The Fangtooth Fish Is Like Something Out Of Your Nightmares
At a glance, the fangtooth fish (Anoplogaster cornuta) with its mouthy face looks like a menacing underwater predator. But despite its threatening appearance, the fangtooth is actually quite passive. Indeed, the fangtooth may look dangerous, but its poor eyesight makes it a mild predator.
These scary ocean animals, also known as ogrefish, live as far as 16,400 feet beneath the sea, which is about the length of 55 American football fields. Life in this isolated environment is difficult, so many deep-sea fishes have developed adaptations that help them to preserve precious energy.
The fangtooth, however, is known to be more active than many other deep-sea fish. When it comes time to feed, the little ocean animal will sneak up on its prey, usually small fish or crustaceans, and simply sucks it into its mouth.
The fangtooth will also migrate toward the surface of the ocean in search of prey. When they do decide to "hunt," they usually do so at night. Still, they are not considered an aggressive species and are relatively harmless to humans.
It's obvious that the fangtooth earned its nickname from its absurd-looking chompers. In fact, the fangtooth possesses the largest teeth of any fish in the ocean relative to its size. Their "fangs" are so long that these fish have developed a special adaptation in order to accommodate such teeth.
The fangtooth has special pouches located on the roof of its mouth which prevent its sharp teeth from piercing its brain when its mouth is closed. Interestingly, young fangtooths possess only a single row of teeth before they develop more as adults.
Researchers know little about the fangtooth's mating behavior, but the fish are known to reproduce via external fertilization. This means that female fangtooths release their eggs and males release their sperm into the open water at the same time, fertilizing the eggs outside of the fish's body.
Unfortunately, little else is known about these bizarre sea animals, aside from the fact that they're sure to trigger an intense case of thalassophobia.
The Surprisingly Formidable Sea Cucumber
Despite their name, sea cucumbers are indeed animals. There are roughly 1,250 species of sea cucumber that exist in the ocean. These sea animals are marine invertebrates and are part of the Echinodermata phylum, which includes other seabed inhabitants like sea urchins, sea stars, and sand dollars.
But don't let their lifeless appearance fool you. These unusual animals have a number of abilities that make them much more consequential to the ocean than one would think just by looking at them.
Sea cucumbers excrete byproducts that are beneficial to their surrounding environment. In fact, a 2011 study found that the ocean water surrounding a sea cucumber exhibited a relatively basic pH level, which means that it is somewhat protected from ocean acidification.
Like earthworms, cucumbers contribute to the breakdown of organic matter in their environment. They feed primarily on tiny pieces of algae and other little marine creatures, which, when passed, act as a fertilizer that promotes coral growth. In other words, sea cucumbers are an important tool in keeping the oceans clean and healthy.
Sea cucumbers also come in a variety of shapes, sizes, and textures. Like other echinoderms, they exhibit radial symmetry, which means they possess five "limbs" that are arranged in a circular shape. But instead of visible limbs, they have five rows of tiny feet that run between their mouth and their anus.
Sea cucumbers can still move about the ocean floor even without apparent limbs. They have little tube-shaped "feet" which mainly function as anchors to keep them attached to the seafloor. When it's time to move, they shift their body across the seabed by changing the water pressure in their feet. They also use their extra 20 to 30 little tubular feet to shovel food into their mouths.
These sea creatures closely resemble land cucumbers in shape and are also considered a delicacy when cooked. They are squishy creatures because they contain high levels of collagen, which gives them remarkable physiological flexibility. They can "liquify" their bodies to fit into tight crevices beneath the ocean surface.
Like fangtooths, they reproduce via external fertilization, but there are also several species that have been known to reproduce asexually by splitting themselves into two. Sea cucumbers, when in their larval stages, will drift with the ocean currents until they are mature and large enough to latch onto the ocean floor.
These sea animals also have peculiar albeit effective defense mechanisms. Some species shoot sticky threads at potential enemies while others violently contract their muscles and shoot out their internal organs, which can be quickly regenerated once the threat is gone.
Unfortunately, these interesting sea creatures have become vulnerable in some parts of the world due to overharvesting.
