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Physeter macrocephalus · 5 oceans · 3,500 m

Deep-sea creatures

210 real species of the deep ocean, seen through the eyes of a sperm whale. Every fact sheet is checked against scientific sources.

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From the surface to the sea floor

0 – 200 mSunlit zone27 species 200 – 1,000 mTwilight zone61 species 1,000 m and deeperMidnight zone30 species 200 – 3,500 mThe sea floor92 species

The 5 oceans

Pacific Ocean The largest and the deepest. Seamounts and hydrothermal vents.143 speciesAtlantic Ocean Cold-water corals, the Mid-Atlantic Ridge and vast abyssal plains.138 speciesIndian Ocean Warm waters, steep slopes and the hydrothermal vents of the ridge.105 speciesSouthern Ocean Icebergs, freezing waters and polar gigantism around Antarctica.66 speciesArctic Ocean Under the pack ice, you must find an opening to breathe.46 species

Game trailer

Sunlit zone 0 – 200 m

Sperm whalePhyseter macrocephalus OrcaOrcinus orca Cuvier’s beaked whaleZiphius cavirostris Southern elephant sealMirounga leonina Leatherback sea turtleDermochelys coriacea Emperor penguinAptenodytes forsteri Whale sharkRhincodon typus SwordfishXiphias gladius OpahLampris guttatus Ocean sunfishMola mola Great white sharkCarcharodon carcharias NarwhalMonodon monoceros BelugaDelphinapterus leucas Hooded sealCystophora cristata Polar codBoreogadus saida Sea angelClione limacina Antarctic krillEuphausia superba Weddell sealLeptonychotes weddellii European eelAnguilla anguilla Portuguese man o’ warPhysalia physalis Northern bottlenose whaleHyperoodon ampullatus Giant manta rayMobula birostris DugongDugong dugon Lion’s mane jellyfishCyanea capillata WalrusOdobenus rosmarus Leopard sealHydrurga leptonyx Arnoux’s beaked whaleBerardius arnuxii

Twilight zone 200 – 1,000 m

LanternfishFamily Myctophidae HatchetfishArgyropelecus sp. Jewel squidHistioteuthis sp. PyrosomePyrosoma atlanticum Deep-sea red shrimpAcanthephyra purpurea Velvet belly lanternsharkEtmopterus spinax ViperfishChauliodus sloani Goblin sharkMitsukurina owstoni BarreleyeMacropinna microstoma Vampire squidVampyroteuthis infernalis Giant siphonophorePraya dubia Comb jellyBeroe sp. Giant squidArchiteuthis dux Bluntnose sixgill sharkHexanchus griseus Humboldt squidDosidicus gigas Giant oarfishRegalecus glesne Chambered nautilusNautilus pompilius Firefly squidWatasenia scintillans Glass squidFamily Cranchiidae Glass octopusVitreledonella richardi Dana octopus squidTaningia danae Glowing-arm squidOctopoteuthis deletron Ram’s horn squidSpirula spirula Black-eyed squidGonatus onyx Giant larvaceanBathochordaeus sp. SalpFamily Salpidae Arrow wormPhylum Chaetognatha Giant ostracodGigantocypris sp. PhronimaPhronima sedentaria Giant red mysidNeognathophausia ingens TomopterisTomopteris sp. BristlemouthCyclothone sp. Black scabbardfishAphanopus carbo Megamouth sharkMegachasma pelagios Frilled sharkChlamydoselachus anguineus Cookiecutter sharkIsistius brasiliensis Kitefin sharkDalatias licha Orange roughyHoplostethus atlanticus CoelacanthLatimeria chalumnae IcefishFamily Channichthyidae Boreoatlantic armhook squidGonatus fabricii Antarctic toothfishDissostichus mawsoni Glacial squidPsychroteuthis glacialis Antarctic silverfishPleuragramma antarctica Big red jellyfishTiburonia granrojo Leafscale gulper sharkCentrophorus squamosus Grimaldi scaled squidLepidoteuthis grimaldii Whitecheek lanternsharkEtmopterus alphus Purpleback flying squidSthenoteuthis oualaniensis Ningaloo giant siphonophoreApolemia sp. Giant Arctic copepodCalanus hyperboreus Northern wolffishAnarhichas denticulatus Orange siphonophoreMarrus orthocanna Giant warty squidMoroteuthopsis longimana (formerly Kondakovia longimana) Ice anemoneEdwardsiella andrillae Black prince copepodGaussia princeps Crystal amphipodCystisoma sp. Müller’s pearlsideMaurolicus muelleri Oceanic lightfishVinciguerria nimbaria Swordtail squidChiroteuthis calyx Odd bobtail squidHeteroteuthis dispar

