Goblin Shark
The Goblin Shark is a rare species of shark, with even more rare qualities. They live anywhere from 270 to 1300 meters deep, and have very unusual hunting techniques. Despite its horrific appearance, the Goblin Shark generally feeds on fish and crabs, and is known to have very bad eyesight and swimming ability.
The most peculiar parts of the Goblin Shark are its jaw and nose. The elongated nose is a rostrum, filled with electroreceptors to sense the electric fields of prey. They move their nose back and forth along the sea floor to find prey, and once they find it, they wait for the prey to approach. Once the prey gets in range, the jaw extends out, separate from the body, with an accordion-like motion to catch the prey inside.
Giant Isopod
Giant Isopods can get really, really big. In 2010, a 2.5 foot long one was pulled up with an ROV. These creatures, though, aren’t just massive. They’re very unique in a plethora of ways. The most terrifying thing is that they are actually carnivores. When they feed, which only happens a few times a year, they gorge themselves full of meat.
Another odd facet of Giant Isopods are their eyes. Similar to that of a cat, their eyes contain a reflective layer in the back, giving the ability to see in the extreme darkness of the ocean depths. Despite their night vision ability, they don’t see all that well. Instead, they use their two large antennas in addition to their numerous bodily receptors to sense prey, maneuver, and communicate in their environment.
Japanese Spider Crab
These crabs may have the eerie shape of those pesky arachnids we run from in our homes, but they’re much scarier. They can grow up to 12 feet long, and have extremely long legs for maneuverability and scare-factor. When it comes to feeding, they aren’t much less horrifying. Although they will eat algae and hunt for invertebrates, they generally prefer to feed on the corpses of creatures floating around.
These crabs can also live over a century, and are insanely resilient. You would think that their long, flimsy legs would be their downfall, right? Nope. In reality, these abnormal creatures can function missing up to 3 of their legs. And the crazy part, they can regenerate their legs after they lose them.
Snaggletooth (Stareater)
Neither of these names sound very pleasant, but at least they match the appearance of this odd fish. They possess a small bioluminescent barbel on their chin to lure prey in before they attack.
Their needle-like teeth and ungodly appearance may seem terrifying, but they are actually very frail. They have very delicate skin and, as a result, are subject to numerous predators.
