5 Terrifying Deep Sea Creatures That Are Out of This World

When you dwell thousands of feet below the surface of the sea, you have to adapt. See how these deep-sea dwellers make the most of their ominous surroundings.

Ordinary folks can't believe these strange marine animals aren't from another planet! All of these species, believe it or not, may be found right here on Earth! Check out these five out-of-this-world deep-sea monsters!

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Frilled Shark

The frilled shark is a "living fossil," an existing species whose look hasn't changed much over millennia because of its gruesome appearance. It can also refer to animals with few or no living relatives.

A frilled shark's jaws are equipped with 25 rows of trident-shaped teeth that face backward. If you're strong at arithmetic, you'll see that this adds up to 300 razor-sharp teeth in all.

The way this prehistoric-looking predator reproduces is what's most odd about it. First, it's confined to the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. Second, embryos in other mammalian species are fed through the placenta. On the other hand, Frilled shark embryos get their energy from yolk sacs, and mothers only give birth to pups that are capable of living on their own.

Anglerfish

The anglerfish, perhaps one of the world's ugliest organisms, is best known for the bioluminescent growth on its head, which attracts food to the ocean's dark depths.

Anglerfish in the deep water have frightening jaws loaded with long, fanged fangs, just as in Finding Nemo. They prey by utilizing a fleshy protrusion on their head as fishing bait, moving it back and forth to attract prey.

Hagfish

Scientists believe that there are 76 different species of hagfish, with some living as deep as 5,500 feet beneath the ocean's surface. Because of the slime, their bodies make to warn off predators; they're also known as slime eels.

Hagfish, like lampreys, lack jaws; the two form the sister group to jawed vertebrates, and modern hagfish are comparable to hagfish from 300 million years ago.

Chimaera

Also called ghost sharks, these creatures lived a mysterious life on the ocean floor. Little is known about these chimaeras, which were just recently filmed for the first time in their natural habitat.

Their nearest extant relatives are sharks and rays, yet their last common ancestor lived about 400 million years ago. They were once a "diverse and plentiful" group (based on the fossil record). They are now mostly restricted to deep water.

Black Swallower

Chiasmodon niger, the black swallower, is a deep-sea fish belonging to the Chiasmodontidae family. It is notable for being able to consume fish that are larger than it.

The very mention of this deep-sea monster is enough to send shivers down anyone's spine. The black swallower, despite its slender appearance, has a large, expanded stomach capable of ingesting prey twice its size and ten times its mass.

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