Estimated read time: 6-7 minutes
This archived news story is available only for your personal, non-commercial use. Information in the story may be outdated or superseded by additional information. Reading or replaying the story in its archived form does not constitute a republication of the story.
The sea is full of strange looking creatures, many with fascinating adaptations to their aquatic environments. While the Loch Ness Monster has yet to be located, we are discovering unimaginable animals living in places previously thought uninhabitable. The following five creatures are some of the wettest and wildest in the world.
Giant Amoeba
During July 2011, a team explored the Mariana Trench, the deepest known region on Earth. Using dropcams, lights and other digital video equipment they explored the area known as the Sirena Deep. Here they discovered a giant breed of amoebas, known as xenophyophores, living at unbelievable depths.Xenophyophores are thought to be the largest single cell organism on the planet. These incredible creatures are able to sustain life at crushing pressures in the deep sea, while tolerating darkness and cold temperatures. These organisms can reach sizes up to 4 inches in length and are commonly found on the sea floor in great numbers.
Recent studies have shown that xenophyophores can trap particles that have a high level of uranium, lead and mercury, suggesting that they are resistant to the toxicity of heavy metals. Their ability to survive heavy metals and environmental adaptiveness make them an important biological factor in studying deep sea life.
Viperfish
The viperfish may just be one of the scariest fish in the sea. Intimidating in looks, it is also a fierce predator. These fish can be found in temperate and tropical waters - but only at extreme and dangerous depths.
They lure their victims in using a light, a photophore, located on the end of their spines. The viperfish floats in the water while moving its photophore to draw smaller fish within its reach. Their incredible teeth and quick speed make them adept hunters. They have ghastly sharp fangs that don't fit into their mouths, curving backwards nearly to their eyes. Their jaw is also hinged, allowing them to eat larger prey.
Biologists believe that viperfish can live up to 40 years, but this has not been verified as they do not live for more than a few hours in captivity. They have a low metabolic rate and can go for a length of time without food. Sharks and dolphins have been known to eat these strange looking fish.
Pistol Shrimp
Pistol shrimp are tiny creatures that carry a big gun. Their one huge claw snaps shut for a mere millisecond, forcing a jet of water from their claw at speeds up to 62 miles per hour. In the wake, the water forms a low pressure cavitation bubble. As the bubble collapses back in on itself, temperatures of up to 8,000 degrees fahrenheit can be reached with a brilliant flash of light lasting for only a billionth of a second, invisible to the naked eye.
The collapse of the cavitation bubble creates an incredible acoustic pressure reaching up to 218 decibels. Comparatively speaking, 218 decibels is louder than a gun shot. The pressure can kill small proximal creatures while stunning others.
When hunting, the shrimp will lie in its den with only its snapping claw and antennae extended. With very poor eyesight, the shrimp depends on its antennae to sense when prey draws near. Once a target is located the shrimp will snap its claw rendering them momentarily defenseless and then emerge to quickly ensnare the stunned creature, dragging it back into the shrimp's den where it will be consumed.
If the snapping claw should become injured, the smaller proportionate claw will grow to become the new larger snapping claw. The injured claw will then regenerate and grow into a smaller proportionately sized claw.
The pistol hrimp is also a deep sea sheriff of sorts. Many engage in symbiotic relationships with goby fish; a burrow is created by the shrimp, but provides the goby fish with safety and security. With poor vision, the snapping shrimp is not well suited to watching for possible danger. The goby fish keeps a look out near the burrow, alerting the shrimp with a unique tail movement if danger is present. When working outside the burrow, the shrimp remains close to the goby, often keeping its antennae in contact with the fish.
Pistol shrimp can compete with much larger animals such as the sperm and beluga whales, in terms of who can create the loudest noise. The snapping of a pistol shrimp can interfere with a submarines sonar, making it impossible to determine the location of surrounding vessels. Yachtsman claim that they can hear the ruckus created by these small creatures and that sleeping while moored near pistol shrimp can be next to impossible.
Frilled Shark
Frilled sharks are reminiscent of infamous sea serpents and have a mouth full of hundreds of needle-like teeth. Found in both the Atlantic and Pacific oceans, these fascinating creatures are rarely seen by humans as they prefer deep ocean depths. Very similar to fossils that once lived during the time of the dinosaurs, many people call them a “living fossil.”
These sharks have long and flexible jaws that allow them to swallow prey - sometimes over half of their size - whole. Their 25 rows of teeth prevent any escape once ensnared. They feed on squid, fish and smaller sharks.
Researchers do not believe that these sharks have a definite breeding season; however, their gestation is estimated to last for a whopping 3.5 years.
Textile Cone Shell
These snails may look like beautiful works of art, but they are actually some of the deadliest and most venemous creatures in the sea. It is estimated that there are 500 species, with some of the deadliest varieties found in Australia.
Depending on their size, cone shells eat a variety of other marine organisms. They hunt worms, mollusks and even fast moving fish. During periods when food is not readily available they will resort to cannibalism, consuming other cone shells.
Their shell is shaped much like an ice cream cone and decoratively patterned. They hunt their prey using a long harpoon like hollow spear, known as the radula. They inject neurotoxins into their victim, paralyzing small fish and creatures quickly. Once their prey has been subdued they retract the radula and engulf the meal into their distensible stomachs. Each snail has multiple radula that can sting prey in various positions around themselves.
The venom of cone shells varies greatly from from mildly to unbelievably toxic, depending ont eh species. There is no known anti-venom to a cone shell's sting. Their venom is composed of hundreds of different compounds that can have various effects on humans. These can include; shooting pain, numbness, vomiting, paralysis, dizziness and emotional changes. Respiratory failure is the fatal result of the neurotoxins.
Drug manufacturers are currently researching various uses for the cone shell's venom in a variety of medicines. As a pain reliever, it is estimated that the neurotoxins could act quickly and provide non-addictive pain relief for patients. Some estimate the strength of such a pain reliever may be greater than even morphine. Researchers are also exploring possible treatment for Parkinson's disease, epilepsy, Alzheimer's disease, cancer and arthritis.
