The Marina Trench can be terrifying, as it’s the deepest place on Earth that we know about. What can make it even more terrifying are the animals that lurk in the cold, dark waters.
1. Goblin Shark
This doesn’t look like your regular shark, and it’s creepy. They have an elongated snout and terrifying, extendable jaws lined with needle-like teeth. Unlike other sharks, the goblin shark’s jaw shoots forward at lightning speed to snatch unsuspecting prey, making it one of the most bizarre hunters of the deep.
2. Barreleye Fish
This fish can be pretty fascinating and just as eerie. Its entirely transparent, fluid-filled head reveals its tubular, glowing green eyes staring straight upward. These specialized eyes allow the barreleye to spot the faintest traces of bioluminescent prey above it while remaining nearly invisible in the abyss.
3. Blobfish
This creepy little guy is a gelatinous fish adapted to extreme pressure by forgoing a traditional skeleton and swim bladder. Its soft, squishy body allows it to float just above the ocean floor, conserving energy as it passively waits for food to drift by.
4. Vampire Squid
Unlike its squid and octopus relatives, the vampire squid doesn’t rely on ink to escape predators. Instead, it can turn itself inside out, exposing a spiky, spine-covered interior that looks like a writhing ball of terror. This can look quite intimidating.
5. Granrojo Jellyfish
Unlike typical jellyfish with long, trailing tentacles, this massive, blood-red phantom has thick, fleshy arms to capture prey in the abyss. Growing up to three feet in diameter, the Granrojo’s bell-shaped body glows like a crimson lantern in the pitch-dark depths.
6. Seadevil Anglerfish
This terrifying fish dangles a glowing appendage in front of its mouth to attract unsuspecting prey in the pitch-black abyss. Once a fish ventures too close, the seadevil’s powerful jaws snap shut instantly, ensuring no escape.
7. Deep Sea Dragonfish
The dragonfish produces red bioluminescence, which gives it a terrifying advantage—it can see its red light. Still, most prey cannot, allowing it to remain invisible as it stalks its next meal. Its long, eel-like body and gaping, fang-filled mouth make it look like a monster from the abyss, and in many ways, it is.
8. Giant Spider Crab
This giant crab can grow with a leg span of up to 12 feet. Its long, armored limbs and sharp pincers give it a nightmarish, skeletal appearance, making it one of the creepiest crustaceans in the ocean. Despite its eerie look, this deep-sea scavenger is more of an opportunistic feeder than a ruthless predator. Its hooked claws pick apart decaying matter and unsuspecting small creatures.
9. Benthocodon
This jellyfish is almost ghostly in appearance. It drifts silently through the abyss, its gelatinous form barely visible against the dark waters. It has numerous tentacles that extend like wisps of smoke in all directions, ready to snare anything unfortunate enough to cross its path.
10. Fangtooth
This strange fish has disproportionately large, needle-sharp teeth, so big that it can’t even close its mouth. The fangtooth’s teeth are perfect for grasping onto prey that dares to swim too close, and its powerful bite ensures it won’t let go quickly.
11. Dumbo Octopus
Unlike most octopuses, it doesn’t rely on jet propulsion to move; instead, it gently flaps its fins, giving it a ghostly, floating appearance as it glides through the dark abyss. Its large, curious eyes and soft, translucent body make it seem almost ethereal, but it’s a matter of survival, scouring the ocean floor for small prey like crustaceans and worms.
12. Frilled Shark
This rather strange and creepy shark has an eel-like body and rows of sharp, frilly teeth. Its jaws can open incredibly wide, allowing it to swallow prey whole, while its frilled gills give it a distinct, almost alien look.
