Why Do Deep Sea Creatures Look So Scary?
Deep sea creatures like the anglerfish look terrifying. Turns out, there’s a reason for that.
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How far does light travel in the ocean? (NOAA): http://1.usa.gov/1N3rz04
In Defense of the Blobfish (Smithsonian): http://bit.ly/1N3rN7u
More on sight in the deep sea (The Royal Society): http://1.usa.gov/1N3rUzW
More on anglerfish (Copeia--behind paywall): http://bit.ly/1N3sbTq
CORRECTION: There was a factual error relating deep sea gigantism to temperature in this video. It was in part drawn from a paper that is widely shared, but not largely accepted in today's marine biology community. Many thanks to Dr. Craig McClain for pointing it out. There is a lot we don't know about deep sea gigantism, but according to Dr. McClain, it may occur because of the lack of food in the deep sea. Larger creatures are more metabolically efficient and better at resisting starvation than smaller creatures. Accuracy is extremely important to me, and I will do my best to try to prevent an error like this from slipping in again. I have removed the relevant section at 2:11.
Host, Editor, Animator
Anna Rothschild
Writer, Researcher, Camera
Ceri Riley
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Original Footage
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Images and Footage
File: Messina Straits Chauliodus sloani
Wikimedia Commons/Professor Francesco Costa
Kelp Forest and Sunlight
Pond5/EthanD
Marine Snow Video (What Is Marine Snow?)
NOAA
Melanocetus anglerfish swims and turns in black
Getty/BBC Natural History
Anglerfish with full stomach
© Trustees of the NHM, London
File: Psychrolutes phrictus
Wikimedia Commons/NOAA
File: Psychrolutes phrictus 1
Wikimedia Commons/NOAA/MBARI
Messina Straits Argyropelecus hemigymnus
Wikimedia Commons/Professor Francesco Costa
Atolla wyvillei (Operation Deep Scope 2004)
Wikimedia Commons/NOAA Ocean Explorer
Humpback Anglerfish (Melanocetus Johnsonii)
Wikimedia Commons/Javontaevious
Tripod Fish at a depth of 1440mtr in Brazil
Internet Archive/Filmcollective Worldwide
Giant Isopod (18443864634)
Wikimedia Commons/Eric Kilby from Somerville, MA, USA
Japanese spider crab
Wikimedia Commons/Popular Science Magazine, jun. 1920.
N20090116 120650--pan
Wikimedia Commons/Y23
Representatives of ceratioid families
Wikimedia Commons/Masaki Miya et al.
SFX
Cockroaches
Freesound/StateAardvark
(used with permission from author)
Squeak Pack/squeak_10
Freesound/Corsica_S
Scream/Woman Screams
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Squeak Pack/squeak_10
Freesound/Corsica_S
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