SEA MONSTERS AND MONSTERS OF OCEAN DEPTHS
The waters of the world's oceans hide the most incredible landscape on Earth. But the light penetrates everything several tens of meters below the surface of the water, and the ocean depths are pitch black. When exploring the depths, new types of strange creatures are constantly being discovered. In this article we want to tell you aboutsea monsters and monsters of the deep oceans.

The water temperature in such places is extremely low, sometimes reaching 2-4 degrees Celsius. The main flow of nutrients comes from above, these are organo-mineral particles, which scientists call sea snow, or the remains of dead animals, with an even more interesting name, rain of corpses.

The oceans cover more than 70% of the surface of our planet, man has so far studied no more than 10% of everything that happens in the waters of the world's oceans. Today we want to talk about the inhabitants of the depths of the ocean, living at a depth of more than 200-300 meters. Life at such depths left an imprint on the underwater inhabitants. For the most part, they have a transparent color, due to the lack of light, most of them have the finest vision, the rest are generally deprived of it. The bottom at a depth is usually covered with silt, so those who move along the bottom have long limbs, stilts.

Many animals use bioluminescence to illuminate or attract prey, some, in this way, maintain communication, indicate the danger that lies in wait for those who try to encroach on their lives. Thus, in the deep sea world, luminescence communication plays a greater role than sound communication. Thus, the inhabitants of the deep have adapted to survival.

Having dropped to an incredible depth of over 400 meters, scientists stumbled upon a hitherto unknown creature, similar to a giant transparent snake, glowing along the entire length of its body. The dimensions amaze everyone, it was more than 41 meters long. This is something unimaginable, beautiful, respectful and fearful. Along the entire length of the body of this transparent snake, transparent, thin tentacles, almost invisible to the eye, hang down, falling into which not a single fish can escape. Scientists came to a dead end when they tried to classify this animal, whether it is a colonial or an individual super-organism. And yet they decided that this is a super organism that catches fish in its hanging tentacles, as you can see in the photo.

Once we wrote about the rare fish Makropin, which has a transparent head through which its brain can be seen, its eyes are located inside the dome and directed upwards. Scientists could not understand for a long time how this fish eats, if it has no idea what it is, while its eyes are directed upwards. But after long observations, scientists have found that she is able to rotate her eyeballs forward. So Makropina follows under a forty-meter snake, and when she sees a fish stuck in the tentacles of a predator, she pulls it out, turns her eyes in front and swims away further.
Unfortunately for scientists, it is not possible to catch all types of organisms they observe at a depth, as the dome of Macropina raised to the surface bursts due to a pressure drop, which complicates the study of this species. Or how do you imagine raising to the surface from a depth of forty meters a snake that looks more like a jellyfish.
So scientists, not being able to obtain visual samples, only classify deep-sea inhabitants and draw conclusions by observing them.

Nowadays, scientists are very concerned about industrial fishing, when after catching tens of tons of fish that are in demand in the markets, there is only a small part of the catch, the rest is simply thrown away. The discarded catch contains many deep-sea species, the population of which is rapidly declining.
Just like trees, there are rings on the bones of fish, which indicate the age of the fish, usually fish live for about 20-30 years, but after learning data from slices of deep-sea fish, scientists were shocked. average age caught deep-sea monsters was 200 years old! So it turns out that slaves who lived for two hundred years were exterminated overnight, the restoration of the population will take much longer than catching them. According to calculations, ocean fish can be caught by the middle of the next century, the figure is terrifying to scientists.

Unfortunately, collecting the catch from the bottom with nets, fishermen catch not only fish, but also corals, which are the most important for the life of the oceans.

Next, we want to present to your attention a video of underwater filming of sea monsters, inhabitants of the depths.

The main human activity takes place on earth, therefore water world is not fully explored. In ancient times, people were sure that many monsters live in the seas and oceans, and there is a lot of evidence describing encounters with such creatures.

Sea monsters and deep ocean monsters

Studies of water depths are still being carried out, for example, the Mariana Trench (the deepest place on the planet) was explored, but the most terrible sea monsters described in ancient scriptures have not been discovered. Almost all peoples have ideas about monsters that attacked sailors. Until now, from time to time there are reports that people have seen huge snakes, octopuses and other creatures unknown to science.

Hairy snake

According to historical records, these monsters were discovered in deep sea ah around the 13th century. Until now, scientists have not been able to confirm that the giant sea serpents are real.

