Marrus Orthocanna

This is One of the example of Marrus Orthocanna.

Like a multistage rocket, this bizarre microscopic creature, Marrus orthocanna is made up of multiple repeated units, including tentacles and multiple stomachs. Never heard of a physonect siphonophore? That's what this is. It's something like a jellyfish, and is more closely related to the Portugese man o' war. That’s not it, here comes the biggest fact that also shocked me. Pioneerunion.com - stated that “The Deep Sea Siphonophore are long creatures. They can get as long as 50 meters. 

The majority of them, are long and thin, and they consist of mostly gelatinous material.” This creature can be found in the Arctic Ocean, northwest Pacific Ocean, Bering Sea, Sea of Okhotsk, North Atlantic Ocean, and Mediterranean Sea at depths of 200 to 800 m (660 to 2600 ft) – Aquariumofpacific.org

References :

• http://pioneerunion.ca.schoolwebpages.com/education/components/scrapbook/default.php?sectiondetailid=2765&linkid=nav-menu-container-4-12907

• Of the Pacific. (n.d.). Pelagic Siphonophore. Aquarium of the Pacific. Retrieved August 18, 2014, from http://www.aquariumofpacific.org/onlinelearningcenter/species/pelagic_siphonophore

Flamingo Tongue Snail

The Flamingo Tongue is on the top of the ocean reef.

Have you ever seen a white shell with yellow spots precariously attached to a sea rod or sea fan? That’s a Flamingo Tongue snail ! Although their shells appear beautifully patterned with colorful spots, these spots are only visible while the snail is alive. A Flamingo Tongue’s shell is actually white. The vibrant spots come from the snail’s mantle which is extended over the shell. Oceana.org have stated that “these gastropods are seen almost exclusively on the animals they use as food, including sea fans, sea whips, and other gorgonians, although they occasionally cross open sand in search of new habitat. Only ¾ to 1 inch in size, these little snails feed on the polyps of sea rods as well as other gorgonians (soft corals).

 As gastropods, aka stomach-footed snails, Flamingo Tongues use their foot to eat! Cyphoma gibbosum lives sub-tidally on shallow reefs in the Caribbean and southern Atlantic Ocean - Thecephalopodpage.org

References :

• Ocena. (n.d.). Oceana | Protecting the World's Oceans. Flamingo Tongue. Retrieved August 18, 2014, from http://oceana.org/en/explore/marine-wildlife/flamingo-tongue

• Nahabedian, S., Wood, J. B., & Parr, M. (n.d.). Flamingo Tongue Snail (Cyphoma gibbosum). Flamingo Tongue Snail (Cyphoma gibbosum). Retrieved August 18, 2014, from http://www.thecephalopodpage.org/MarineInvertebrateZoology/Cyphomagibbosum1.html

Frilled Shark

The face of Frilled Shark.

The frilled shark is one of the least seen amongst sharks because of the depths in which it lives. Living in such deep waters has its drawbacks because temperatures are freezing; therefore, the metabolic cycle of this shark is somewhat lethargic. The frilled shark has been called everything from a "sea serpent" to a real-life "Loch Ness Monster" over the years in places where it lives, such as southeast Australia, New Zealand, Southeast Asia, West Africa, Chile and the Caribbean – Discovery.com. Frilled sharks, Chlamydoselachus anguineus, feed on cephalopods (mainly squid), other sharks, and bony fishes. 

Feeding behavior has not yet been observed by this weak-swimming species, though they are thought to capture active, fast-moving squid by taking advantage of injured squid or those that are exhausted and dying after spawning – Marine Bio.com. Frilled sharks or scientifically to be called Chlamydoselachus anguineus, are deepwater eel-like sharks that reach lengths up to 2 m and are thought to reach sexual maturity when they are 1.35 to 1.5 m long.

References :

• Frilled Sharks, Chlamydoselachus anguineus. (n.d.). MarineBio.org. Retrieved August 18, 2014, from http://marinebio.org/species.asp?id=1485

• Frilled Shark (Types of Shark) : Discovery Channel. (n.d.). Discovery Channel. Retrieved August 19, 2014, from http://www.discovery.com/tv-shows/shark-week/types-of-shark/frilled-shark.htm

Sarcastic Fringehead

       

Scary face shown by the Sarcastic Fringehead.

        When we first heard this kind of name we might be questioning is this the real name of this fish? Does it really exist? I will say yes to both of the questions as it is the real name of the fish and its exist.  From the Aquarium of Pacific.org - these fish are found along open coastlines on sand or hard mud bottoms, outside the breaker zone in depths of 3-73 m (10-240 ft). 

