Barreleye Fish
What seems to be their eyes in the video are not eyes but their nostrils; their eyes are inside the head. Barreleye Fish are named because of their barrel-shaped, tubular eyes placed inside transparent head.
These fishes are found at a depth of 400 to 2500 m where sunlight is not available in sufficient amount. But their prey is found much above from them where sunlight is ample. So, they direct their eyes upwards to detect the silhouettes of available prey. And when the prey is detected, they move their eyes forward so that the prey and their mouth will be before their eyes.
Found in tropical-to-temperate waters of the Atlantic, Pacific, and Indian Oceans, they are believed to steal food from their prey, siphonophores. siphonophores are elongated jellies with tentacles that capture prey that swims into them. The transparent shield over its eyes protects them from the stinging cells of the siphonophore’s tentacles.
Stone Fish
Well what do you see in the picture? These are Stones of the seabed. But wait there is a fish in it, the most venomous fish known till now. These fishes blend in their habitats of coral and rocky reef. They sit still in their habitat for hours and wait for their prey. When small fishes or invertebrates are near them, they engulf them whole quickly.
Venom is not used to prey but they are used as a defense mechanism when they are attacked by predators or stepped on by humans. The venom is usually released when pressure is applied to the stonefish’s spine. They are mostly found in the shallow seabed in the coast of Australia.
Pacu Fish
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A fish with human teeth!! Yes you read right. Pacus primarily eat plants, fruits, nuts and at times small fishes. They use their teeth for this purpose. They do not survive in colder water.
Angler Fish
A man and a woman is almost of the same size when it comes to humans, cows, tigers etc. except in this fish’s case. The female is very large compared to the male. Whenever the male finds a female, he attaches himself to her body using his teeth. Slowly he becomes a part of the female body and loses his eyes. The male totally depends on the female for food. He becomes a parasite in the female body. Found in the deep sea where sunlight is scarce, the female uses a luminous lure to attract her prey. This luminous lure is located on top of a pole like structure above its mouth. This is why it is called anglerfish. These are usually found in Atlantic and Antarctic oceans.
Sea Horse
The name is quite evident from their pictures itself. They look like horse and are found in the seas and oceans. The male sea horse gives birth to children rather than the female. Isn’t it weird? Because of the design of their mouth, they produce very less ripple in water and so they can come very close to the prey without them noticing it. 90% of the time they catch their prey without fail.
These are only a few of the interesting animals found in the deep sea. We only know a part of these creatures found in 3/4th part of the earth which is water. The ocean still remains one of the most mysterious places for us.
Barnali Das, IISER, Kolkata
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