A description of the appearance of these monsters can be found in the work of O. Velikiy “History northern peoples". The serpent is about 200 feet long and 20 feet wide. He lives in caves near Bergen. The body is covered with black scales, there are hanging hairs on the neck, and his eyes are red. He attacks cattle and ships.
The last evidence of a sea monster meeting was about 150 years ago. The crew of the British ship, which was heading to St. Helena, saw a huge reptile with a mane.
The only known animal that fits the description is a strap fish that lives in tropical seas. The length of the caught specimen is about 11 m. The rays of its dorsal fin are long and form a “sultan” above the head, which can be mistaken for hair from a distance.

Hairy snake

Kraken sea monster

The mythical sea creature that looks like a cephalopod is called the kraken. It was first described by Icelandic sailors, who claimed that it looked like an ordinary floating island. Descriptions of this monster of the deep sea are widespread and confirmed.

In 1810, a Norwegian ship noticed a huge jellyfish-like creature in the water, whose diameter was about 70 m. The record of this meeting was in the ship's log.
The fact that giant sea monsters of the kraken exist was officially confirmed by science in the 19th century, since giant mollusks (something between an octopus and a squid) were found on the coast, similar in description to a kraken.
The sailors announced a hunt for these creatures and specimens of 8 and 20 m in length were caught. Some encounters with the kraken ended in a ship wreck and the death of the crew.
There are several types of kraken, so it is believed that the monsters reach 30-40 m in length, and they have large suckers on the tentacles. They have no awns, but they have a brain, developed organs senses and the circulatory system. To protect themselves, they are capable of releasing poison.

Grendel

In the English epic, the demon of darkness is called Grendel, and he is a giant troll who lived in Denmark. Describing the largest sea monsters, he is often included in the list, and he lives in underwater caves.

He hated people and sowed panic among the people. In his image, various hypostases of evil are combined.
In Germanic mythology, a sea monster with a huge mouth was considered a creature that was rejected by people. Grendel was the name given to a person who committed a crime and was expelled from society.
Films and cartoons have been filmed about this monster.

Grendel

Sea monster Leviathan

One of the most famous monsters described in Old Testament and other Christian sources. The Lord created a pair of each creature, but there were animals in a single genus and these are different sea monsters, which include.

The creature is huge and has two jaws. Its body is covered with scales. He has the ability to breathe fire and thereby vaporize the seas.
In later sources, some mythical sea monsters were justified, so Leviathan began to be represented as a symbol of the unlimited power of the Lord.
There is a mention of this creature in stories different nations... Scientists are sure that Leviathan was simply confused with different sea animals.

Leviathan

Monster Scylla

IN Greek mythology Scylla is considered a unique creature that lived near another monster, Charybdis. They were considered very dangerous and voracious. According to existing versions, Scylla was the object of love of many gods.

Sea monster - a six-headed snake that retained the upper part female body... There were tentacles under the water, ending in the heads of dogs.
She attracted sailors with her beauty and could bite a galley in half with her head.
According to myths, she lived in the Strait of Messina. Odysseus survived the meeting with her.

Sea serpent

The most famous monster who had a serpentine body is Ermungand, a mythical Scandinavian creature. He is considered the middle son of Loki and Angrboda. The serpent was huge in size, and it was able to girdle the Earth and cling to its own tail, for which it was called the "World Serpent". There are three myths about sea monsters that describe the meeting of Thor and Ermungand.

The first time Thor met a snake in the form of a giant cat, and he was tasked to raise it. He only managed to get the animal to raise one paw.
Another myth describes how Thor went fishing with the giant Gimir and caught the bull of Ermungand on the head. It is believed that he managed to smash his head with his hammer, but not kill him.
It is believed that their last meeting will take place on the day when the end of the world and all sea monsters will come to the surface. Ermungand will poison the sky, for which Thor will blow off his head, but a stream of poison will kill him.

Sea serpent

Sea monk

According to existing information, the sea monk is a large humanoid creature with arms like flippers and legs like a fish's tail. Its body is covered with scales, and there is no hair on the crown, but there is something similar to tonsure, hence the name of this creature.

Many scary sea monsters live in water bodies Northern Europe and the sea monk is no exception. Information about him appeared during the Middle Ages.
These creatures frolicked on the shores, thereby capturing the sailors, and when they managed to get as close to them as possible, they pulled the victims to the bottom of the sea.
The first mentions date back to the 14th century. An unusual creature with a tonsure on its head was washed ashore in Denmark in 1546.
Scientists believe that the sea monk is a legend that arose from a perception error.

Sea monk

Sea fish monsters

To date, a little more than 5% of the world's oceans have been explored, but this was enough to find terrible aquatic creatures.