              They live in various kinds of shelters, such as empty clam or snail shells, abandoned burrows, and cracks in clay or rock outcroppings. Fringeheads are ambush predators, jumping out from their shelter to surprise prey swimming or moving by. The sarcastic fringehead’s needle-sharp teeth probably help it to ensnare (swallow) slippery, moving prey. Sarcastic fringeheads can be found along the exposed coast of the Pacific Ocean – Animal Diversity.edu.

References :

• Sarcastic Fringehead. (n.d.). Aquarium of the Pacific. Retrieved August 18, 2014, from http://www.aquariumofpacific.org/onlinelearningcenter/species/sarcastic_fringehead

• Southern, J. (n.d.). Neoclinus blanchardi. Animal Diversity Web. Retrieved August 18, 2014, from http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/accounts/Neoclinus_blanchardi/

Blue-ringed Octopus

This is One of TheBeautiful Blue-Ringed Octopuse.

Blue-ringed octopuses are among the deadliest animals in the sea. I believe that everybody might think that this tiny creature is beautiful because of the color on their skin, but this tiny creature is so deadly among the other octopuses. 

Pbs.org - have mentioned that “the blue-ringed octopus appears grey or beige with light brown patches when it is at rest, but when agitated its 50 or 60 bright blue rings appear and pulsate with color, as a warning.” The Blue-ringed octopuses feed on small crabs, hermit crabs, and shrimp that it hunts during the day. It have two types of venom secreted by two separate venom glands are used against prey and predators. One of the venoms is used for hunting crab, the other, which is extremely toxic, is used as self defense against predators. Based on Marine Bio.com - Blue-ringed octopuses can be found only in the temperate waters of southern Australia, from southern Western Australia to eastern Victoria at depths ranging from 0-50 meter. 

References :

• Bell, G. (n.d.). Animal Guide: Blue-Ringed Octopus. PBS. Retrieved August 18, 2014, from http://www.pbs.org/wnet/nature/interactives-extras/animal-guides/animal-guide-blue-ringed-octopus/2177/

• Bio, M. (n.d.). Blue-ringed Octopuses, Hapalochlaena maculosa. MarineBio.org. Retrieved August 18, 2014, from http://marinebio.org/species.asp?id=403

Blob Fish

Sometime its look so ugly but sometime it seems to be cute :)

Next, I would like to present a species that have won the World's Ugliest Animal contest and it is pretty rare for normal people to see this kind of fish as they can only be found in marine waters of the Atlantic, Indian and Pacific Oceans at depths between 100 m and 2800 m. Sciencenews.org have stated that Blobfish don’t have swim bladders but do have very soft bones. That makes sense for an animal that lives in the crushing pressures of the deep sea, allowing the fish to compress without cracking their bones. But up at the surface the fish seem jellylike and basically collapse, distorting their features. Blob fish seem to grow only to about 12 inches, about as long as a comic book – Noaa.gov. 

No one has seen them feed, but scientists think blob fish probably just open that big mouth and let little particles drift in - this is not a critter built to chase down its food.

References :

• ENGELHAUPT, E. (2013, September 26). 'World's ugliest animal' contest took a blobfish out of water. Science News. Retrieved August 18, 2014, from https://www.sciencenews.org/blog/gory-details/worlds-ugliest-animal-contest-took-blobfish-out-water

• WeirdFins. (n.d.). WeirdFins. Retrieved August 18, 2014, from http://www.nmfs.noaa.gov/rss/podcasts/weirdfins/blobfish.htm

Barreleye Fish

Its so unique with the transperent head.

Deep-sea fish have adapted to their pitch-black environment in a variety of amazing ways. Several species of deep-water fishes in the family Opisthoproctidae are called "barreleyes" because their eyes are tubular in shape. Odditycentral.com stated that “The Pacific Barreleye fish gets its name from large eyes that are literally shaped like barrels, topped with beautiful green lenses. As well recognized as the Macropinna microstoma, its brain is totally lucid, filled with fluid.”

 This unique creature lives at depths of about 2000 to 2,600 feet and it is hard for us as a normal people to get a chance to see this creatures face to face. Animalspot.com - stated that the Barreleye fish were exposed by the marine biologist, Chapman in 1939. They live near the depth where sunlight from the surface fades to complete blackness. They use their ultra-sensitive tubular eyes to search for the shadowy silhouettes of prey overhead. Most of the time, the fish hangs motionless in the water with its body in a horizontal position and its eyes looking upward.

References : 

• Bebaychna, R. (n.d.). Barreleye Fish.Animal Spot. Retrieved August 18, 2014, from http://www.animalspot.net/barreleye-fish.html

• Sumitra, S. (2013, November 20). The Pacific Barreleye Fish and Its Weird See-Through Head | Oddity Central - Collecting Oddities. Oddity Central Collecting Oddities. Retrieved August 19, 2014, from http://www.odditycentral.com/pics/the-pacific-barreleye-fish-and-its-weird-see-through-head.html