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No need to worry about encountering one of these gnarly-toothed creatures on your next visit to the beach – goblin sharks are believed to be bottom-dwelling (demersal) fishes living between 95 – 1300 m 6. The larges goblin shark found to date measured in at 12.6 feet long. This is a relatively rare shark and we actually do not know much about its biology. Its small eyes, long, flat snout, and jagged teeth projecting from the lower jaw give this fish an alien-like appearance (Figure 3). This shark is commonly referenced as one of the creepiest animals in the ocean. The Goblin Shark ( Mitsukurina owstoni)- Figure3: Goblin shark (Mitsukurina owstoni). Systematics, Biology, and Distribution of the Species of the Oceanic Oarfish Genus Regalecus:(Teleostei, Lampridiformes, Regalecidae).
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If you are still scared that you may be one of the lucky few to lay eyes on a living oarfish – be aware that these fish have no visible teeth and eat only plankton. So do not be worried about running into a sea serpent on your next beach adventure. This is largely because we do not have many encounters with oarfish- especially while they are alive. Little is known about these giant creatures. The reason behind this mysterious behavior is unknown. This is similar to examples of lizards shedding a tail in order to escape a predator however, scientists do not believe that the oarfish is using this remarkable body truncation to avoid predators. These “sea monsters” appear to have the remarkable ability to self-amputate 5. The oarfish may come to the surface occasionally but the majority of the large fish seen swimming in the shallows are in distress or dying. It is thought that the two species may stay in deep-water (around 1000 m) 4. The oarfish is the longest bony fish on earth, with specimens reaching 8 m in length (that’s over 25 feet long!) and weighing up to 600 lbs (Figure 2). But do not be fooled – this is the fish that inspired a large number of sea-serpent myths among sailors. Out of all of the animals on this list, this one sounds the most docile. The fish is so large is cannot be brought in by just one person! Hoving et al., 2015 The Oarfish ( Regalecus glesne and Regalecus russellii) – Figure 2: an oarfish found washed ashore. The squid then emits a bioluminescent mucous (similar in function to black ink emitted by most cephalopods) to further confuse predators and escape unnoticed. To escape predators, the vampire squid will wave around its glowing arms in a dizzying dance. The vampire squid has a photophore on each fin and at the tip of each arm, which produce beautiful bioluminescent displays. Another recently discovered and unique characteristic: the vampire squid appears to reproduce multiple times over the course of its life (other cephalopods only breed once before dying) and may be very long-lived compared to shallow dwelling squid relatives 3. Unlike most of its relatives, the vampire squid does not actively hunt live prey (nor does it feast on blood), but rather eats detritus (decaying matter, plankton, fecal pellets, etc.) which float through the water column 2. Additionally, the squid has a slow metabolism and frequently floats motionless in the water rather than actively swimming. To cope with low oxygen, the vampire squid has a special protein in its blood (called haemocyanin – similar to our hemoglobin) which strongly binds to oxygen 1. This is the only squid thought to live its entire life within oxygen minimum zones (waters with very low oxygen concentrations- in which many animals cannot survive). The vampire squid has some interesting and unique life history characteristics compared to other cephalopods. The vampire squid is relatively small, only reaching 13 cm in length (about the size of a soft football) and lives around the world in deep temperate and tropical waters (~600 – 1200 m).
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The Latin name of the species directly translates to “vampire squid from hell”. The vampire squid was originally given its monstrous name because of the dark, cape-like appearance of its webbed arms, the “spines” on its arms, and the blood-red coloration of the eyes in certain light (although blue when seen from submersibles – Figure 1). Vampire Squid ( Vampyroteuthis infernalis) – Figure 1: A vampire squid photographed a Monterey Bay Aquariums Research Institute underwater submersible.Īlthough the name sounds fierce, the vampire squid is far from frightening.