The legends and myths of each country are full of various monsters living both on land and in water. Exploration of the depths of the seas and oceans is still being carried out, but it was not possible to find any unknown creature.

However, in nature there are many animals, fish and unusual organisms that possess. No, they are not a myth or a fairy tale. They are real. Is it possible that they were once seen by people? Is it possible that these creatures formed the basis of many stories? After all, all the horror stories come from somewhere.

In today's article we will introduce you to the most creepy, truly frightening, and most importantly real.

Pike blend

“A fish is like a fish,” you say. Not very pretty, but not scary either. Yes, but only until she opens her mouth. The wrinkled cheeks hanging down the sides are not just folds of skin, they are a terrible maw, ready to swallow whatever gets in its way.

Neoclinus blanchardi is a member of the chenopsia family, or pike blend dogs. Fish are aggressive, capable of attacking even divers.

They live in the waters of the Pacific Ocean off the coast of North America: from San Francisco to the Mexican state of Baja California.

The depth at which sea monsters live reaches 70 meters.

The body of the monsters is smooth, practically without scales. The body length is about 30 cm. Pike blend dogs are so flat that sometimes they can resemble conger eels.

But the most interesting fact is how they use their huge jaws. When faced with fellow tribesmen, they open their mouths and seem to "kiss". The one who turns out to be more, he won. Thus, they are fighting for territory.

Looking at these creatures, I want to believe that they came to us from another planet. Unfortunately no. Sea flycatchers live in the deep canyons of California.

Their second name is “tunicators”. They are predators, and their appearance reminds carnivorous plant flycatcher.

Preferring depth, they are fixed at the bottom, waiting for their victims.

An unsuspecting organism floats next to their luminous mouth, and the shell grabs it this very second.

As you already understood, sea flycatchers are not picky about food - you don't have to choose.

Another unusual property of tunicates is the ability to reproduce without mating with other individuals, because the creatures are capable of producing both sperm and eggs.

Speckled Astrologer: a fish that attacks from below

The speckled astrologer - Astroscopus guttatus is a real sea monster. It would seem why a monster, if the fish has such a romantic name. It turns out that not everything is so simple.

Stargazers have a massive lower jaw and huge bulging eyes, for which they received such an unusual name.

Buried in silt or sand, sea creatures leave only the organs of sight to observe their victims.

The huge mouth, directed upwards, is also adapted for instant attacks.

Spotted stargazers live in Atlantic Ocean: East Coast USA, between 2 states - New York and North Carolina.

Fish attacking from below have one unpleasant feature: they like to shock their victims with an electric discharge.

Special organs located above the eyes emit electrical discharges. But unlike other electrical inhabitants of water bodies, speckled stargazers do not have electroreceptors, that is, they are not able to receive electrical signals from outside world.

To lay eggs, these fish also sink to the bottom, but the eggs themselves later float to the surface. And this will continue until they turn into fry, the length of which is 15 mm. Then, darkening and growing special bodies above the eyes, the stargazers again sink to the bottom, grow further.

A sack-like creature from the order of ray-finned fish.

The Ilohloth has adapted to life at great depths.

The sea monster has a huge mouth, which contrasts with the small body of the silt.

They lack scales, ribs, swim bladder, pyloric appendages, pelvic and caudal fins.

Many bones of the skull are reduced or completely disappeared.

Thanks to all the modifications, it is difficult to compare the skeleton with other fish, and therefore it is almost impossible to establish kinship.

Frightening and mesmerizing, are strong and dangerous inhabitants depths.

There are several types of moray eels, they differ in size and color. Small ones grow up to 15 cm. Large ones reach a length of 3 m and weigh about 50 kg.

Their skin has no scales - it is completely covered with mucus, which can be poisonous in some species. Thanks to the mucus, moray eels are protected from other predators and bacteria. A person who touches this monster will receive severe burns, if he remains alive at all.

Marine life have an extremely aggressive and violent disposition. Her sharp teeth pose a danger not only to predators, but also to humans. There are many known cases of moray eels attacking humans, several of which were fatal.

Fish-Drop

Another deep-sea inhabitant of the seas is the drop fish.

Her unusual appearance is both frightening and pitying at the same time. The fact is that close-set eyes and a huge mouth with corners lowered down makes her sad, and resembles the face of a sad person.

The drop fish itself is unlikely to be sad about this. The body of an unusual creature has the form of a gelatinous lump, the density of which is slightly less density water. This allows the "sad" fish to travel long distances, eating everything in its path.

