It is a geological feature so massive, so vast and so imposing that Everest seems like a mole in comparison. We're talking about the Marianas Trench, a wound underwater, in the Earth's crust, which is five times longer than the Grand Canyon and much, much deeper.
In fact, the Mariana Trench is the deepest part of any place on Earth. The estimates vary a bit, but at their darker depths, there is a fold called Challenger Abyss, of approximately 10,984 meters or about 10.9 kilometers deep. If we invested Everest and sank it in the Mariana, the steepest peak of the mountain would still have 2,134 meters to reach the bottom. How should it be to explore it? What will it hide?
The mysterious Marianas Trench
The Mariana Trench a place so strange that until the last decades, scientists had almost no clue about the kind of life forms that could live there. This happens because when submerging below 1,000 meters in the ocean, sunlight does not reach , and water temperatures often settle to levels only slightly above freezing. Further, the water pressure in the trench is so high that it would crush almost any creature (or man-made object).
Therefore this particular area of the sea, is more than a little inhospitable. However, in recent years it has been shown that there are indeed living organisms and even prosper in this almost extraterrestrial environment .
10 Animals that live in the Mariana Trench
So that you can get an idea of what creatures there are -which you know- in the Mariana Trench, we present you some of these beings are wonderfully strange:
1. The Marine Devil
If a fish has the word "devil" in its name, it's bound to be weird. The Marine Devil does not disappoint. With his deformed body, his terrible teeth and his cold gaze, He can devour creatures bigger than him.
In a strange evolutionary turn of reproduction, the males merge with the females . Their fins, teeth and eyes disappear, along with some internal organs, converting two individuals into one.
What remains of the male's body essentially becomes a sperm storage tank It helps fertilize the eggs of the female when the time is right.
2. The Duende shark
If you've ever seen the iconic "Alien" movies, you'll love this. Imagine a shark with a protruding snout and a viscous pink hue. Is it enough to make you appear in your worst nightmares?
They can grow up to meters in length. Fortunately, it is unlikely that you will encounter this beast. If you need to see it for yourself, you can witness an attack immediately:
These sharks usually swim below 914 meters.
3. The Dumbo octopus
It is an octopus that Walt Disney had invented for one of his animated films. This octopus It has what look like pretty little ears , some lovely bulging eyes and pursed mouth.
Unlike most octopuses, this species does not grind food, but simply swallows its entire prey .
So if it's your turn to be on the Dumbo octopus menu, it probably does not seem so cute to you.
4. The Fish-Dragon
With large teeth and a horrible face, the dragonfish is a killer of the unfathomable abyss. Although it is a fish, has no scales , but a slippery, slimy skin that resembles that of an eel.
Like many deep-sea creatures, this species is mainly based on parts of the bioluminescent body , which take advantage of internal chemical reactions to produce a mysterious glow.
5. The fish Elf
Light is a rare and precious thing in the midnight ocean. Thus, creatures of the abyss, like the Duende fish, have evolved unusual characteristics. How unusual? Well, to begin with, This fish has a transparent head . Scientists believe that this feature can simply allow fish to collect more light, which can give this strange animal a little more advantage over its competition.
It was not discovered until 1939, not a hundred years have passed since we were aware of its existence. Maybe that's why this strange fish still keeps many secrets, leaving the bewildered scientists about their patterns of life cycle and reproduction. You can see it next in its habitat:
6. Benthocodon
Jellyfish are quite common marine animals, the benthocodon, however, is an unusual type of jellyfish that prefers to live at a depth of more than 700 meters. They have a rounded top, called the bell, and it closes with a few 1,500 tenuous red tentacles , which uses to move through the water.
Although many types of jellyfish are transparent, the benthocodon it has an opaque reddish coloration in its bell . Scientists believe that this color can help to mask the bioluminescent glow of the small animals that the jellyfish eats.
7. The Ax Fish
There are more than 40 species of ax fish. They all have ridiculously thin bodies, and many of them have bright scales, too, that add to the metallic appearance, of the ax.
The fish ax has bioluminescent organs, and can alter its brightness depending on the amount of light filtered from above. It is a technique of smart camouflage . Its dim light, of its own production reduces its silhouettes, making it difficult for its predators.
8. The Anguilla Shark
They have the rounded body of an eel combined with the flattened head of a dinosaur. Maybe that this comparison is appropriate after all, because like many sharks, this species has roots in 80 million years ago.
It has six rows of gills with ruffles that adorn its body, and has more than 20 rows of teeth . In addition, they can grow up to two meters long! Of course we would not like to meet him.
9. The Octopus Telescope
As ghosts of the abyss, the Telescope Octopuses float in the deepest currents of Earth's oceans. Not anything specifically in a horizontal position like other animals of its species, but usually to be suspended vertically.
His body is so clear that it's almost transparent , and protruding eyes protrude. These eyes provide a wider peripheral vision so octopuses can see predators and prey alike. Like from a science fiction movie, those eyes turn also , offering the creature a better way to see through the darkness of its deep refuge.
10. The Zombie worm
Officially called Osedax, can consume hard bones like stones of some of the greatest animals on Earth.
The zombie worm, which also lives in the Mariana Trench, secretes acids to help access the internal contents of the bones of dead whales . Next, it uses symbiotic bacteria to convert the proteins and fats of the bone into nutrients that serve as food.
Thanks to better technologies, human beings have finally begun to explore the darkness of the Marianas Trench. Still, this underwater canyon is one of the most unexplored places on our planet . Awesome, right?
If you liked this article, you can not stop reading this one about some of the rarest animals on earth .
Image: USFWS - Pacific Region , Supercurious ( Mai Txu ).