They are an apex predator, which means they are on the top of the food chain, preying on animals like seals and dolphins. Deep-Sea Creatures 1. Scientists have had few opportunities to observe the incredibly elusive giant squid in its natural habitat. Juvenile Japanese spider crabs are known to decorate their shells for camouflage. She is a sustainability expert and author whose work has been published by the New York Times and National Geographic, among others. © 2020 Awesome Ocean. These Jelly Fish have a sting as bad as a lions bite but they don’t get their name because of that. Meet the largest fish in the sea, the beautiful whale shark. Dating back to mid and late Triassic period, this largest sea creature wasn’t a terrifying predator and mainly consumed fish being an adept suction feeder. What we have learned about this enormous cephalopod is that it has quite a reach. If the shark’s size doesn’t get your attention, the distinct light and dark markings should. The basking shark is, to the best of our knowledge, the second largest fish in the modern ocean. As if sharks weren’t already scary enough, the Basking Shark can grow upwards of 40 feet, which also happens to be about the size of a school bus. Closely related to today’s great white shark , it could have grown up to 20 meters and weighted upto 60 tons. Because of commercial whaling, the species almost went extinct by the 20th century. These things have eight groups of tentacles which are composed of 70 to 150 strands that can grow up to a terrifying 120 feet in length. The blue whale is the largest animal ever known to have existed — even out-sizing dinosaurs. At almost 80 feet in length, the beautiful sperm whale happens to be the largest of the toothed whales and the largest toothed predator of all. Unlike many of the shark species, these sharks are the gentle giants of the bunch, feeding on mostly plankton, fish eggs, and larvae. Fin whales are a very slender, graceful whale species. The Spider crab has a width of over 12 feet and of the 5-10 million known species of arthropods in the world, the spider crab remains the biggest. Unlike many other whale species, these whales have teeth as opposed to bristles, making them the largest toothed animal to roam the sea. Oarfish, also known as ribbonfish, are long — 26 feet — and do not have scales. It is a filter feeder and has the ability to sift through over 1,500 gallons of water in an hour as part of its feeding ritual. These guys are long — the longest bony fish that we know of — and live at depths of 3,300 feet. It was discovered only a … Most of our knowledge comes from specimens that have washed ashore. Fin whales can reach lengths up to 88 feet and weigh up to 80 tons. The aptly named giant Pacific octopus is the biggest cephalopod of all. Today, there are several hundred thousand — which may be a lot compared to other whales in peril, but still disheartening given their once abundant population. Whale Shark | Total Length: 61.68 Feet (18.8 Meters) Meet the largest fish in the sea, the beautiful … The giant Sea Star can grow up to two feet in size and also preys on mollusks. But you should know that there is many larger sea monsters. … The Killer Whale, otherwise known as an Orca, is one of the biggest and most powerful predators on the planet. That's what happens when you live in a place as unexplored as the ocean. Frilled Shark Their feeding tentacles can catch prey at distances of over 30 feet. So, here we are listing the top 20 most terrifying deep-sea creatures. Its clicking call can be as loud as 230 decibels underwater, equivalent to 170 decibels on land— about the loudness of a rifle shot within a few feet of one's ear. It is one of the terrifying deep-sea creatures. As the Japanese spider crab ages, its legs continue to grow while its carapace remains the same size. Shastasaurus is the largest marine creatures ever discovered in archaeology. At 60 feet in length, if you run into a whale shark, you’re unlikely to miss this gentle creature. They weigh up to 441,000 pounds. In the wild, the giant Pacific octopus is found throughout the Pacific from Alaska to Baja California, and as far northeast as Japan. The Man-of-War is an interesting species that have tentacles that can grow to be about 8 feet but in some cases, there have been findings of these creatures with tentacles as long as 165 feet. Though typically reddish brown, the octopus can change its color when threatened or in need of camouflage. Their large pectoral fins stretch to an unbelievable 30 feet across which is about four-and-a-half times wide as Michael Jordan is tall.