18 Weirdest Sea Creatures That Live In Our Oceans

© Dan Kitwood - Getty Images

By Jessica Booth, Redbook

The ocean is full of all sorts of mysterious creatures and natural wonders. And despite the fact that the oceans take up about 70 percent of our planet, we have only explored about 5 percent of them. That means that there are tons of things down there in the depths of the seas that we don't even know exist. This is especially spooky when you think about the creepy and weird sea creatures we have observed so far. Let's take a look at some of the weirdest sea creatures you won't believe really exist in our oceans: 

Leafy Seadragon

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The leafy seadragon looks like, well, almost like a leaf. This creature, closely related to seahorses, is found in the south and east Australian waters. According to National Geographic, they are some fo the "most ornately camouflaged creatures on the planet." They are covered in leaf-shaped appendages that allow them to blend in perfectly with seaweed and kelp to stay safe.

Dumbo Octopus

© Seang Y Teng - Flickr

This photo might look like a cute cartoon character in a video game, but it's a real life creature. This is the dumbo octopus, a rare octopus found in the depths of the deep ocean. According to Oceana, they move very slowly by flapping their ears, which are like fins. They are so deep that they are rarely captured or seen.

Yeti Crab

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This sort of looks like a nightmare version of a stuffed animal mixed with a lobster, which seems fake, but it's real. Officially known as the kiwa hirsuta, or the yeti crab, this is a hairy crab with no eyes. It was discovered in 2005 near Easter Island as a totally new species, and got is name after Kiwa, the mythological Polynesian goddess of shellfish.

Viperfish

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According to SeaSky, the viperfish is one of the most unusual-looking fish out there. Viperfish have a very large mouth with sharp teeth that are like fangs (imagine swimming into that!). Their teeth are actually so big that they don't even fit inside their mouths, and are used to impale victims. The viperfish has a long spine with a photophore at the end, which is an organ that looks like a light. They use this to lure victims close to them before killing them with their fangs.

Goblin Shark

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According to National Geographic, goblin sharks live at the bottom of the ocean along continental shelves, along the coast of Japan (they were named after mythical goblins in Japanese folklore). Goblin sharks are very rare and mysterious. Since they're pretty slow, they have another way to grab their victims: their huge mouths can actually extend out really far to grab victims that are getting away from them.

Fangtooth

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Another super creepy fish is the fangtooth, which is also found in the deep, depp waters of the oceans. The fangtooth has, you guessed it, lots of sharp fangs. They're so big that they are actually the largest teeth of any fish in the ocean in proportion to body size, according to SeaSky.

Anglerfish

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Anglerfish just look mean. There are more than 200 species of them, and they live in the depths of the Atlantic and Antarctic oceans, although they can also be found in shallow, tropical environments sometimes. They have giant heads and huge mouths filled with sharp, translucent teeth, but their most notable feature is the piece of their spine that hangs over their mouths like a fishing pole. It lights up to lure in its victims.

Red-Lipped Batfish

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This strange looking fish is found in the Galapagos, and lives on the sandy bottom of the reefs or the ocean floor. They have bright red, almost fluorescent lips that resemble lipstick. Even weirder? Their fins are basically used as legs.

Vampire Squid

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Just the name of the vampire squid sounds weird and spooky. This squid will invert its cape when it's disturbed, showing off its large spine to make it look terrifying. But actually, according to Oceana, it's pretty harmless and is not predatory. Vampire squids feed on plant and animal matter in the ocean and do not even expel black ink.

Warty Frogfish

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This might look like a blob of coral, but it's actually a warty frogfish, which can also go by many other names (like clown frogfish). They hang among the corals and sponges, and easily camouflage into them with the color and pattern of their bodies. They feed on small dish and lure in prey with a stalk between their eyes. The creepiest thing is that the mouths can extend as big as their bodies.

Blob Sculpin

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The blob sculpin looks, literally, like a blob, not like a living creature. It's found in the deep waters off the Pacific coast of the U.S. and can grow to be more than two feet in length. Blob sculpins eat small invertebrates and have to be one of the weirdest looking creatures out there.

Christmas Tree Worms

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Christmas tree worms look like little plants, but the creepy thing is that they're actually worms. According to NOAA, "each worm has two brightly colored crowns that protrude from its tube-like body. These Christmas tree-like crowns are composed of radioles, or hair-like appendages radiating from the worm’s central spine." They kind of just hang out and don't get that big, but they are notable because of their appearance.

Giant Isopod

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The giant isopod looks like a giant bug that does not belong in our oceans, and it is truly terrifying. And yes, they are related to the little pillbugs you see in your garden. They can grow up to 16 inches, their bodies are protected by a hard shell, and they can roll up into a little ball when needed.

Pink See-Through Fantasia

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This wild looking sea creature is called a Pink See-Through Fantasia, and was discovered in 2007 in the Celebs Sea in the western Pacific Ocean. The creature has pink transparent skin that shows off its intestines, mouth, and anus, so... that's interesting.

Giant Manta Ray

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Compared to many sea creatures on this list, the giant manta ray seems tame and normal. But when you compare its size to other creatures, it is a lot weirder. As the name suggests, these guys are very big and always swim around with their mouths open. They are found worldwide in tropical, subtropical, and temperate waters, and little is known about them.

Sea Cucumber

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Sea cucumbers are related to starfish and sea urchins, but with their long bodies, they look like, well, a cucumber covered in stuff. When threatened, they discharge sticky threads to capture their enemies. According to National Geographic, some of them can mutilate their own bodies as a defense mechanism.

Shaggy Frogfish

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Another weird type of frogfish, shaggy frogfish are covered in what looks like hair. They live in the tropical and subtropical regions of the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans, as well as the Indian Ocean and the Red Sea. They lure their victims in with a retractable lure that looks like a shrimp, which can be regenerated if it gets damaged.

Glass Squid

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There are a few different species of glass squid, so they vary in size. Their transparent bodies allow them to hide very well and many of them are bioluminescent, so they look like they glow in the dark.