Amazing inhabitants of the sea depths. Monsters of the sea depths (photo)

The sea, associated with most people with summer holidays and a wonderful pastime on a sandy beach under the scorching rays of the sun, is the source of most unsolved mysteries stored in unexplored depths.

The existence of life under water

Swimming, having fun and enjoying the sea open spaces during the holidays, people do not know what is close to them. And there, in a zone of deep impenetrable darkness, where no sunshine reaches, where there are no acceptable conditions for the existence of any organisms, there is a deep-water world.

The first studies of the sea depths

The first natural scientist who ventured into the abyss to check whether there were inhabitants of the sea depths was William Beebe, an American zoologist who had specially gathered an expedition to explore the unknown world of the Bahamas. Plunging to the bottom in a bathyscaphe to a depth of 790 meters, the scientist discovered a variety of diverse living organisms. Monsters of the sea depths - fish of impressive sizes of all colors of the rainbow with hundreds of paws and sparkling teeth - sparked sparks and flashes of impenetrable water.

The researches of this fearless person allowed to break the myths about impossibility of life on the bottom due to the absence of light and the presence of the highest pressure that does not allow the presence of any organisms. The truth lies in the fact that deep-sea inhabitants, adapting to the environment, create an external pressure of their own. The existing fat layer helps these organisms freely to swim at huge depths (up to 11 kilometers). Eternal darkness adapts to itself such unusual creatures: eyes, which they do not need there, are replaced by baroreceptors - special organs of touch and smell, allowing to react instantly to the slightest changes around.

Fantastic images of sea monsters

Deep-sea monsters have a frightfully ugly appearance, associated with fantastic images, depicted in the paintings of the most daring artists. Huge mouths, sharp teeth, lack of eyes, external coloration - all this is so unusual that it seems unreal, fictitious. In fact, the inhabitants of the depths of the sea for survival simply have to adapt to the whims of the environment.

After many studies, scientists came to the conclusion that even today on the seabed there can exist the oldest forms of life, hidden at great depth from the ongoing evolutionary processes. And to this day you can meet spiders the size of a plate and jellyfish with 6-meter tentacles.

Megalodon: a monster shark

Of great interest is Megalodon, a prehistoric animal of enormous size. The weight of this monster is up to 100 tons at a 30-meter length. The two-meter-long mouth of the monster is dotted with several rows of 18-centimeter teeth (there are 276 in all), sharp as a razor. The life of an amazing inhabitant of the sea depths terrifies marine animals, none of which is able to withstand its might. The remains of triangular teeth, which had deep-sea monsters, are found in rocky rocks practically in all corners of the planet, which indicates their wide distribution. At the beginning of the 20th century Australian fishermen met with megalodone in the sea, which confirms the version about its existence in our days.

The angler or the seabird

In salty waters, there is a rare deep-sea animal of an ugly appearance - a feature of the sea (angler), first discovered in 1891. In place of the missing scales on his body are ugly knobs and outgrowths, and around the mouth hang swaying rags of skin resembling algae. Due to the dark color, which imparts homeliness, dotted with spines of a giant head and a huge mouth slit, this deep-sea animal is rightfully considered the ugliest on planet Earth. Several rows of sharp teeth and a long fleshy process protruding from the head and serving as a bait represent a real threat to the fish. Luring the victim with the light of a "fishing rod", equipped with a special gland, the angler lures her to the mouth, forcing her to voluntarily swim inside. Distinguished by incredible gluttony, these amazing inhabitants of the sea depths can attack prey, at times exceeding their size. With an unsuccessful outcome, both die: the victim - from the wounds, the aggressor - from the fact that he suffocated.

Interesting facts about the breeding of anglers

The fact of reproduction of these fishes provokes interest: the male at a meeting with the girlfriend sticks to it with teeth, growing to a gill cover. By connecting to another's circulatory system and feeding on the juices of the female, the male individual actually becomes one with it, losing the jaws, intestines and eyes that have become unnecessary. The main function of the attached fish in this period is the production of sperm. Several males may be attached to one female, which is smaller in size and weight several times, which in the event of death of the latter die with it. Being a commercial fish, the fish is considered a delicacy. Especially its meat is appreciated by the French.

Huge squid - mesonitevis

Of the most famous mollusks of the planet, living at great depths, its size affects mesonitevis - a squid of colossal dimensions with a streamlined body shape that allows it to move with great speed. The eye of this monster of the sea depths is considered the largest on the planet, reaching in diameter 60 centimeters. The first description of a huge inhabitant of the seabed, the existence of which people did not even suspect, is found in the documents of 1925. They described the fishermen's discovery of a one and a half meter squid tentacle in the stomach of a sperm whale. In 2010, a representative of this group of mollusks weighing more than 100 kg and a length of about 4 meters was thrown off the coast of Japan. Scientists suggest that adults reach 5-meter sizes with a weight of about 200 kilograms. Previously it was believed that the squid is able to destroy its enemy - sperm whale - by keeping it underwater. In reality, the threat to the victim of a mollusc is represented by its tentacles, by which it penetrates into the breather of the victim. A feature of squid is its ability to exist for a long time without food, so the lifestyle of the latter is inactive, suggesting disguise and a quiet pastime in waiting for the unfortunate victim.

