The celestial sphere has been getting a lot of attention lately, what with the upcoming Atlantis launch and NASA bombing the moon. This week, though, we take a look in the other direction: deep, very deep, beneath the sea. Scientific knowledge may have ended belief in sea monsters but that doesn’t mean the watery depths are any less mysterious.
They may not be monsters in the mythical sense, but these denizens of the deep certainly look the part. From giant squids and crabs to ferocious looking fangtooths, these beasts give Hollywood horror creations a run for their money.
No, these incredible creatures aren’t sea monsters. But they are one of the most feared?and misunderstood?predators of the deep, and this video helps dispel the myth that great whites prey on humans. So come on in. The water’s fine.
This National Geographic feature takes you deep into the world of prehistoric underwater predators. The journey begins 251 million years ago, in the Triassic Period, and includes such creatures as Temnodontosaurus (?cutting tooth lizard?) and Dakosaurus, an ancient sea crocodile.
According to the Census for Marine Life, about 230,000 species of marine animals have been described?and there could be a ?total of between 500,000 and 10 million species in the sea.? This slide show looks at the more unusual ones, including the furry little Yeti crab.
They may not be the biggest creatures in the ocean, but these are definitely in the running for the ugliest. There’s the viper fish, with its bulging eyes and spiky teeth, and the angler fish, also known as ?the common black devil.? You’ve got to feel a little sorry for these fish, though. The extreme depths of their habitat force them to eat ?only ?scraps? that sink down from above, or sometimes [eat] each other.?
