OVERVIEW
The Hadalpelagic zone is the deepest of the deep sea's layers. More people have been on the moon than have visited this area of the ocean. The temperature is always just a few degrees above freezing and the immense pressure is around 8 tons per square inch. Because of the complete absence of light, creatures here don't have colour pigments and their wide eyes are only used for detecting bioluminescence emanated from other creatures.
SPOOK FISH
The spook fish is quite remarkable. It is the only known organism that ever existed on Earth that uses mirrors in its eyes instead of lenses. Each eye has two parts, one pointing up and one pointing down, so they can see incoming prey and predators. Spook fish are nearly transparent with long thin bodies. This secondary consumer eats crustaceans, copepods, and shelled invertebrates. The spookfish lifespan is a mere 5 years. As with many creatures of the deep, little is known about the spookfish and the fact that it has mirrors instead of lenses in its eyes was only discovered last year.
BLACK-DRAGON FISH
Black-dragon fish are long thin animals proportionately but in real life only reach about 40 cm long in females, and 5 cm in males. The male and Female black-dragon fish are very different in appearance. The female fish are the more vicious of the two, and have long sharp teeth, tiny eyes, and use bioluminescence to lure their prey. They two rows of lights on either side of their body to see where they're going. Under each eye the black-dragon fish has two red lights which allow it to see without being seen because few other organsims here can detect red light. To attract their prey, however, they use a long flexible attachment to their chin, the end of which lights up. The male black-dragon fish is much smaller, at about one tenth of the female's size. They don't have a working gut, a bioluminescent chin attachment, or any teeth. They are also brown, rather than black. Black-dragon fish are tertiary consumers of this part of the sea, and they eat other fish. Occasionally black-dragon fish are found in the other zones of the deep sea, but they are most common in the Hadal zone.
ANGLER FISH
The angler fish is spectacular because of the parasitic relationship between males and females. Most organisms would find themselves in a parasitic relationship with a member of a different species but the male angler fish actually feeds off of and harms the female angler fish. As with the Black-dragon fish, the male is much smaller and less complex than the female. Female angler fish are black, grey or brown in colour, with large heads and sharp, translucent teeth. While most angler fish are less than a foot long, some can reach up to three feet. Females have a spine that protrudes out over their face that is tipped with luminescent flesh to attract their prey. They are tertiary consumers and because of their malleable body and large mouth, they can consume other fish twice their size. The male has not need for any of these adaptations, as young males latch on to females with their teeth and slowly fuse with the feamle physically. Eventually they will lose their eyes and all other internal organs except for reproductive ones. they will rely completely on their female host, joining their bloodstream and becoming a part of the female. Most females will carry over 6 males on their body at a time.
ANGLER FISH
The angler fish is spectacular because of the parasitic relationship between males and females. Most organisms would find themselves in a parasitic relationship with a member of a different species but the male angler fish actually feeds off of and harms the female angler fish. As with the Black-dragon fish, the male is much smaller and less complex than the female. Female angler fish are black, grey or brown in colour, with large heads and sharp, translucent teeth. While most angler fish are less than a foot long, some can reach up to three feet. Females have a spine that protrudes out over their face that is tipped with luminescent flesh to attract their prey. They are tertiary consumers and because of their malleable body and large mouth, they can consume other fish twice their size. The male has not need for any of these adaptations, as young males latch on to females with their teeth and slowly fuse with the feamle physically. Eventually they will lose their eyes and all other internal organs except for reproductive ones. they will rely completely on their female host, joining their bloodstream and becoming a part of the female. Most females will carry over 6 males on their body at a time.