The Amazing Sea Dragon

Its fantastic appearance in the thickness of salt water is allocated deciduous sea dragon (rag, sea pegasus). Translucent fins of a greenish hue covering the body and serving to mask the unusual fish, resemble colorful plumage and constantly swing from the movement of water. Abandoned only off the coast of Australia, the rag reaches a length of 35 centimeters. It swims very slowly, with a maximum speed of up to 150 m / h, which is in the hands of any predator. The life of an amazing inhabitant of the sea depths consists of many dangerous situations in which the salutation is its own appearance: clinging to plants, the deciduous sea dragon merges with them and becomes completely invisible. The offspring carry a male in a special bag, in which the female lays eggs. These inhabitants of the sea depths for children are especially interesting because of their unusual appearance.

The Giant Isopod

In the maritime space, among the many unusual creatures, the inhabitants of the sea depth are distinguished by their size, such as isopods (giant-sized crabs) reaching a length of up to 1.5 m and weighing up to 1.5 kg. The body, covered with mobile rigid plates, is reliably protected from predators, at the appearance of which the cancers are folded into a ball. Most of the representatives of these crustaceans, preferring solitude, live at a depth of 750 meters and is in a state close to hibernation. They feed amazing inhabitants of the sea depths with inimitable prey: small fishes, sea cucumbers, sinking to the bottom by carrion. Sometimes you can observe hundreds of crayfish eating devastating carcasses of dead sharks and whales. Lack of food at a depth adapted cancers safely without it to manage for a long time (up to several weeks). Most likely, the accumulated layer of fat, which is gradually and rationally consumed, helps them maintain their vital functions.

Fish-drop

One of the most terrible inhabitants of the bottom on the planet is a drop-fish (deep-sea photos see below). Small close-set eyes and a large mouth with angled down corners remotely resemble the face of a sad person. It is assumed that the fish lives at a depth of up to 1.2 km. Outwardly it is a formless gelatinous lump, whose density is slightly less than the density of water. This allows the fish to safely swim for significant distances, swallowing everything edible and without spending any special effort. The lack of scales and the strange shape of the body made the existence of this organism endangered by extinction. Abandoned off the coast of Tasmania and Australia, it easily becomes prey to fishermen and sold as souvenirs.

When laying eggs caviar fish-drop until the last sits on eggs, afterwards carefully and for a long time caring for hatched fry. Trying to find for them deep-water quiet and uninhabited places, the female responsibly protects her kids, providing them with safety and helping them survive in difficult conditions. Not having in nature natural enemies, these inhabitants of the sea depths can accidentally join with seaweed only in fishing nets.

Meshkolot: small and gluttonous

At a depth of up to 3 kilometers, a representative of the Perciformes inhabits a baggoth (black eater). This name was given to fish by the ability to feed on prey, several times greater than its size. She is able to swallow organisms longer than herself in four and ten times heavier. This is due to the absence of ribs and elasticity of the stomach. For example, the corpse of a 30-centimeter baghole that was discovered near the Cayman Islands contained inside it remains of a fish about 90 cm long. Moreover, the victim was a fairly aggressive mackerel, which causes complete bewilderment: how did the small fish manage to overcome a large and strong rival?

These amazing inhabitants of the sea depths have a dark color, a medium-sized head and large jaws with three front teeth on each of them forming sharp fangs. With their help, the baggotholt keeps its prey, pushing it into the stomach. Moreover, prey, often large in size, is not digested immediately, which causes cadaveric decomposition directly in the stomach itself. The gas released as a result raises the sackglot on the surface, where strange representatives of the seabed are found.

Murena - a dangerous predator of the sea depths

In the waters of warm seas you can meet a giant moray eel - a terrible three-meter creature with an aggressive and spiteful character. A smooth, scales-deprived body allows the predator to effectively mask in the muddy bottom, waiting for the prey passing by. Most of its life, the morena spends in shelters (on a rocky bottom or in coral reefs with their cracks and grottoes), where it awaits prey. Outside the caves, the front part of the body and the head with a constantly open mouth usually remain. The color of the moray eels is a perfect disguise: a yellow-brown color with spots scattered on it resembles the color of a leopard. The moray eater feeds on crustaceans and any fish that can be caught. For eating the sick and weak individuals, it is also referred to as the "marine orderly". There are sad cases of eating people. This is due to the inexperience of the latter in dealing with fish and persevering her persecution. Grabbing the victim, the predator will open the jaw only after her death, and not before.

Joint fishing for marine predators

The recently discovered joint fishing of fish, which are antipodes in nature, is of great interest to scientists. Murena during hunting hides in coral reefs, where it awaits prey. The sea perch, which is a predator, hunts in the open space, forcing small fish to hide in reefs, hence - into the mouth of the moray eels. Hungry perch is always the initiator of joint hunting, swam to the moray eel and shaking his head, which means an invitation to a mutually beneficial harvest. If the moray eel, in anticipation of a delicious lunch, agrees to a tempting offer, she chooses from the place of shelter and floats to the cracks with the hidden prey, to which the perch indicates. Moreover, the captured catch is jointly eaten; The moray eel is divided with a perch caught by a fry.