Strangest Real Creatures

Strangest Real Animals vs Scariest Surreal Creatures

The world is full of wondrous creatures, some small, cute and furry which delight, while others, on the contrary, are quite hard to look at, due to the fact that they’re either weird, or simply scary. There’s a reason why we’re scared of the dark when we’re kids (some of us, still haven’t grown out of it), the darkness is the home that hides some of the most bizarre creatures known to mankind. Just imagine big fangs, sharpened teeth, vicious claws and gigantic sea animals who lurk in the deep… we have them all right here, in a collection of the most intriguing animals which live on this world.

There’s an old saying that states that we should face our fears and overcome them… but how could we face our fears if we are scared on a strange creature whose existence hasn’t been proven… We also have some “animals” which will scare the living daylights out of anyone, so should we hope that they don’t exist, or believe the pictures that show they do?

Water… we look at it as the element without which we couldn’t survive, or maybe as the perfect vacation destination, but little do we know that it’s the home of some of the scariest creatures on Earth. Let’s have a look at some of the strangest earthlings from the depths of the oceans.

Creatures Lurking In The Deep

1. Grenadier Fish (also known as the rattail fish)

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This terrible looking monster is found at great depths from the Arctic to Antarctic, so in case you were thinking of paying a visit anytime soon, be sure not to dive to great depths, cause you might run in to this critter. The most prominent feature of this marine monster is their head and mouth, the rattails have a humongous mouths. They lay over 100,000 small eggs which float to more shallow waters. Their babies remain in shallow seas, and it is not known what determines them to migrate to the depths.

If you find him scary and you’re thinking of canceling your trip to the Antarctic, you better reconsider.
These fish live at depths from 200 to 6,000 meters, and just a few have been captured and brought on land… wonder what they were doing so far away from home?

2. The Gulper Eel

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The Umbrella Mouth Gulper Eel is by far the most bizarre found in the seas. The strange fish, which scientists dubbed Eurypharynx pelecanoides, is known for it’s extremely huge pelican-like mouth. Compared to its body, the eel’s mouth is so enormous, that it allows it to swallow creatures much larger than itself. Survival of the fittest? Indeed! Despite the voluminous mouth, the fish’s diet consists mostly of small crustaceans, though it has been proven that it also eats squids twice its size.

Could it eat me, you ask? Well, this pelican eel grows to about 1 metres (3.3 ft) in length and is found in all tropical seas… but they generally live at at depths ranging from 900 to 8,000 meters (3,000 to 26,200 feet), so unless it can swallow the submarine you’re in, you can rest at ease.

3. Viperfish

Just have a look at these sharp teeth! This predator is called a viperfish, and unlike the other two monsters, you van meet this critter in salty waters. Now this fish can only grow up to 60 centimeters, but its needle-sharp teeth are the ones that make it dangerous.
How deep does it go? Well, he’s a tricky fellow, during the night, it prefers to swim in shallow waters, while during the day it sinks to lower depths (250–5,000 feet).

The viperfish lures its victims with the aid of a light producing organ, and when the pray comes close enough, it uses its sharp teeth to immobilize the prey. Pretty scary, so be sure not to go skinny dipping in the sea at night, or if you do, don’t go chasing any flashing lights in the water.

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4. Terrifying Giant Squid

The Dana Octopus Squid is one of the largest species of octopuses known to man, now we say known to men, due to the fact that we still haven’t explored the depths of the oceans. Jules Verne may have known what he was talking about. The Dana Octopus Squid can grow up to 2.3 m (7.5 ft).
The most interesting part about this monster, is how it hunts: the giant octopus uses bioluminescence to attract prey. It uses its tentacles to produce light, and then it attacks.

5. The ocean sunfish

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Mola mola, or the ocean sunfish is actually the heaviest fish in the world due to its bone structures. A usual adult can weigh 1,000 kg (2,200 lb), and it’s found in tropical areas. As big and scary as this monster looks, you should know that it is actually quite harmless, eating mainly jellyfish, a lot of jellyfish. The females produce the most eggs amongst all known vertebrates.

Not only is this huge fish harmless, but it is also a delicacy in Japan, the Korean peninsula and Taiwan. So… the next time you see this guy, make sure he’s safe in the water, and not on your plate. Just look at it, he’s a giant, yet defenseless fish.

6. Huge Oarfish

Oarfish are extremely elongated fish, found in all temperate to tropical oceans. This long fishy uses its ribbon-like body to get around… and if you’re wondering how long it can be, just imagine that the average size is 15 meters (50 feet) and it weighs 600 pounds (272 kilograms).

They are usually live at a depth of 600 feet (200 meters), although they have been known to go as deep as 3,000 feet (1,000 meters). Also, they have been observed at depths as shallow as 20 feet (60 meters), in search of food.

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See more amazing creatures on page 2


Written with love and coolness by on February 21, 2012 in Weird Stuff
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