Nature is Weird
The ocean is home to a host of bizarre and weird creatures. The unusual forms, sizes, colors, and adaptations found among ocean dwellers can be simultaneously grotesque and fascinating, and many are truly alien in appearance. With that in mind, here are 5 contenders to consider.
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1. Nudibranch
Nudibranchs are brightly colored sea slugs that live in oceans worldwide. Found from tropical reefs to the deep sea and polar oceans, they live without shells. Nudibranchs are mostly protected by warning colors and, in some cases, by recycling the stinging cells of the prey they eat. Over 3,000 species of nudibranchs have been described, ranging from species with feather-like gills to species with cerata all along their backs for breathing.
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2. Frilled Shark
The frilled shark is a prehistoric-looking predator that has been around for approximately 80 million years. Growing to seven feet long, it swims in a sinuous, eel-like fashion and is named for the frilly look of its gills. Feeding on squid, this deep-sea shark swallows its prey whole and with great efficiency.
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3. Pink See-Through Fantasia
The pink see-through fantasia is a transparent sea cucumber from a depth of more than a mile in the Celebes Sea. With its translucent skin, you can see its mouth and intestines. It is bioluminescent, flashes to deter predators, and was first discovered in 2007.
4. Ribbon Eel
The ribbon eel, or leaf-nosed moray eel, is a moray that inhabits burrows near coral reefs from East Africa to French Polynesia. The juveniles are black with a yellow stripe, and adults become bright blue and yellow, one of the most colorful eels in the ocean. The species is a protandric hermaphrodite and will change gender several times in its lifetime.
5. Peacock Mantis Shrimp
The peacock mantis shrimp is a brilliantly colored crustacean that packs a mean punch. The shrimp's front appendages can strike with amazing speed, snapping hard enough to smash mollusks and shatter aquarium glass. It is a fearsome predator that uses its lightning strike to catch prey such as crabs and clams.
