Deep Ocean Creatures. Content.

The oceans cover 71% of the Earth’s surface and

contains over 90% of the earths water. We have only
discovered 5% of the oceans leaving much a mystery.
The deepest point of the ocean is The Marine Trench at
11,000 m (36,100ft). There are countless species that
have adapted to survive in these astonishing conditions.

The ocean is divided into 5 Layers the first been,

Epipelagic Zone (The Sunlight Zone). It gets this name as
this where most visible light exists. Being the top layer
with the most sunlight it is also the warmest layer of the
ocean at 36C but can drop as far as -3C. The section is
200m deep. The water pressure at this level is 88 PSI.
This zone contains most of the marine life (90% of all
organisms) and due to sunlight in this area it holds all
plant life which needs sunlight for photosynthesis. Some
familiar creatures that live at this level are; Seals,
Turtles, Mangroves, Jellyfish, Shark and many more. A
Great White Shark is the largest epipelagic fish in the
ocean. In this layer of the ocean there are two main
types of fish, Forage and Predator fish. Predator as well
as forage fish are mostly spindle- shaped, having large
mouths, smooth bodies and bifurcated tail.
Fact: The depth of the water depends of the clarity or
murkiness of the water. In clear water, the euphotic
zone can be quite deep; in murky water, it can be only
50ft deep.
 The second layer of the ocean is called, Mesopelagic
Zone (The Twilight Zone). This area is 1,000m deep
(3,300ft). This layer receives only faint filter sunlight.
Due to the lack of sunlight there is no plant life here.
Life in this level have to cope with the decreased
temperatures of 20 degrees Celsius to 6 degrees Celsius
and increased pressure of 1,470 PSI. This is the layer
where we start to see bioluminescence creatures.
Creatures in this layer are typical referred to semi- deep
sea creatures. The majority of creatures here daytime
visiting herbivores, detritivores feeding on dead
organisms and fecal pellets, and carnivores feeding on
the former types. Creatures that live in the level of the
ocean are; Cephalopods such as squid and octopus.
Because of the lack of plant life, many animals in this
zone are predators, and must rely on hunting and
scavenging for nutrition. The most familiar creatures are
Swordfish, Dragonfish, Cutterfish and Chain Catshark.
The Dragonfish is a usually looking fish that are covered
in photophores under its eyes and at the terminus of its
long barbell that lives in the Mesopelagic and
bathypelagic layers. These fish have long fang liked
teeth and are bioluminescence. This fish can produce its
own light in the red/infrared range as well as blue/green
range that most other fish can’t produce.
Fact: The Mesopelagic Zone is also called the Disphotic
Zone which mean “poorly lit” in Greek.
The third layer of the ocean is called the Bathypelagic
Zone (The Midnight Zone). This area is 4,000m deep
(13,100ft). The pressure in this layer is 800x the
pressure of that at the surface. The pressure at this level
can reach up to 5,850 PSI. The temperature at this level
is 4 degrees Celsius. Sunlight cannot reach this depth of
the ocean. This is furthest level a Sperm whale can dive
down to. Bathypelagic Zone is considered the largest
habitat on the Earth. This level contains a very low
organismal biomass, something that will continue as
with discover further down into the ocean. Creatures
that lives in the deep ocean have been found by
scientists to migrate up towards the shallow depths of
the ocean on a night to hunt and to seek protects from
the deep-sea dangers. Creatures that live in this layer
are typical red or black in colour due to the lack of
sunlight. These creatures are squid, sperm whales, and
also little species such as the Comb Jelly (Ctenophora).
The Firefly Squid tentacle contain an organ called
photosphere which produces light. The squid use these
lights to attracted small prey. When attracting a mate
the squid will light up its whole body. Once they have
reproduced young, the firefly squid dies at the age of
one year. A Barreleye fish is a species of
Opisthoproctidae. This fish is one of the most bizarre
creatures in the ocean. Barreleye have transparent
head, a snout like, toothless mouth and large barrel like
eye. The Barreleye fish has one of the most incredible
adaptations, The large flat fins. These fins allow fish to
stay absolutely motionless in the deep waters. The eyes
of a barrel fish have a good advantage over its prey,
their eyes point in the same direction, which gives them
excellent binocular vision.

The fourth layer of the ocean is called the Abyssopelagic

Zone (The Abyss). This area is 6,000 m deep (19,700ft).
At this level, there is freezing temperatures at 3 degrees
Celsius to 0 degree Celsius. There is also crushing water
pressure at 14.7 PSI. This layer contains ¾ of the oceans
floor. The result of the abyss is the spreading of the
seafloor and the melting of the lower oceanic crust. At
this level, you can see some hydrothermal vents, which
despite the ambient water temperature of 2, water
emerges from these vents ranging from 60 degree
Celsius to as high as 464 degree Celsius. There is a lack
of nutrients but high oxygen content. In spite of these
cold dark conditions there are a few discovered creature
that lurk here. Creatures are invertebrates, basket stars
and tiny squid. Angler fish is able to survive in these
conditions and have become one of the most well-
known creatures of the deep. This fish a known for its
grotesque alien like appearance, flesh and bone with
small eyes. An organ, photosphere can be found on top
of the fish’s head, which attracts prey by waving it back
and forth. Another well-known animal that lives in this
layer is the Dumbo Octopus. This is a unique species
that only exists in the Abyss zone. This creature has the
appearance of an octopus with webbed tentacles, which
help them float in the ocean. As there are no plants
down in the abyss, these creatures feed on small fish
such as copepods and bristle worms. The hydrothermal
vents also allow creatures to inhale nutrients.

Fact: The anglerfish sharp teeth are angled inwards to

stop prey from escaping.

The fifth and finally layer of the ocean is the

Hadalpelagic Zone (The Trenches). This area of the
ocean extends from 6,000m to the deepest parts of the
ocean. This zone does not spread across the ocean floor
but exists only in the deepest ocean trenches. The
deepest point in the ocean is located in the Mariana
Trench at 11,000m (36,000ft). The temperature of this
layer is 2-3 degrees Celsius. The crushing pressure in this
layer exceeds to 16,000 PSI. The conditions include
extreme darkness, low oxygen levels and underwater
volcanoes. In spite of these conditions, invertebrate
creatures such as Starfish and Tube Worms can thrive at
these depths. The most common creatures in this layer
are primarily lobsters, crabs and prawn, found in the
Kermadec and Japan trenches, decapods were spotted
hunting amphipods. A rat tail is a fish that is found at
7,000m. They have large mouths and a tapering tail. Rat
Tails have a well-developed sense of smell. The largest
creature to live here is Alicella Gigantea. The largest one
ever found was a 13.4-inch female, found in a trench in
the Pacific Ocean.