MARINE+LIFE+IN+THE+MARIANA+TRENCH


 * __[|Viper Fish]__**

The viperfish is a saltwater fish. They grow to lengths between 30-60 cm. Viperfish stay in the [|abyssal zone], this area is below the [|photic zone.] Viperfish live about 30-40 years, what makes these animals unique is that it has an organ called a [|photophore] that is used as a lure for its prey. It is also used to communicate with other viperfish or rivals.

The Angler Fish is named because of how they hunt their prey. They hunt their prey by using a [|bioluminescent]light. This light acts as a fishing lure. Once the prey gets close enough, the Angler Fish swallows its prey whole. The Angler Fish can swallow prey twice as large as them. The reason these creatures are called Dumbo is because of their resemblance to Dumbo the Elephant. The largest Dumbo Octopus found was six feet long, and weighed 13 pounds.
 * __[|Angler Fish]__**
 * __[|Dumbo octopus]__**

The giant isopod is the largest of its family. Food is very scarce at the abyssal zone so isopods adapt by eating whatever remains come from above, or adapt to eat the animals in the environment with them. (Small Invertebrates). They can grow up to 16 inches long, and their defense mechanism is to roll up in a ball (like an armadillo) so nothing will hurt them.
 * __[|Giant Isopod]__**


 * __[|Vampire Squid]__**

The vampire squid is very tiny, only growing up to 6 inches. Although it is small, its eyes are very large, they are compared to the eyes of a large dog. The vampire squid also has photophores, when it turns these lights off, they are "invisible." These fish have no bones, and waits for its prey to come to it. These animals are about to become extinct because of people overfishing. The animals skin is like jelly. The frilled shark is one of the rarest sharks in the world. Frilled sharks were thought to be extinct. They were never seen until 2007. The frilled shark can swallow prey half its own size. [] The black swallower is very small, only growing up to be 25 cm long. The black swallower feeds on bony fishes, these fishes are swallowed whole. The black swallower is able to eat prey two times its own size. The reason we know about this fish is because of its eating habits. Sometimes, it eats something too big, and it goes to the surface to try to decrease the pressure, but their body can't handle the pressure change and they die.
 * __[|Blob Fish]__**
 * __[|Frilled Shark]__**
 * __[|Black Swallower]__**

The xenophyophore is the largest single celled organism on earth. It can reach up to 6 inches in length.
 * __[|Xenophyophore]__**