Off the east coast of Australia there is an abyss at a depth of 4000 – 6000m, where it is almost perpetually dark. The temperature is about 2-3 degrees Celsius, creating an extremely limited environment for food sources.
Abyss is the largest and deepest habitat on earth, covering 50% of the world’s oceans and a third of Australia’s territory. However, this is an area where human understanding is still limited.
In 2017, researchers from the Australian Scientific and Industrial Research Organization (CSIRO) relentlessly sent the device down to a depth of ~4876m. There, they had the opportunity to interact with more than 100 different species through the vessel. Among them, 5 species have never been discovered. This is claimed by the researchers to have “expanded the frontiers of science” and awaits new creatures to be named at the Australian National Fish Conference (ANFC).
Take a look at some of the strange creatures found in the seas east of Australia:
1. Red thorn crab
Red spiny crabs have a literal “thorn armor” to protect them from deep-sea predators. Scientists predict it is related to hermit crabs (hermit crabs).
2. Glass sponge
Its skeleton is made of a network of silica fibers, which can be up to 1m long. They feed by filtering bacteria and other single-celled organisms from water passing through a fragile glass shell.
3. Coffinfish – It is likely a new species
4. Peanut Worm
The peanut worm (Sipuncula) is a sea worm that, when threatened, can look like a peanut. This species can reproduce both naturally and asexually.
5. Cookiecutter Shark
This little guy has teeth like a saw blade, living in the “twilight zone” of the ocean, about 1000m deep. It hunts even large fish, sometimes even humans, by biting into the flesh, tearing apart biscuit-sized pieces. Therefore, it is temporarily called “Cookiecutter”.
6. Lizard fish
At a depth of 1000 – 2500m, being a predator is also not very easy because there is very little food. Lizardfish can travel great distances to maximize scarce resources.
7. Faceless fish
Appearing at a depth of 4000m, its scientific name is Typhlonus, but is commonly known as the faceless fish. This fish has also been found in the Arabian Sea, the Sea of Papua New Guinea, Indonesia, Japan and Hawaii.
8. Crispy starfish
Brittle starfish are found from Siberia to Antarctica, yet we know almost nothing about this species.
9. Octopus dumbo
The Dumbo Octopus waves its ear-like fins, like the Disney character of the same name.
10. Zombie Worms
Zombie worms (Osedax) are commonly found in rotting whale carcasses on the ocean floor. Without a mouth, intestines or anus, they digest with bacteria.
