The 7 rarest marine animals

The sea is full of secrets and mysteries, especially since it is vast and enigmatic. Most of these mysteries haven't even been discovered yet.

In the depths of the ocean , there is not only darkness and ancient ships , there is also life. There are hundreds of creatures that live beneath the surface of the ocean, some spectacular and colorful, others with strange characteristics and are physically unique.

The Great Swallower

The Great Swallower, also known as Chiasmodon niger, is a fish that possesses the extraordinary ability to completely engulf its prey. It lives in deep water and can swallow almost any creature up to twice its size and ten times its mass.

This is thanks to its stomach which has the ability to expand . Even though it is small, do not underestimate its power, as it is considered one of the most fearsome fish in the ocean.

Cymothoa exigua

The Cymothoa exigua , known as the " tongue-eating louse" , is a very strange animal that lives in the mouth of another fish . It is a parasitic louse that works hard to atrophy, disintegrate and destroy its host's tongue (by sucking its blood) and replaces the tongue with itself. This is a very rare creature that deserves to be studied.

Astroscopus guttatus

The Astroscopus guttatus , also known as the boreal stargazer , can easily be mistaken for a sand sculpture. This beast buries itself in the sand and patiently watches for the opportunity to surprise its prey. She delights in small fish, crabs and other crustaceans.

The slowworm has an organ in its head that releases an electrical charge, used to stun and confuse its prey, helping it defend itself from predators.

The spotted wobbegong

The spotted wobbegong is one of the rarest carpet sharks in the world. Physically, it is not as fearful as other sharks. However, despite its flattened body , this shark species is as good a predator and hunter as its other shark relatives. Their ability to blend into their surroundings is a very beneficial trait that these sharks use to protect themselves

Frilled Shark

The frilled shark is totally different from the lurking shark , but still just as unique and strange. This extremely ancient specimen inhabits the depths of the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. Although it belongs to the shark family, it eats its prey like snakes : it bends its body and lunges forward to swallow its victim.

The Blobfish

The Psychrolutes marcidus , commonly known as the blobfish , is a strange -looking fish. It lives in the depths of the oceans surrounding Australia and Tazmania , at depths of 1,200 meters.

The pressure at this depth in the ocean is more than 120 times greater than that at the ocean surface. Because of this high pressure, the blobfish resembles a gelatinous mass and has very little muscle.

When in its own habitat, this fish looks like any other. However, once he returns to the surface, his body collapses due to the extreme change in pressure. At one point, this fish was voted the ugliest fish in the world .

The Dumbo Octopus

The Dumbo octopus takes its name from the famous animated elephant. She received this name because she has large, round ears that she uses when swimming. Although it is not as scary as the other marine animals mentioned on our list, it is one of the rarest marine animals in the world.

It is a small creature that can reach a height of 20 cm. This octopus belongs to a subgenus of octopuses that enjoy life at extreme ocean depths of 3,000 to 5,000 meters. They have been spotted in places like the Philippines , New Zealand and Australia .

Creature	Physical	Where to find it
The Great Swallower	Long slender body, small legs, large mandibles	Africa
Cymothoa exigua	Oval body, sucker on fish tongue	Tropical oceans
Astroscopus guttatus	Thick skin, camouflage on the seabed	Eastern coasts of North America
Spotted Wobbegong	Flat, broad body, brown and white spots	Coasts of Australia
Frilled Shark	Large ruff around the neck, sharp teeth	Indian Ocean
Blobfish	Soft, flabby body, no muscles, small eyes	Depths of the Pacific Ocean
Dumbo Octopus	Two large ear-shaped fins, short tentacles	Ocean floor, especially in the Mariana Trench