This article was co-authored by Ken Colby and by wikiHow staff writer, Glenn Carreau. Ken Colby is a Saltwater Aquarist and the Owner of High Tide Aquatics based in Oakland, California. With over 30 years of experience, Ken is the only local fish store owner in the United States that is certified by Humble Fish, the marine disease expert forum, as a Quarantined Fish Vendor. Ken creates in-person and online educational programming in partnership with other marine science and biology professionals. He also launched High Tide Aquatics’ YouTube channel in 2023, sharing recordings of events he’s hosted as well as "how-to" videos covering everything from coral fragging to kalkwasser dosing. He's been a member of the Bay Area Reefers club for over 19 years.
There are 34 references cited in this article, which can be found at the bottom of the page.
This article has been fact-checked, ensuring the accuracy of any cited facts and confirming the authority of its sources.
This article has been viewed 1,243 times.
It’s a great, big world out there—and the oceans are some of the most mysterious areas, filled with incredible sea creatures that most people never see! If you’re looking for an introduction to some of those weird and wild sea critters, you’ve come to the right place. In this article, we’ve compiled a list of the most bizarre sea creatures out there, including details on what they look like and how they live. Ready to learn more? Let’s get started!
5 of the Weirdest Sea Creatures
- Angelshark - A flat-bodied shark that lies on the seafloor buried in sand, waiting for its prey.
- Black Swallower - A fish with enormous jaws and an expandable stomach, capable of swallowing prey four times its size.
- Cockeyed Squid - Unusual squid with lopsided eyes; the larger left eye grows into a tubular shape while the right eye remains small.
- Giant Isopod - Large crustaceans that resemble pill bugs; they live in deep water and grow to around 20 in (50 cm) long.
- Japanese Spider Crab - A deep-sea crab with the longest leg span of any arthropod.
Steps
Expert Q&A
Tips
References
- ↑ https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/species/common-angelshark
- ↑ https://www.montereybayaquarium.org/animals/animals-a-to-z/barreleye
- ↑ https://twilightzone.whoi.edu/explore-the-otz/creature-features/black-swallower/
- ↑ https://www.montereybayaquarium.org/animals/animals-a-to-z/bloodybelly-comb-jelly
- ↑ https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC5318920/
- ↑ https://www.afma.gov.au/sites/default/files/2023-02/Deepwater-Shark-and-Skate-ID-Guide-FINAL-1.pdf
- ↑ https://www.mbari.org/news/the-curious-eyes-of-the-cockeyed-squid/
- ↑ https://www.floridamuseum.ufl.edu/discover-fish/species-profiles/cookiecutter-shark/
- ↑ https://www.gbif.org/species/165490195
- ↑ https://oceanconservancy.org/blog/2020/05/21/deep-sea-lizardfish/
- ↑ https://twilightzone.whoi.edu/explore-the-otz/creature-features/dragonfish/
- ↑ https://www.boem.gov/newsroom/ocean-science-news/dumbo-octopus-whimsical-survivor-deep
- ↑ https://www.fws.gov/species/emperor-shrimp-periclimenes-imperator
- ↑ https://www.montereybayaquarium.org/animals/animals-a-to-z/flapjack-octopus
- ↑ https://www.sharks.org/frilled-shark-chlamydoselachus-anguineus
- ↑ https://www.montereybayaquarium.org/animals/animals-a-to-z/giant-isopod
- ↑ https://www.mbari.org/news/taking-a-closer-look-leads-to-rediscovery-of-a-prevalent-deep-sea-animal/
- ↑ https://oceanconservancy.org/blog/2020/05/13/siphonophores/
- ↑ https://www.floridamuseum.ufl.edu/discover-fish/species-profiles/goblin-shark/
- ↑ https://oceanconservancy.org/blog/2023/02/02/what-is-a-goosefish/
- ↑ https://twilightzone.whoi.edu/explore-the-otz/creature-features/pelican-eel/
- ↑ https://ocean.si.edu/ocean-life/invertebrates/harp-sponge
- ↑ https://www.ox.ac.uk/news/2013-06-19-origins-hoff-crab-revealed
- ↑ https://www.georgiaaquarium.org/animal/japanese-spider-crab/
- ↑ https://australian.museum/learn/animals/fishes/humpback-blackdevil-melanocetus-johnsonii-gunther-1864/
- ↑ https://oceanconservancy.org/blog/2024/04/26/sea-cucumber-headless-chicken-monster/
- ↑ https://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=883
- ↑ https://www.montereybayaquarium.org/animals/animals-a-to-z/sea-angel
- ↑ https://www.montereybayaquarium.org/animals/animals-a-to-z/sea-pig
- ↑ https://www.sci.news/biology/mariana-snailfish-pseudoliparis-swirei-05481.html
- ↑ https://nhpbs.org/wild/Nemichthyidae.asp
- ↑ https://ocean.si.edu/ocean-life/invertebrates/squidworm-new-species
- ↑ https://www.aquariumofpacific.org/onlinelearningcenter/species/vampire_squid
- ↑ https://www.montereybayaquarium.org/animals/animals-a-to-z/pacific-viperfish