Exploring the Abyss Essay

Submitted By JAYGISS6313
Words: 514
Pages: 3

Name of Organism
Characteristics of the Organism
Special Adaptations of Organism for Surviving in Abyss Habitat

Giant tube worm

Up to 8 feet long, lives in the pacific ocean
Their survival depends on a symbiotic relationship with billions of bacteria that live inside them. These bacteria convert the chemicals spewing out of the vents into worm food. This chemical-based food-making process is known as chemosynthesis.

Gulpers eel

Range to depths of 2,700 m (9,000 feet) or more. Some gulpers grow as long as 1.8 m; most of this length, however, is tail.
The gulper eel has developed a huge mouth with a unhinged jaw. This allows it to feed not only on small organisms, but it is also able to engulf organisms bigger than itself. With this adaptation the gulper eel is able to survive off of the few other organisms found at its depth.

Viperfish
Greenish above, the sides with metallic gloss; blackish below, Up to about one foot long, nothing is known of its habits except that it is an inhabitant of the mid-depths of the Atlantic Basin and that it probably does not rise closer to the surface than 150 or 200 fathoms except, perhaps, during its larval stages. Its teeth suggest a rapacious habit but there is no actual record of its diet.
The unusually large teeth of the viperfish help it to grab hold of its prey at it hunts in the darkness. Viperfish have been observed hanging motionless in the water, waving their lures over their heads like a fishing pole to attract their meals. They have a hinged skull, which can be rotated up for swallowing unusually large prey. They also have very large stomachs that allow them to stock up on food whenever it is plentiful.

Angler fish
Generally dark gray to dark brown in color, they have huge heads and enormous crescent-shaped mouths filled with sharp, translucent teeth. Some angler fish can be quite large, reaching 3.3 feet (1 meter) in length.
It is just above her mouth and she uses it