Scary Fish Of The Deep

The depths of the oceans and sea's seem endless, just as our outer-space is, most people agree we know more about whats in space than what we know is in our own waters. However with today's technology we are traveling deep and deeper into these depths to see exactly whats down there. Can you imagine yourself mingling in the world of dinosaurs ? Why because they are scary,.. Well that world isn't as far from us as you might think.

Here is a list of my most favorite scary fish of the deep.

The Viper Fish

The Viper fish is one of the fiercest predators of the deep. It measures 6.0 to 10.0 in and weighs about 23 grams, since it's fangs do not fit inside its mouth they curve back to the fish's eyes. They are found in deep waters of the sea, often staying at 5,000 feet below surface, however they can be found at less than 2,000 when they are feeding.

Vipers have a hinged skull which can be rotated up for swallowing large prey, which goes perfectly with their large stomach's, which can expand twice its normal size. The Vipers diet consists of shrimp, squid, and hermit crabs however they also eat mackerel and other little fish. An interesting note about their feeding, Their fangs are pretty much invisible under water, serving as a great deadly trap for its prey. The one predator they have is the Dragon fish.

These scary looking creatures the Hairy Angler Fish grow to the size of a beach ball !!! The long antenna's that cover their body is designed to pick up the vibrations of any other fish that comes close to its terrifying teeth.

They inhabit the Eastern Atlantic, western North Atlantic and the Pacific ocean and remains about 8,000 ft below. Because these fish dwell so far into the deep the have not yet been properly researched and there's much still yet to be learned about them.

The Snaggletooth fish is a powerful predatory fish that can be found in the deep water between Australia and New Zealand. Some people joke asking if this was just a science experiment gone wrong, mainly because they resemble the South American Payara fish so much.

Snaggletooth fish are known to grow up to a little over 2 feet long in length !!! They are scaleless, black with luminous purple color on its sides and has a very large mouth with long pointed comb like teeth . They are equipped with a luminous red chin barbel that is long and slender they use to lure prey into striking distance and they feed on mid-water fishes and crustaceans.

Deep-sea Lizard fish lives throughout the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans and can dwell in the coral reefs or even in the rubble type habitats that are silt-filled. They can be found swimming in depths of 600 - 3500 meters with water temps ranging from 46 - 70 degrees.

Deep-sea Lizard fish grow to a whopping 4 to 5 feet long !!! Dark brown to black in color, covered in tough scales, black eyes and a black lining in the mouth and grill cavity. Their mouths are strangely scary with very sharp needle like teeth and even their tongues has teeth as well. They are fierce predators, all they have to do is sit on the bottom and ambush their prey which consists of fish and decapods as they unknowingly pass by. However Lizard fish normally don't cause any problems to divers that encounter them when exploring the coral reefs.

Deep-sea Dragon fish can be found in the Atlantic Ocean and the Gulf of Mexico in water depths of about 1,000 to 3,000 meters, however some come to the surface to feed at night, while others remain at the deep depths of 5,000 meters.

They have quite a gruesome appearance with a large head and a mouth equipped with very large fang like teeth with some being hinged. They are black in color and grow up to around 6 inches.

They are a ferocious predator with a barbel attached to its chin and its tipped with light that flashes that acts as a lure to its prey, feeding on small fish and crustaceans. The interesting thing is that since its prey is also equipped with these flashing lights, the dragon fish has a way of remaining hidden !!! The walls of their stomach has specially evolved by turning black to keep the lights of his prey concealed while his dinner is being digested. The light coming from its barbel, below it's eyes, on its pectoral fins and some forming lines of light along the body in these dark waters also come in handy for attracting potential mates.

Even though these fish are scary looking, it must be admitted they and others sure can make one heck of a light show thousands of feet underwater in the darkest of depths. I hope you enjoy the light show in the video below !!!!