Animals Living in the Mariana Trench

The Mariana Trench is the deepest location in the entire ocean. If one were to reach the bottom, they would be crushed by an atmospheric pressure of 1086 bar!!!

Naturally, this inhospitable environment is home to few creatures. These primarily include some fish and invertebrates. The animals living at these depths have to contend with a lack of food and light. Several invertebrates consume hydrogen and methane from the environment, while fish like anglerfish and viperfish species generate light to both see as well as attract prey.

Animals living at these depths are known for their bizarre appearances. The Mariana Trench is home to oddities like the goblin shark, the dumbo octopus, and the ping-pong sponge tree.

List of Animals in the Mariana Trench

Fish

Abyssal Snailfish
Alaska Snailfish
Appendage-less Snailfish
Aquavit Hatchetfish
Arbiter Snailfish
Atlantic Footballfish
Atlantic Silver Hatchetfish
Babbie Snailfish
Big-eye Snailfish
Binocular Fish
Black Dragonfish
Black Mirrorbelly
Black Snailfish
Black-tail Snailfish
Blind Snailfish
Blunt-tooth Snailfish
Broad-mouth Snailfish
Brownsnout Spookfish
Cape Snaggletooth
Cherry Snailfish
Comb-side Hatchetfish
Combed Snailfish
Comic Snailfish
Common Fangtooth
Dana Viperfish
Deepsea Dragonfish
Derjugin’s Snailfish
Diaphanous Hatchetfish
Doubtful Snailfish
Drop-shaped Snailfish
Dusty Snailfish
European Anglerfish
False Oblique Hatchetfish
Fanfin Angler Fish
Finely-speckled Snailfish
Firm-body Snailfish
Frilled Shark
Froggy Snailfish
Fulvous Snailfish
Gelatinous Snailfish
Giant Hatchetfish
Giant Rattail
Glasshead Barreleye
Goblin Shark
Goldeneye Snailfish
Grey Mirrorbelly
Hairy Angler
Half-naked Hatchetfish
Highlight Hatchetfish
Horned Lantern Fish
Humpback Anglerfish
Javelin Spookfish
Kara Snailfish
Keel-belly Snailfish
Kido’s Snailfish
Kiwi Hatchetfish
Knipowitsch’s Snailfish
Long-feather Snailfish
Marginate Snailfish
Mariana Snailfish
Merret’s Snailfish
Mirrorbelly
Mischievous Snailfish
Moskalev’s Snailfish
Murray’s Abyssal Anglerfish
Nutting’s Hatchetfish
Obese Dragonfish
Pacific Footballfish
Pacific Hatchetfish
Pacific Viperfish
Paxton’s Hatchetfish
Peach Snailfish
Peach-skin Snailfish
Pellucid Snailfish
Prickly Anglerfish
Rose Snailfish
Rough Snailfish
Round Snailfish
Salmon Snailfish
Sea Tadpole
Silvery Hatchetfish
Shorthorn Fangtooth
Sloane’s Viperfish
Slope Hatchetfish
Small-disk Snailfish
Small-eye Snailfish
Small-fin Snailfish
Small-spine Snailfish
Smalltooth Dragonfish
Snaggletooth
Spectral Snailfish
Spiny Snailfish
Spookfish
Stippled Snailfish
Tapir Snailfish
Telescope Snailfish
Threadfin Dragonfish
Tidepool Snailfish
Toge Snailfish
Triplewart Seadevil
Tropical Hatchetfish
Whiskered Snailfish
Winged Spookfish

Invertebrates

Black Teatfish
Brown Sea Cucumber
Deep Water Redfish
Emperor Dumbo Octopus
Giant California Sea Cucumber
Hermann’s Sea Cucumber
Lyre Sponge
Osedax roseus (Zombie Worm)
Panning’s Blackfish
Pineapple Sea Cucumber
Ping-pong Sponge Tree
Sandfish
Sea Walnut
Surf Redfish
Telescope Octopus
Vampire Squid
Venus Girdle
White Teatfish

FAQs

1. What are the scariest animals in the Mariana Trench?

The goblin shark and various species of anglerfish, fangtooths, and hatchetfish.

2. Is the megalodon living in the Mariana Trench?

The megalodon was an ancient shark that used to hunt in waters close to the surface. Hence it is doubtful that this prehistoric predator still lurks in the depths of the Mariana Trench.