20 Rarest and Most Unusual Sea Creatures

These sea creatures are so rare, that we only found 1 or 2 of them. How rare and unusual are they exactly? Find out here…

1. Promachoteuthis sulcus

We start off our list with the Promachoteuthis sulcus. Known only by its scientific name, this species of squid is the rarest on earth and does not even have a common name.

2. Pocket Shark

Second on our list is the Pocket shark which is an extremely rare species of the shark family. First seen years ago off the coast of Peru, the second-ever known specimen was collected in 2010 offshore Louisiana, near the Gulf of Mexico by the NOAA ship.

3. Australian Ghost Shark

Next is the Australian Ghost shark which is found in southern Australia, including Tasmania, south of East Cape and Kaipara Harbour in New Zealand at depths of up to 500 meters.

4. Crusty Nautilus

At number 4, meet Crusty nautilus also known as the Fuzzy Nautilus, one of the rarest marine animals in the world. This is a really rare species that was thought to have gone extinct after 1986 but was rediscovered in 2015 by a US biologist off the coast in Papua New Guinea.

5. Pigbutt worm

A rare sight that you might see if you descend thousands of feet beneath the water, is this balloon-like pair of buttocks that resemble a pig’s rear.

6. Dumbo Octopus

Dumbo octopus that belongs to the Umbrella group of octopuses comes 6th on our list and is the deepest living of all known octopuses. They come in different colors and live anywhere from 9,000 to as deep as 23,000 feet below the surface.

5. Halitrephes maasi jellyfish

Number 7, we have the Halitrephes Maasi jellyfish which is a deep sea jellyfish and not much is known about this species. It is extremely rare to have ever been seen as it is found at a depth of 4,000 to 5000 feet below the water.

8. The Pink Sea-Through Fantasia

8th on our list we have the Pink Sea-Through Fantasia, an amazing creature that was unknown till 2007 when it was discovered by a team of marine biologists about 2,500 meters deep in the Celebes Sea in the western Pacific Ocean.

9. Dana Octopus Squid

At number 8 we have Dana octopus squid named after Danish fisheries biologist Aage Vedel Tåning who often traveled on the research vessel, Dana. It is one of the largest known squid species, reaching a mantle length of 5.6 feet and the total length of 7.5 feet.

10. Vampire Squid

We arrive at number 10 with the Vampire Squid that has similar characteristics of both octopuses and squid. The scientific name of Vampire Squid translates to ‘vampire squid from and seems an apt name as its eight arms are connected by a cloak-like.

11. Barreleye

Coming next on our list is an astonishingly strange creature that can only come from a mad scientist or in this case from the deep sea. Barreleye, also known as spook fish get their name because of their barrel-shaped eyes.

12. Oarfish

Number 12 is Oarfish which is the longest species of bony fish, with lengths reported up to 17 meters and can weigh as much as 600 pounds. Just last year several beachgoers pulled a deceased oarfish from the sea in the Philippines.

13. The goblin shark

13th on the list, the Goblin shark is a very rare species of deep-sea shark. It is a medium-sized shark and the length of an adult ranges between 3 to 4 meters.

14. The Terrible Claw Lobster

This tiny lobster is number 14 on our list and is apparently a very rare deep-sea lobster. The Terrible Claw Lobster gets its name because of its bizarre claws.

15. Pacific Blackdragon

The Pacific Blackdragon that ranks at number 15 on our list is a deep-sea predator that belongs to the Pacific Ocean and hence the name.

16. The Narwhal

Known as the “unicorn of the ocean,” the narwhal is a rarely seen whale that inhabits mostly the Atlantic and Russian waters of the Arctic.

17. Roughback batfish

Though those lovely red lips are eye-catching, it still looks like it should have a good shave before it tries make-up again.

18. Pelican eel

At the 18th position is the Pelican eel, one of the most bizarre looking creatures in the deep sea with its most notable attribute being its large mouth.

19. Spotted Handfish

Have you ever seen a fish that prefers walking instead of swimming? If not then let’s introduce you to the second to last on our list.

20. Blobfish

Voted the world’s ugliest animal in an online poll conducted by the British-based Animal Preservation Society, last on our list is the Blobfish which lives off the coasts of Australia and Tasmania. Since it lives about 2,000 to 3,900 feet deep in the water, it is very rarely seen by humans, aren’t we thankful for that!

Make sure you paid close attention because those sea creatures are really rare! Did you happen to see one in real life?