Recently, scientists discovered eerie and bizarre creatures living in the deep waters off the coast of Australia, where environmental conditions are harsh.
In October 2022, a team of explorers from the Victoria Museum in Australia embarked on a groundbreaking expedition in the deep waters of the Indian Ocean.
A Lizardfish with long, sharp teeth was discovered for the first time during the recent expedition. (Photo: Victoria Museum).
After 35 days and a total distance traveled of over 11,000 km, the research vessel Investigator, operated by the Australian National Science Agency, collected data on many species. Notably, there were samples of species previously unknown to science.
Life for these species in the deep waters is incredibly challenging due to the scarcity of light and prey, yet they have adapted well.
Dianne Bray, Senior Director of the Victoria Museum, shared with the media: “These creatures have bioluminescent capabilities to attract prey while hiding or camouflaging themselves at the ocean floor. Among them, some have evolved with enormous mouths and terrifying teeth.”
Among these new discoveries is a species referred to by explorers as “Batfish,” which can walk along the ocean floor using two arm-like fins, along with a “lure” placed in a small cavity on its snout to attract prey.
A: A blind eel with translucent skin; B: Tribute Spiderfish with extremely long pectoral fins; C: Batfish with fins resembling human hands; D: Lizardfish with sharp teeth. (Photo: Victoria Museum).
Additionally, there is the Tribute Spiderfish with exceptionally long pectoral fins resembling stilts and the High-Winged Lizardfish with long, sharp teeth. All of these species are hermaphroditic.
Notably, this new species of Lizardfish possesses enormous fangs visible even when its mouth is closed, and it has a bioluminescent organ beneath its mouth to attract prey.
Meanwhile, the blind eel (with poorly developed eyes) exists at depths of about 4 km below the ocean surface, possesses a rectangular tail that can grow up to one meter long but weighs only 50 grams.
Moreover, the blind eel has a curved jaw that is always open and covered with hook-shaped teeth to seek food, primarily crustaceans.
Finally, scientists also discovered a new species of sea urchin, which has a flat, thin skeleton resembling a crepe (a famous French pancake) and spines that contain toxins.
According to UNESCO, the five major ocean basins, including the Pacific, Atlantic, Indian, Arctic, and Southern Oceans, contain 94% of wildlife and 97% of the world’s total water.
Due to the fact that the depths of the ocean trenches remain largely unexplored, many strange species likely exist that science has yet to discover.
It is important to note that these underwater mountains primarily originated from the Upper Cretaceous period, ranging from 65 to 80 million years ago, and may have been home to human communities in the past.
The marine habitats of these underwater mountains are also easily damaged by human activities, and this expedition aims to collect crucial data for their conservation and management.