Midnight zone 1,000 m and deeper

Helmet jellyfishPeriphylla periphylla Atolla jellyfishAtolla wyvillei FangtoothAnoplogaster cornuta Stoplight loosejawMalacosteus niger Pelican eelEurypharynx pelecanoides Humpback anglerfishMelanocetus johnsonii Greenland sharkSomniosus microcephalus ChimaeraHydrolagus sp. Dumbo octopusGrimpoteuthis sp. Colossal squidMesonychoteuthis hamiltoni Bigfin squidMagnapinna sp. Glowing sucker octopusStauroteuthis syrtensis Blind octopusCirrothauma murrayi Giant phantom jellyStygiomedusa gigantea Deepstaria jellyfishDeepstaria enigmatica Firework jellyfishHalitrephes maasi Green bomber wormSwima bombiviridis SquidwormTeuthidodrilus samae Black dragonfishIdiacanthus atlanticus Black swallowerChiasmodon niger Slender snipe eelNemichthys scolopaceus Whipnose anglerfishGigantactis sp. Krøyer’s deep-sea anglerfishCeratias holboelli TelescopefishGigantura chuni Patagonian toothfishDissostichus eleginoides Umbrella octopusCirroteuthis muelleri Pacific sleeper sharkSomniosus pacificus Arctic Botrynema jellyfishBotrynema ellinorae (or B. brucei ellinorae) Antarctic deep-sea smeltBathylagus antarcticus Pigbutt wormChaetopterus pugaporcinus

The sea floor 200 – 3,500 m

GrenadierFamily Macrouridae Tripod fishBathypterois grallator Swimming sea cucumberEnypniastes eximia Giant sea spiderColossendeis colossea Wolftrap anglerfishThaumatichthys sp. SnailfishFamily Liparidae BlobfishPsychrolutes marcidus Giant isopodBathynomus giganteus Brooding octopusGraneledone boreopacifica Sea pigScotoplanes globosa Gummy squirrelPsychropotes longicauda Brittle starClass Ophiuroidea Brisingid sea starOrder Brisingida Harp spongeChondrocladia lyra XenophyophoreClass Xenophyophorea Abyssal sea penUmbellula sp. Venus flytrap anemoneActinoscyphia aurelia Sea lilyStalked crinoids HagfishFamily Myxinidae Deep-sea skateBathyraja sp. Deep-sea lizardfishBathysaurus ferox Blind lobsterFamily Polychelidae Black coralOrder Antipatharia Scavenging amphipodEurythenes gryllus Greenland halibutReinhardtius hippoglossoides Basket starGorgonocephalus arcticus Glacial eelpoutLycodes frigidus Northern shrimpPandalus borealis Arctic giant spongeGeodia hentscheli Giant Antarctic isopodGlyptonotus antarcticus Volcano spongeAnoxycalyx joubini Southern Ocean yeti crabKiwa tyleri Giant Antarctic octopusMegaleledone setebos Giant Antarctic ribbon wormParborlasia corrugatus Giant scale wormEulagisca gigantea Giant tube wormRiftia pachyptila Pompeii wormAlvinella pompejana Yeti crabKiwa hirsuta Japanese spider crabMacrocheira kaempferi Giant Pacific octopusEnteroctopus dofleini Casper ghost octopusUndescribed incirrate octopus Giant vent clamCalyptogena magnifica Venus’ flower basketEuplectella aspergillum Vent eelpoutThermarces cerberus Eyeless vent shrimpRimicaris exoculata Deep-reef white coralDesmophyllum pertusum (formerly Lophelia pertusa) Azores vent musselBathymodiolus azoricus MonkfishLophius piscatorius Bird’s nest spongePheronema carpenteri Pink abyssal sea cucumberAmperima rosea Scaly-foot gastropodChrysomallon squamiferum Indian Ocean vent shrimpRimicaris kairei Java giant isopodBathynomus raksasa Seafarer’s ghost sharkChimaera willwatchi Coral Seamount blue sea cucumberPannychia taylorae Giant abyssal anemoneRelicanthus daphneae Snow crabChionoecetes opilio Sculptured shrimpSclerocrangon boreas Kolga sea cucumberKolga hyalina Sea strawberryGersemia rubiformis Spoonarm octopusBathypolypus arcticus Warty bobtail squidRossia palpebrosa Arctic skateAmblyraja hyperborea Arctic seep threadwormSclerolinum contortum Ten-legged sea spiderDecolopoda australis Antarctic sea starOdontaster validus Giant Antarctic sea starMacroptychaster accrescens Antarctic sea urchinSterechinus neumayeri Abyssal Antarctic dragonfishBathydraco scotiae Emerald rockcodTrematomus bernacchii Turquet’s octopusPareledone turqueti Antarctic feather starPromachocrinus kerguelensis and related species Antarctic slope shrimpNematocarcinus lanceopes Pioneer tubewormTevnia jerichonana Scorching chimney wormParalvinella sulfincola Hairy vent snailAlviniconcha spp. White vent crabBythograea thermydron Kairei blind crabAustinograea rodriguezensis Atlantic vent eelpoutPachycara thermophilum Long-rostrum shrimpAlvinocaris longirostris Methane musselGigantidas childressi (formerly Bathymodiolus childressi) Centenarian tubewormLamellibrachia luymesi Vent octopusVulcanoctopus hydrothermalis Bone-eating snailRubyspira osteovora Methane ice wormSirsoe methanicola (formerly Hesiocaeca methanicola) Bamboo coralKeratoisis sp. (family Isididae, broadly defined) Bubblegum coralParagorgia arborea Carnivorous umbrella spongeCladorhiza kensmithi Scarlet king crabLithodes couesi Atlantic batfishDibranchus atlanticus Bone-eating zombie wormOsedax rubiplumus Carcass bacterial matsBeggiatoa spp.