Unfortunately, like most unusual creatures, the drop fish is endangered. She lives off the coast of Australia and Tasmania at a depth of up to 1.5 km, but sometimes gets caught in fishing nets, after which she is usually sold as a souvenir.

Despite its appearance, the blob is a very caring fish. After laying eggs, she incubates them for a long time and carefully takes care of the fry. Trying to ensure the safety of their offspring, the fish looks for uninhabited and remote places.

Goonchfish - freshwater monster

The habitat of the gunch fish is the Kali River, located between Nepal and India. The weight of the river giant reaches 140-150 kg.

It is believed that Hunch is a lover of human meat. It can attack not only in a secluded place, but also when there are a large crowd of people. But where does this fish have such a craving for human flesh?

Legends say that it is the customs local residents and turned the guncha into a cannibal. Even in ancient times, the Kali River was used to bury the bodies of the dead. First, the rite of burning was performed, and then the corpses were thrown into the river.

The custom was preserved, and the gunch fish began to eat what the person himself gives it.

Stone fish, or wart

The strangest and most dangerous creature. It is the wart that is one of the most poisonous fish in the world.

The sea monster lives in coral reefs in the shallow waters of the Indian and Pacific Oceans, as well as in the waters of the Red Sea, off the coast of Indonesia, the Philippines, Australia, the Marshall Islands, Samoa and Fiji.

The ability to disguise itself as a stone allows the fish to remain unnoticed until a person's foot steps on it.

It is possible that this step will be the last.

The stone fish has a powerful poison, and its bite is fatal.

Moreover, death will not come instantly: the person will suffer, since the signs of intoxication persist for a long time.

Rauaga

Mackerel hydrolic is better known as vampire fish or dog fish.

Ray fish, cynodont detachment. Inhabits the rivers Paragua, Churun, and other rivers of Venezuela.

Most people think that piranhas are the most bloodthirsty fish, but they are not.

The body length of this creature is 1 meter, and the weight can exceed 17 kg.

Two pairs of canine teeth, considered a distinctive feature of the fish, are located in the lower jaw and can grow up to 15 cm in length.

In the upper jaw of the vampire fish, there are two holes that allow the lower canines not to pierce the upper jaw.

Surprisingly, the rauaga is the only species that can cope with piranha. But, in general, the hydrolic feeds on any fish.

Attacking from above, he pierces the victim with fangs, and then swallows it whole.

Angler, or angler

The name "monkfish" resembles some kind of fabulous creature. However, this monster actually exists.

The angler is one of the rarest deep-sea animals. The first meeting with him took place in 1891.

This fish has no scales at all, the body is covered with growths and bumps. The mouth is masked by rags of skin that resemble algae. The dark color makes it almost invisible at depths, where there is a minimum of light.

There is a long process on the head of the angler fish, ending with a luminous gland. It acts as a bait, luring fish swimming by. The essence of his hunt is to force the victim to swim into his mouth, and then swallow.

The huge appetite of the fish forces them to hunt even larger creatures, which often ends in the death of both.

Huge sea monsters - mesonichoteutis

Periodically from different parts information reaches us. What is it: regular fictions or real sea monsters?

You will be surprised, but scientists have officially recognized mesonichoteutis.

Its fully streamlined body helps to develop great speed.

The diameter of the eye can reach 60 centimeters with a body size of 4-5 m, and the length of the tentacles is 1.5 meters.

It was first discovered and described in 1925. Fishermen found its tentacles in the stomach of a captured sperm whale.

Also, one of these molluscs was thrown to the shores of Japan. Studies of the carcass showed that it was not an adult specimen.

Experts studying sea giants including squid, it is believed that the body weight of some squid of this species can reach 200 kilograms.

Isopod

Cephalopods - Bathynomus giganteus - genus Bathynomus. They live in the Atlantic Ocean, preferring a depth of 170-2500 m.

The body length of the isopod is about 1.5 meters, weight is more than 1.5 kg. These sea monsters are a great example of deep sea gigantism.

For the first time these crayfish were described in 1879, initially mistaken for wood lice.

Zoologist Alphonse Milne-Edwards caught a young male from the bottom of the Gulf of Mexico, thereby making a major discovery: the ocean depths are not lifeless.

Their entire body is covered with movable hard plates for protection.

If they are in danger, they curl up into a ball.

Isopods lead a lonely lifestyle.

Almost all their lives they do not move, and they are fed by passing small fish, carrion or sea cucumbers.

Scientists have found that they are able to go without food for about 8 weeks. Such inconveniences are caused by the depth chosen for the place of residence: there is not so much food in the pitch darkness.

