Deep-Sea Creatures

Not surprisingly, human beings have rarely encountered the animals that dwell in the world's deep oceans in total darkness and under intense pressure. But recent expeditions, often with the aid of robots, have give us a new glimpse into the watery depths. It turns out that the adaptions that have allowed such species to thrive there make them resemble the stuff of our nightmares.

Considered living fossils, frilled sharks normally live at depths up to 5,000 feet (1,500 meters). This 5.3-foot (1.6-meter) specimen was found in shallow water in Japan in 2007, though like many deep-sea creatures, it died shortly after finding its way to the surface. A species with an even more terrifying appearance, the fangtooth fish, has been found at depths near 16,500 feet (5,000 meters).

深海動物　

照片展示的是皺鰓鯊，被稱之為活化石，通常生活在海底5000英尺(約合1500米)的深度。這頭鯊魚體長5.3英尺(約合1.6米)，是2007年在日本海域發現的。與很多深海動物一樣，皺鰓鯊在來到海面后不久便死亡。