Apr 26, 2025
The deep sea is Earth’s final frontier, cold, dark, and packed with creatures that seem straight out of science fiction. These creatures elated in the deep water levels include fish with transparent heads and worms that feast on bones. Here are 10 such deep-sea species.
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The dumbo octopus is found as deep as 4,000 meters in the sea, its most recognising feature is its slapping ear-like fins that it uses to move through the depths. It doesn’t ink or change colour, just glides around in the dark, making it one of the ocean’s cutest and most mysterious residents.
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This oddshark has a long snout and jaws that launch out to grab prey. It is pink, rubbery-looking, and rarely seen. It is also called a “living fossil” because it’s barely changed in 125 million years.
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Zombie worms live off dead whale bones on the ocean floor. These creatures were discovered in 2002, and they absorb nutrients through their skin and play a vital role in ocean decomposition.
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This deep sea creature has huge teeth, a glowing lure, and the rare ability to see red light. The dragonfish is a stealthy predator in total darkness. It lives around 2,000 meters deep and is nearly invisible to its prey, until it strikes.
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Discovered near hydrothermal vents in 2005, the yeti crab has hairy arms coated with bacteria, which it uses to farm food. It lives in super-hot, toxic environments where most creatures can’t survive.
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Despite the name, it doesn’t suck blood. The vampire squid lives in oxygen-poor waters and uses bioluminescence to confuse predators. Its cloak-like arms and glowing blue eyes make it look frightening,but it's a gentle scavenger.
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This deep-sea eel has a massive, stretchy mouth that can swallow prey larger than itself. It lives around 500–3,000 meters deep and uses its bioluminescent tail to attract curious prey in the dark.
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Almost completely transparent, the glass squid is hard to spot in the deep. It floats motionless to avoid predators and lights up with bioluminescence to confuse attackers—or just vanish into the black.
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With a see-through head and upward-facing eyes, the barreleye fish looks unreal. Its transparent skull helps it spot prey above while remaining hidden in the deep sea, where it lives around 600–800 meters below the surface.
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Think deep-sea roly-poly on steroids. These crustaceans can grow over a foot long and survive in freezing waters by scavenging dead animals. They’ve even been known to go years without food, in their ultimate survival mode.
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