Have you ever wondered what adaptations allow deep-sea creatures to survive in extreme environments? There is no simple answer due to the fact that all creatures adapt to their environment in different ways. Although sea creatures live together in the same ocean, the condition in different areas varies. The different characteristics of these four sea creatures make them unique, therefore giving them various ways to adapt to extreme oceanic environments in order to survive. Despite living in different locations of the ocean, zombie worms, giant squids, yeti crabs, and deep-sea jellyfish all share one common trait: they must adapt to their environment to survive.
A recently explored area of the ocean near Antarctica in the Southern Pacific has …show more content…
In contrast to most sea creatures, these unique critters “live on the skeletons of whales, which drift down to the ocean floor” (Ennis). Because zombie worms are attached to the whale bones, they must use them to contribute to their diet. These ocean animals “lack a mouth and gut, [so] the worms drill into the bones [to] extract the stored nutrients” (Ennis). Without this adaptation, zombie worms would starve and die. Zombie worms also have an additional way to digest food through their bodies; they “[use] a process called symbiosis, in which the worms depend on the internal bacteria to digest the fats and oils extracted from their whale-bone diet” (Ennis). Just like the yeti crab, zombie worms do not have any known predators. Zombie worms’ unique adaptations allow them to live their life attached to sunken whale bones on the ocean floor without having to leave the comfort of their …show more content…
The deep-sea jellyfish has an especially unique way to survive in the ocean “in depths up to 12,000 feet” (Deep-Sea). Unlike the giant squid, deep-sea jellyfish do not obtain the ability to attack and slice their prey. Instead, they use an alternative method. “The moment a jellyfish feels threatened by a predator, it flashes bright blue lights in a circular pattern that also turn on and off, which is known as a bioluminescent ‘burglar alarm.’ The jellyfish’s striking display might scare the predator” (Jonssen). There are also other results in addition to the jellyfish’s light scaring predators away. “These flashing lights might attract an even bigger predator that could then eat the fish that was about to eat the jellyfish” (Jonssen). Jellyfish are different from other animals in the sea, because “[they] are carnivorous, feeding mostly on a variety of zooplankton, comb jellies, and occasionally other jellyfish; larger species, however, are capable of capturing and devouring large crustaceans and other marine organisms” (Deep-Sea). If deep-sea jellyfish did not have these qualities, they would not be able to
A recently explored area of the ocean near Antarctica in the Southern Pacific has …show more content…
In contrast to most sea creatures, these unique critters “live on the skeletons of whales, which drift down to the ocean floor” (Ennis). Because zombie worms are attached to the whale bones, they must use them to contribute to their diet. These ocean animals “lack a mouth and gut, [so] the worms drill into the bones [to] extract the stored nutrients” (Ennis). Without this adaptation, zombie worms would starve and die. Zombie worms also have an additional way to digest food through their bodies; they “[use] a process called symbiosis, in which the worms depend on the internal bacteria to digest the fats and oils extracted from their whale-bone diet” (Ennis). Just like the yeti crab, zombie worms do not have any known predators. Zombie worms’ unique adaptations allow them to live their life attached to sunken whale bones on the ocean floor without having to leave the comfort of their …show more content…
The deep-sea jellyfish has an especially unique way to survive in the ocean “in depths up to 12,000 feet” (Deep-Sea). Unlike the giant squid, deep-sea jellyfish do not obtain the ability to attack and slice their prey. Instead, they use an alternative method. “The moment a jellyfish feels threatened by a predator, it flashes bright blue lights in a circular pattern that also turn on and off, which is known as a bioluminescent ‘burglar alarm.’ The jellyfish’s striking display might scare the predator” (Jonssen). There are also other results in addition to the jellyfish’s light scaring predators away. “These flashing lights might attract an even bigger predator that could then eat the fish that was about to eat the jellyfish” (Jonssen). Jellyfish are different from other animals in the sea, because “[they] are carnivorous, feeding mostly on a variety of zooplankton, comb jellies, and occasionally other jellyfish; larger species, however, are capable of capturing and devouring large crustaceans and other marine organisms” (Deep-Sea). If deep-sea jellyfish did not have these qualities, they would not be able to