

The Toothed Seadevil is a 5-inch anglerfish that is rather unusual. They do not possess the same “lure” on the top of their head like other anglerfish, though. Their distinct trait is the set of sharpened teeth sprouting at weird angles from their mouth.

Predatory Tunicate

The Predatory Tunicate appears close to a motionless bag, as it is nothing more than a filter-feeding animal. Within the deep ocean, plankton are hard to come by, so these creatures tend to trap small crustaceans and feast on them.

Holopus

The Holopus is related to both the starfish and sea cucumber, and at one time were the most abundant sea creature of all time. There are relatively few left alive today, and those still living are within the cold, dark waters underneath the Arctic ice.

Stygiomedusa Gigantea

The Stygiomedusa Gigantea is better known as the giant jellyfish. It is probably the most famous deep sea tentacled monsters to live besides the giant squid. Human beings have rarely seen this creature, despite the trailing tentacles reaching 20-feet behind it.

Deep-Sea Snailfish

The Deep-Sea Snailfish is named mostly for the scaleless skin and gelatinous flesh of their bodies. They are found in the deepest waters of the ocean, where most fish have not been observed. Some may find them cute, but they display parasitic behavior.

Erenna

Erenna is another gelatinous creature that is worm-shaped. They are a member of the same species as jellyfish, though their bodies are actually a mass of creatures, each one acting like an appendage on a bigger body.

Swima

Swima are closely related to both earthworms and leeches, and tend to be equipped with spines, armor plates, tentacles, numerous eyes, or fang-like mandibles on their bodies. Some will spend their entire life simply swimming through the deep ocean.

Pelagothuria Natatrix

Pelagothuria Natatrix was originally described in the 1890s, and is generally a common sight on deep sea expeditions at the time, though it has rarely been seen since. They have a transparent, umbrella-like web made of tentacles and a small, bag-like body.