Scary Creatures of the Sea Trivia Quiz

Answer: They have eyes on top of their heads

The stargazer fish are unusual as they have eyes on the top of their heads. There are various types of stargazers including the northern stargazer which can be found along the eastern shores of the United States, the southern stargazer which can be found along the coast of Central and South America, and the spotted stargazer which can be found near New Zealand and some of the Pacific island nations. Stargazers are also venomous and can cause electric shocks if touched. Talk about scary!

Answer: True

The frilled shark is an eel-like creature that have a body length of around 6.6 feet. This shark is rarely encountered, but on occasion has been caught in the nets of fishermen in the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans. One distinguishing feature of the frilled shark are its teeth. Each set within the mouth are composed of several needle like sharp teeth that help the frilled shark catch and eat squid. With a broad and flattened head, very long jaws, and a rounded nose the frilled shark has often been compared to the mythical sea serpent.

Answer: Swim bladder

The swim bladder is a gas-filled organ that allows many smaller fish to survive in the very deep locations of the seas and oceans. In some cases, the swim bladder even allows fish to receive sound. Often seen in photos with large spiked teeth, their size is often distorted making them look much scarier than they are (scientists have stated that they are harmless to humans).

They range in size from 2 to 7 inches in length. The fangtooth are part of a genus of fish known as Anoplogastridae. There are only two known species of fangtooth fish, the shorthorn fangtooth and the common fangtooth.

Answer: Vampire squid

The Vampyroteuthis infernalis which literally translates to "vampire squid of Hell", is a cephalopod that is known to survive at depths of up to 3000 feet or more. This region of the sea is known as the oxygen minimum zone (OMZ) which very few species can survive in. Most cephalopods, due to their anatomy cannot survive at lower depths.

The vampire squid has the lowest mass-specific metabolic rate of any cephalopod and hemocyanin in their blood allows oxygen to transport more efficiently allowing it to survive in a low oxygen environment.

Answer: Blobfish

This slimy and unusual fish can be found in the depths near Australia and New Zealand. The blobfish is quite different from other fish as it is essentially a gelatinous mass and often changes shape when out of water because it has a low-density flesh. One interesting fact is that musician Michael Hearst has a song titled "Blobfish" that is inspired by the fish of the same name on his "Songs for Unusual Creatures" album.

Answer: Blue whale

With recorded length and weights of 30 meters and 173 tonnes, the blue whale is the largest marine mammal known to exist. The blue whale typically has a blue or grey back and a pale or sometimes white belly. At one time they were a very abundant whale in the oceans, the blue whale was almost at risk of becoming extinct due to the whaling industries in Norway, Newfoundland, and Japan during the mid to late 1800s.

They are classified as an endangered species and blue whale hunting has been banned worldwide since 1966.

Answer: Pugnacious and aggressive

Although only around 12 inches in length on average, the Sarcastic Fringehead is an extremely pugnacious and aggressive fish. Found mainly in the San Francisco region of California and the Baja region of Mexico, this fish is known for keeping hidden in underwater shelters and then attacking their prey with needle-like teeth.

Not only do they attack unwanted marine life invading their territory, divers have often reported being attacked when coming too close. Commercial fisheries in the region have also been reluctant to handle the Sarcastic Fringehead for fear of being bitten.

Answer: Zooids

Although the Praya dubia were discovered in the 19th century, little was known about them until researchers began to study them in 1987. Found at depths of between 700 to 1000 meters below sea level, the Praya dubia are a unique bio-luminescent species known as the siphonophore.

They are zooids meaning that they are made up of small organisms that serve specific functions. These functions may include attacking prey or defending their territory. Some Praya dubia have been measured at lengths of up to 40 meters long.

They use their bio-luminescent glow to help them attract prey and then attack using a powerful (and sometimes deadly) sting.

Answer: 8

The tardigrade has been found all around the world from some of the coldest places on the planet to some of the hottest. Scientists have discovered that they can withstand temperatures of -252 degrees Celsius to 150 degrees Celsius. These creatures do not appear to be scary from the surface, but looking at them under a microscope might scare some people.

These odd creatures have four pairs of legs, each pair serving specific functions (i.e. movement). Ancient fossils have shown that the water bear has existed for at least 530 million years.

Answer: True

The black swallower have what is known as a distensible stomach meaning that their stomachs will become larger due to the pressure inside of them. Most specimens of the black swallower have been found on the surface of the ocean due to the amount of gas content in their stomachs (the gases actually caused the stomach to burst and forced the black swallower to the surface).

In 2007, a black swallower was found off the coast of the Cayman Islands dead with a 34-inch mackerel inside its stomach.