The world beneath the ocean often looks like an alien planet. And these photographs of denizens of the deep make it obvious that aliens are already swimming amongst us.


The Atlantic Silver Hatchetfish or the Lovely Hatchetfish (Argyropelecus aculeatus, 7 cm or 2.8 in)


(via The Featured Creature and National Oceanic And Atmospheric Administration)

The humpback anglerfish or common black devil (Melanocetus johnsonii, females are up to 20 cm or 8 in long)

(via Allan Bruce and Fishes of Australia, photo by Edith Widder)

Sloane's viperfish (Chauliodus sloani, length between 20-35 cm or 7-14 in)


(via OpenCage and Lea Lee)

Goblin shark (Mitsukurina owstoni, between 3 and 4 meters or 10-13 ft)


(via Dianne Bray/Museum Victoria 1 - 2 and Wikimedia Commons)

Common fang tooth fish (Anopoglaster cornuta, 18 cm long or 7 in)



(via All That Is Interesting, Citron and Brian Suda)

The Sarcastic Fringehead (Neoclinus blanchardi, up to 30 cm or 12 in long)

(via Tywkiwdbi)

Blobfish (Psychrolutes marcidus, 70 cm or 2.3 ft)



(via Fishindex)

The Wolftrap Anglerfish (Lasiognathus amphirhamphus, 15 cm or 6 in)


(via Wikimedia Commons/Theodore W. Pietsch)

Fanfin Seadevil (Caulophryne jordani, 60 cm, 2 ft)


(via Fishindex)

Frilled shark (Chlamydoselachus anguineus, 2 m or 6.6 ft)

(via Awashima Marine Park/Getty Images)

The Black Swallower, that could swallow larger fishes than itself (Chiasmodon niger, 25 cm or in 10 in)


(Photo by Dan Kitwood/Getty Images and Bounty Fishing)

The Smooth Lumpsucker (Aptocyclus ventricosus, 40 cm or 16 in)


(via The Featured Creature)

The walking Pink handfish and Red handfish (from the family Brachionichthyidae, 10 cm or 4 in in length)


(via CSIRO, photos by Karen Gowlett-Holmes and Andrew Maver)

The Yeti Lobster (Kiwi hirsuta, 15 cm or 6 in long, discovered only in 2005)


(via Wikimedia Commons/A. Fifis)