Creatures of the Deep

Can you believe that…. "Over 60% of our planet is covered by water more than a mile deep. The deep sea is the largest habitat on earth and is largely unexplored. More people have traveled into space than have traveled to the deep ocean realm....” (The Blue Planet – Seas of Life)

Benthic Zone The lowest level of a body of water….just how low depends on the depth of the water. Some benthic zones close to shore are only inches below the surface of the water Other benthic zones are miles off shore and beneath miles of ocean water

Ocean Floor

Benthic Environments The bottom environments of the continental shelf have access to sunlight, oxygen and nutrients due to the shallowness of the water. The bottom environments of the abyssal plain and the deep sea trenches, however, do not have these luxuries and must make adaptations to survive.

The Viperfish Has a photophore at the tip of its dorsal to attract prey. Additional photophores down its side serve as a countershading camouflage Extremely sharp teeth allow the viperfish to hold on to prey even though it cannot see it

Viperfish Low basal metabolic rate allows them to go days without food Very large stomach relative to their size so that they can store up on food when it is available. May migrate up to 3000 meters vertically at night to hunt

Deep Sea Anglerfish Have a photophore on their dorsal similar to the viperfish to attract prey Have a skin pigment that absorbs blue light. Since most bioluminescent light is blue, this makes them virtually invisible. Can extend its jaw and stomach to swallow prey twice its size. This adaptation allows it to store up food due to its scarcity.

Anglerfish Reproduction Perhaps the most unique adaptation of the anglerfish is the way in which it ensures continuation of the species. –When a male reaches maturity, his digestive system shuts down and he can no longer feed on his own. – He must find a female and attach himself to her with his hook teeth. This releases an enzyme which permanently attaches the male to the female, allowing him to feed off of her. This ensures that a male is nearby when she releases eggs.

Fangtooth Although it resembles the anglerfish, the Fangtooth does not posses photophores. Almost blind, but has extremely high sense of vibration and movement. Must hunt by bumping into objects and quickly grabbing them with their prominent teeth.

Giant Tubeworms Do not require sunlight to exist Contain bacteria inside them that convert chemicals released by black smokers into organics that are food for the worms. A blood type of fluid is found in the red tips which supports the bacteria

Deep Sea Sponges Rather than filtering food from water as other choanocytes do, the deep sea sponges have developed filaments with small hooks on them to trap small crustaceans. This makes them carnivores. New filaments then grow over the prey allowing the sponge to digest it.

References Marine Bio Home Page Exploring the Deep Ocean Floor: Hot Springs and Strange Creatures Olympic Coast National Marine Sanctuary Sea and Sky Adler, Tina. Deep-sea sponge reaches out, devours - newly discovered sponge of genus Asbestopluma uses filaments to catch small crustaceans. Science News. Feb 4, 1995