5 Animals of the Deep Ocean-Mid

Animals of the Deep Ocean FOCUS Question How do special body parts help animals live in the deep ocean?

Life in the Deep When you see the ocean, you see the top. But Earth's oceans are very deep. The deep ocean is different from any other place on Earth. It is as dark as night. It is ice-cold.

Deep Ocean Animals Special kinds of animals live in the deep ocean. Their body parts help them live in the dark, icy water. Let us learn about some of these animals.

Gulper Eel Gulper eels can eat fish that are bigger than they are. How? Their mouths open very wide. Also, their stomachs stretch like balloons. Viperfish Viperfish have such big teeth that their mouths cannot close! Viperfish also glow in the dark. Other fish swim toward the glow and get eaten.

Tripod Fish Tripod fish have three long fins. The fins touch the ocean floor. Tripod fish cannot see in the dark. They use their fins to feel things moving nearby. That way, they know when food is near. Blobfish Blobfish look like blobs. They have no bones. They do not move much. So they eat bits of dead fish that float by.

Caridean Shrimp The caridean (kuh-RID-ee-un) shrimp has a trick. If a fish swims close, the shrimp spits. The spit glows in the dark water. The fish sees only the glow, not the shrimp. The shrimp swims away. Vampire Squid The vampire squid has big red eyes. They are as big as golf balls. They help the squid see in the dark. To protect itself the squid wraps its arms around itself like a cape.