Ghosts, goblins, spiders, and wolves don't just show up in fairytales.
Some deep-sea creatures are named after frightening or mythical creatures thanks to their eerie appearances.
However, strange snouts, enormous eyes, and sharp teeth all help these animals survive the cold, dark depths of the ocean. So much is unknown about the deep sea, and these unusual adaptations can teach scientists more about what life is like thousands of meters beneath the waves.
Scientists often need remotely operated vehicles to capture images and video of deep-sea species. Watching them in their natural habitat offers insight into the behavior of fish, cephalopods, and crustaceans that don't often surface.
Some of these creatures could even contribute to medical breakthroughs. For example, toxins produced by ribbon worms have been studied for their potential use in treating conditions such as Alzheimer's disease and schizophrenia.
Here are 25 bizarre ocean dwellers that show how mysterious much of our own planet still is.
Known as a living fossil, the frilled shark has retained features of its ancient ancestors.
A frilled shark found by a Japanese fisherman in 2007. Awashima Marine Park/Getty Images
Decorative-looking gills inspired this animal's name. With its prehistoric-looking appearance, the frilled shark hasn't changed much in several million years. Biologists study them to learn more about how sharks evolved particular traits.
Though they're spread throughout the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans, they're rarely spotted, though fishers do catch them .
What's most unusual about this shark is the way it reproduces. Females give birth to live young after a 3.5-year pregnancy, one of the longest known gestations of any vertebrates, according to a 2020 study .
Growing to at least 6 feet long, these predators primarily prey on squid and fish.
Hagfish consume the decaying carcasses of other sea creatures by burrowing into them with tooth-like structures.
A hagfish being researched at Chapman University. Paul Bersebach/MediaNews Group/Orange County Register via Getty Images
There are estimated to be 76 species of hagfish, some living 5,600 feet below the surface. Although they're fish, they are also known as slime eels because of the goop their bodies produce to ward off predators, according to Chapman University .
Researchers are exploring ways the gel-like substance could be used in industrial or medical applications, including healing burns.
Certain species of the jawless fish can grow to 4 feet long, while others are only a few inches.
The goblin shark can have more than 100 teeth in its mouth.
A goblin shark caught off the coast of New South Wales, Australia. Fairfax Media via Getty Images/Fairfax Media via Getty Images via Getty Images
You can identify goblin sharks , a rarely seen bottom-dwelling species, by the shape of their snouts, which are long and flat.
Inside their mouths is a mix of spiky, grooved teeth and flat teeth. There can be as many as 53 in the top jaw and 62 in the lower, according to the Florida Museum of Natural History .
When it chows down on bony fish, crustaceans, and squid, the shark uses a method called slingshot feeding. At the lightning-fast rate of almost 7 miles per hour, they protrude their jaws and snatch their prey. Scientists first reported observing the behavior in a 2016 paper .
Vampyroteuthis infernalis, the vampire squid's scientific name, means "vampire squid from hell."
A red vampire squid seen in 2004. Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute
This cephalopod is neither a squid nor an octopus but has traits of both, occupying a separate taxonomic classification.
Found over 2,000 feet down in the inky depths of the mesopelagic zone, the vampire squid doesn't feed on blood. Instead, this creature subsists on marine snow, organic material that falls to the ocean floor as dead animals decay.
The cephalopod gets its name from the webbing that connects its arms, creating the appearance of a cloak similar to something hanging in Dracula's closet.
At 12 inches, it's about twice as long as a typical sub sandwich. A small size doesn't mean it's defenseless. When predators approach, the vampire squid puffs out a cloud of bioluminescent mucus.
The sarcastic fringehead is an aggressive big mouth.
A sarcastic fringehead opens wide. Joe Belanger/Shutterstock
Due to its frilly forehead and tendency to get irritable when anything approaches, researchers dubbed this fish the sarcastic fringehead, The New York Times reported in 2022.
Native to the Pacific Ocean near California and Mexico, it's a kind of tube blenny, a type of small fish that takes over abandoned worm tubes. Fringeheads have also been known to take up residence in discarded soda cans, according to AAAS .
Though they're usually only 3 to 8 inches, their fluorescent-rimmed mouths can open enormously wide. It's a little like when the Dilophosaurus dinosaur expands its neck frill in "Jurassic Park." Researchers think this display acts as a warning to members of its own species.
The ghost shark bears an uncanny resemblance to Zero, the dog from "The Nightmare Before Christmas."
A long-nosed chimaera seen in the Gulf of Mexico in 2017. NOAA Office of Ocean Exploration and Research, Gulf of Mexico 2017
Like sharks and rays, ghost sharks, also known as chimaera, are cartilaginous fish. A protruding snout detects electric fields and movement as they hunt for prey in the sand. Near their dorsal fin, a venomous spine provides protection from predators.
Fossil evidence shows that chimera have been around for millions of years. The earliest specimen, a sku...
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