Briefly about the article: Who can really be sure what is hiding there, in the depths of many kilometers of the ocean? Are all the stories about huge sea monsters fiction, or are there practically the most natural monsters living near us? Look for answers on the pages of the "World of Fantasy".

Troubled waters

Monsters of the deep sea

Understand death? Sure. This is when the monsters finally get to you.

Stephen King, "Salim's inheritance"

Water - the best place for miracles. It's like a completely different world. Another universe is right at our side. The creatures living in the ocean are completely different from the terrestrial ones and look like real aliens in comparison with them. Biblical monsters emerged from the "eternal sea", and the giant Leviathan also lived there. People have already managed to visit the Mariana Trench - the deepest place on the planet - but they still know very little about the inhabitants of those unthinkable depths that even Everest would not have reached if we tried to turn it into the water.

Now people no longer experience mystical horror of the sea and relate to it exclusively as a consumer (for example, about 90% of toilets in Hong Kong work on sea water). However, just a hundred years ago, terrible rumors about ships dragged to the bottom by giant octopuses still circulated in port taverns, and science fiction writers inhabited the oceans with mystical creatures from other dimensions.

At the bottom

Remember what old nautical charts looked like. Whales, dolphins, newts, snakes and shells "swam" in the oceans. Stories about the monsters that inhabited the expanse of water appeared almost before the very navigation and successfully survived to this day. Deep monsters hungry for human flesh can be found in any culture that has had contact with the sea. Ancient authors described encounters with these creatures in rather vague terms, mentioning glowing eyes, lion's mouth, horns, wool and other attributes of the classic "composite creature" characteristic of those times.

When travel to other continents ceased to be as sensational as the current flights to the moon, stories of "mortal dangers" lost the flavor of heroic tales and began to resemble the truth. In 1734, the Norwegian missionary Hans Egede, a sane man and not prone to exaggeration, wrote about his voyage to Greenland:

The number of testimonies of encounters with sea monsters in our time has sharply decreased, but even they are quite enough to ponder - why such unanimity? Most often, a large serpentine body (about 10-20 meters) is described, or some amorphous mass armed with tentacles.

Interestingly, most of these observations fall to the lot of fishermen or people of "land" professions who happened to be in the sea. And those who work closely with underwater world(submarine crews, oceanographers and even divers), encounter the mysteries of nature extremely rarely.

It is generally accepted that some (but not the most significant) part of such stories is an ordinary hoax, and the rest is a mistake or optical illusion. Everyone who has been on the high seas understands how difficult it is sometimes to identify this or that animal. Incessant excitement, natural optical distortions and considerable observation distances - it is in such an environment that "monsters" are born. The writhing sea snake is likely to be an algae, and the slimy carcass of a giant octopus is a common seal.

It would be possible to put an end here, but literally in last years nature seemed to have mercy on scientists and gave them irrefutable evidence of the existence of one of the most popular sea monsters.

Brake fish

In ancient times, people were afraid of another seemingly completely harmless sea "monster" - remora (from lat. remora- delay), that is, sticky fish. It was believed that these little shark riders from the Echeneid family (from the Greek. echein- hold, and naus- ship) can stick around the ship, completely stopping its course like sargassum algae. Pliny the Younger called them one of the reasons for the defeat of the fleet of Mark Antony and Cleopatra at Actium.

On the coast of Africa and Australia, remoor is used for fishing - a live fish is tied to a rope and released into the sea. Adhered to the nearest turtle, it is fixed on it - and the fisherman easily pulls the prey to the shore. A similar episode is described in the story of Alexander Belyaev "The Island of Lost Ships".

Kraken

The Kraken is a legendary sea monster that supposedly lives off the coast of Iceland and Norway. There is no consensus regarding its appearance. He could have been an octopus or a squid with equal success. For the first time, the Danish bishop Eric Pontoppidan spoke about the Kraken in 1752, describing it as a giant "crab fish" that easily drags ships to the bottom.

According to the bishop, the Kraken had the size of a small island and was dangerous for ships not so much by its predatory habits as by the speed of sinking into the depths of the sea - diving, it could create an extremely strong whirlpool. When the Kraken rested at the bottom, large schools of fish curled around, attracted by its excrement. Pontoppidan also wrote that fishermen sometimes took risks and threw nets right over the monster's lair, because this provided them with an excellent catch. On this occasion, they even had a saying: "You must have fished on the Kraken."

