Pacific Viperfish
Bioluminescence isn't always pretty. The Pacific Viperfish, shown left, has bioluminescent photophores located on the underside of their stomachs to lure in prey in the deep sea. These vicious animals are only about eight inches long (25 centimeters). Their mouths are filled with long, jagged, misshapen teeth so that they cannot close their mouths. The Pacific Viperfish are most commonly found at a depth of about 13,000 feet.
The Frilled Shark
The older, the wiser. Frilled Sharks are known to have descended from their ancestors that lived millions of years ago during the time of the dinosaurs. They share characteristics with the oldest of sharks and even some dinosaurs. Humans rarely ever see frilled sharks - their habitats are located at about 5,000 feet below sea level. Frilled Sharks are 5.3 feet long. Hardly ever are they captured. In 2007, a Frilled Shark was found in shallow water and immediately captured. A few hours after discovery, the fish died due to its lack of capability to put up with warm temperatures and low pressure.
Plant Life In the Deep Sea
Unfortunately, plants cannot exist in the Pelagic zones because by the time the ocean is classified as the deep sea, light no longer reaches the water. Without light, plants cannot perform photosynthesis, the process which allows producers, also known as heterotrophs or plants, to create their own food (Glucose) using the light energy from the sun. Without light, plants are incapable of making their own food and therefore incapable of eating, seeing as plants are not able to consume other organisms. On top of the fact that there is no light, in the deep sea, the temperatures are very low and the pressure is very high. Even if there were light that reached the deep sea, plants would have a very hard time surviving due to these characteristics of the climate.