In the 18-19 centuries, the Kraken, with the light hand of self-taught zoologists, turned into a giant octopus, but at the same time the lifestyle of a cuttlefish or squid was attributed to it (most octopuses live on the bottom, squids - in the water column). Even the world famous naturalist Karl Linnaeus included the Kraken in the classification of real living organisms (the book "The System of Nature") as a cephalopod mollusk, but later changed his mind and removed all references to it.

Some sea disasters were attributed to the Kraken, and his relatives - giant octopus under common name"Luska" - allegedly found in the Caribbean Sea (it is not surprising that the heroes of the movie "Pirates Caribbean 2 "will have to fight a huge octopus). He was even called a "sea monk", although in the original this term referred to a creature thrown onto the shores of Denmark in 1546 - a fish, which, according to contemporaries, was "strikingly similar to a monk."

Beer snack

And then the fairy tale came true. In 1861, the French ship "Alekton" brought a piece of the carcass of a giant squid to the shore. Over the next two decades, remains of similar creatures began to be found along the entire northern coast of Europe (it was later found that the reason for this was changes in temperature conditions the seas that drove these creatures to the surface). The fishermen also began to notice that the skin of some of the sperm whales they caught had strange marks - as if from very large tentacles.

In the 20th century, the once legendary Kraken was a real hunt, but either too young individuals (about 5 meters in length) or half-digested fragments of adults were found in fishing nets and in the stomachs of sperm whales. Luck smiled at researchers only in the 21st century.

Japanese oceanographers Kubodera and Mori spent two years trying to find the elusive Kraken by tracking the migration routes of sperm whales (these whales often hunt giant squids). On September 30, 2004, they arrived on a five-ton fishing boat in the Ogasawara Island area (600 miles south of Tokyo). Their tools were simple - a long, baited steel cable, a camera, and a flash.

At a depth of 900 meters, it finally hit. A giant squid, about 10 meters long, grabbed the bait, got entangled in it with a tentacle and spent four hours trying to free itself. During this time, several hundred photographs were taken, confirming the extremely aggressive nature of this creature.

Until now, it has not been possible to catch live giant squids (architeutis). However, dead, well-preserved individuals are already available to the general public. In December 2005, the Melbourne Aquarium put on public display a seven-meter architeutis frozen into a huge block of ice (the monster was bought for 100 thousand Australian dollars). Earlier this year, the Natural History Museum in London showcased a nine-meter specimen preserved in formalin.

Can a giant squid sink ships? Judge for yourself. It can reach over 10 meters in length (evidence of twenty-meter specimens has not been confirmed by anything). Females are usually larger. Since tentacles make up about half of the body's length, the weight of this mollusk is measured in only a few hundred kilograms. For a large ship, this is clearly not enough (especially when you consider that the giant squid, like its small relatives, is completely helpless out of the water), however, given the predatory habits of this creature, it can be assumed that the architeutis poses a theoretical danger to swimmers.

Cinematic octopuses ("Rise from the Depths" or "Pirates of the Caribbean 2") are able to playfully pierce the skin of ships with their tentacles. In practice, this is naturally impossible - the absence of a skeleton does not allow cephalopods deliver a "pinpoint strike". They can only act on tearing and stretching. IN natural environment habitat giant squid quite strong — at least they don’t surrender to sperm whales without a fight — but fortunately they rarely rise to the surface. However, small squids are capable of jumping out of the water to a height of up to 7 meters, so there is no point in making definite conclusions about the "fighting" qualities of the architectis.

The eyes of the giant squid are among the largest of all living things on the planet - over 30 centimeters in diameter. The most powerful suction cups of the tentacles (up to 5 centimeters in diameter) are supplemented with sharp "teeth" that help to hold the victim.

Has recently been classified even more large view giant squid (Mesonychoteuthis hamiltoni). Outwardly, they differ slightly from the architeutis (larger in size, with short tentacles studded with hooks instead of "teeth"), but they are much less common, and only in the northern seas and at depths of about 2 kilometers. In the 1970s, a Soviet trawler caught one juvenile, and in 2003 another was found. In both cases, the length of the squid did not exceed 6 meters, however, scientists calculated that an adult of this species grows to at least 14 meters.

Summing up the above, as of 2006, in the legendary Kraken, you can safely identify a squid. Octopuses or cuttlefish comparable in size to the above described molluscs have not yet been found. If you go on vacation at sea, be on the lookout.

Sun in claws

If we talk about crustaceans (and the Kraken was initially considered something like a crab), for the role sea monster Clicker shrimp (Alpheus bellulus) would be ideal if they were larger and more aggressive. Sharply slamming the claw, these crustaceans produce a miniature "explosion" in the water. The shock wave travels forward and stuns small fish up to 1.8 meters away. But this is not the most interesting thing. When clicked, bubbles form, emitting a faint light that is invisible to the human eye. It is now believed that this phenomenon ("sonoluminescence") occurs due to the effect of ultrasound on such a bubble. It shrinks with incredible force, a microscopic thermonuclear reaction occurs (hence the emission of light), and a droplet of air trapped inside heats up to the temperature of the outer shell of the Sun. If this hypothesis is confirmed, then the click shrimp can be called "floating reactors."

Hairy snakes

Giant sea snakes appeared in historical chronicles much earlier than the Kraken (approximately in the 13th century), however, unlike him, they are still considered fictional. Swedish priest and writer Olaf the Great (1490-1557) in his work "History of the Northern Peoples" gave the following description sea snake:

In modern times, the most famous meeting with the sea serpent took place almost 150 years ago. On an August day in 1848, the crew of the British ship "Daedalus", en route to St. Helena, observed a twenty-meter aquatic reptile with a gorgeous mane of hair around his neck. It was unlikely that this was a massive hallucination, so the London Times immediately burst out with a sensational article about the "find of the century." Since then, sea snakes have been seen more than once, but not a single reliable proof of their existence has been obtained.

Of all the candidates for the "position" of the sea serpent, the strap fish (Regalecus glesne) is the most suitable. This rather rare creature that lives in tropical seas is listed in the Guinness Book of Records as the longest (up to 11 meters) bone fish in the world.

Fish belt.

In appearance, the belt-fish really looks like a snake. Its weight can reach 300 kilograms. The meat is jelly-like, inedible. The anterior rays of the dorsal fin are elongated and form a "sultan" above the head, which from afar can be mistaken for a tuft of hair. The strap fish lives at great depths (from 50 to 700 meters), but sometimes floats to the surface. Its unique feature is that it floats upright, with its head up. Take a look at the photo. What can you think when you see this in the water strange creature?

Read, watch, play

Books featuring water monsters:

Herman Melville "Moby Dick";
Jules Verne, 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea;
GF Lovecraft, works from the cycle of myths of Cthulhu;
John R. R. Tolkien, The Fellowship of the Ring (the monster at the gates of Moria);
Ian Fleming "Doctor No";
Michael Crichton "The Sphere";
J.K. Rowling, "Harry Potter" cycle (the monster in the Hogwarts lake);
Sergey Lukyanenko "Draft" (creature in the Kimgim sea).

Films featuring water monsters:

"Tentacles 1-2" (Octopus 1-2, 2000-2001);
Sphere (Sphere, 1998);
Deep Rising (1998);
The Beast (1996).

Games featuring water monsters:

MMORPG City of heroes(in the harbor of the Port of Independence, the monster Luska appears from time to time);
Command & Conquer: Red Alert 2 ( remotely controlled giant squids);
Soul calibur 3(a Nightmare character can fight with a "giant" squid).

* * *

If the ancients did not lie about the Kraken, then maybe we should take a closer look at other legends as well? After all, there are "giant versions" of the aquatic creatures we are used to! The American lobster grows up to 1 meter long and 20 kilograms in weight. The span of the limbs of the Japanese spider crab reaches 4 meters. And the jellyfish Cyanea capillata is generally the longest living thing on the planet - its bell can be 2.5 meters in diameter, and its thin tentacles extend 30 meters.

In 1997, the U.S. Navy hydrophone stations tracking submarines off the coast South America, recorded a very strange sound in the ocean, undoubtedly emitted by a living creature. The source could not be identified, however, judging by its acoustic power, none of the marine animals known today could "gurgle" so loudly.

As soon as the horror movie ends, we calm the thumping heart - this is all fiction, this is pretend, this does not happen in life ... Especially for you and only in the deep-sea issue of DARKER, in the arena of the underwater circus of nightmares - real creatures, the creatures of the gloomy depths that await your fleshy bodies!

Every time plunging into a reservoir, the author of these lines panics, he sees death. Divers-maniacs (the legacy of the "Amsterdam Nightmare" viewed in childhood), algae, wetly sliding over the body, are the tentacles of an underwater creature, and further and deeper, bloodthirsty sharks await. But summer is coming soon. Swimming in the city is unbearable. Everyone will take a vacation or go on vacation. Will go deep blue sea... When he gets tired of wallowing in the sand, he dives into the cool waves. And there, and there ...

Goblin shark

Goblin shark or scapanorinch (lat.Mitsukurina owstoni) is a deep-sea shark, the only representative of the genus goblin shark or scapanorinch (Mitsukurina), the only genus of the scapanorhynchid shark family (Mitsukurinidae). The muzzle ends with a long beak-like outgrowth, and the long jaws can be extended far. The color is close to pink (blood vessels are visible through translucent skin). The largest known individual reached a length of 3.8 meters and weighed 210 kg. It is found at a depth of over 200 m around the world from the Australian waters of the Pacific Ocean to the Gulf of Mexico, Atlantic.

Black sea devil

Ceratiform or, in a simple way, angler fish. Some of those creatures that you remember right away when you think of deep-sea monsters. An eerie grin. Cursed decoy flashlight. And the unusual body shape is the result of natural deformation: these fish live at great depths: from 1.5 to 3 kilometers. But once they are brought to the surface ... they become even uglier: the difference between internal and external pressure inflates their bodies.

Giant squid

It was these animals that gave rise to the legends about monsters who, with their powerful tentacles, drag sea vessels to the bottom. Frequent characters of ancient engravings on the marine theme. Inspirators of the Kraken stories. For a long time they were considered mythical creatures. They were first described by the Danish zoologist Iapetus Smith Stenstrup in 1857. But it took almost 100 years before Norwegian researchers documented their existence. The body of a mighty mollusk washed ashore. But almost half a century passed until in 2004 the first images were obtained by Japanese oceanographers. Giant squids feed on fish, other squids and octopuses. And the only one of them natural enemy... the sperm whale! Talk about sunken ships - fairy tales? ..

Mantis shrimp

Sea mantis shrimp (Odontodactylus scyllarus) - I want to talk about this amazing animal a little longer. But, I see, he has already taken a fighting stance with his leg-jaws. There is a known case when this small (about 20 cm) cancer broke an aquarium glass with one blow! And unlucky divers, fearing decompression sickness, rushed to surface close to the hospital - to urgently sew a finger. But this animal is worthy of the pen of Howard Phillips Lovecraft. Pay attention to his unusual eyes. The sea mantis shrimp distinguishes 12 primary colors, focuses simultaneously on the foreground and background, sees in the infrared, ultraviolet spectrum, and even in polarized light.

Giant isopod

Depth favors size. Gravity is compensated Archimedean force... Therefore, there are so many gigantic ones. Isopods or isopods are one of the most numerous and varied groups of crayfish: from boogers to such as in the photo, the size of two palms of an adult male. Despite the fact that they are predators, giant isopods usually live in places where conditions do not indulge in good hunting. Therefore, as soon as the "ocean manna" descends in the form of carrion, a hundred nasty arthropods gather around the carcass of a dead whale or shark.

Iloglot

Needletooth

Even though the above image is - computer work talented Ajdin Barucija from London, take a look at. Perhaps I will admire the work of an English artist and console myself with the fact that at least it is not real. Longhorn, or common saber, or needletooth (Latin Anoplogaster cornuta) is a predatory fish that lives in tropical and subtropical waters of all oceans. In length reaches 15 cm, the weight of an adult is about 120 g. This fish was recognized as one of the most terrible animals. And the ratio of teeth to body in her is the largest of the fish.

Sarcastic fringed head

Let's try to translate something like this in English Sarcastic fringehead. Who they seemed "sarcastic" to whom we do not know. This fish behaves extremely aggressively. Defending its territory, it opens its mouth in an unusual frightening mine. How can I not remember the series. It is worth noting that the imaginary increase in their own size is a fairly common technique in the animal kingdom. When two "bordered heads" grapple in the struggle for territory or a female, they close their open mouths, as if in passionate kiss... They live in Pacific off the coast of North America.

Moray

via Wikipedia

Huge underwater "snakes" fascinate and frighten at the same time. They can grow up to 3 meters and weigh about 50 kilograms. An experienced diver will never come close to a moray eel. Moray eels - predatory fish and extremely dangerous. They attack with lightning speed and frenzied. Cases of death of people from the attack of moray eels are known. In ancient times, it was believed that their bite was poisonous. After all, by their appearance, moray eels so resemble snakes. The reality is harsher. In the blink of an eye, moray eels can tear human flesh so hard that the diver will die, bleeding.

Japanese spider crab

Legs japanese spider crab(inhabitant from 150 to 800 meters deep) can reach 3 meters in length. He lives for about 100 years. This means that one individual can terrify several generations of arachnophobes. Still, Ray Bradbury was right in the story "A Matter of Taste" about the planet of huge intelligent spiders:

« - They are our friends!

- Oh my God, yes.

And again trembling, trembling, trembling.

- But we will never succeed with them. They're just not human».