Why Sea Creatures Become So Much Larger in the Depths of the Ocean’s Midnight Zone

Paleontologist Danielle Dufault of Animalogic explained why ordinary sea creatures become so much larger within the midnight zone of the ocean. These giant creatures include the Greenland shark, the Japanese spider crab, the giant isopod, the giant squid, and others.

The ocean is full of wonders and mysterious beasts. The deeper you go, the bigger things get. But why? With no sun and little prey it would seem like being that big would be a problem. And yet, some animals have managed to lead a super efficient life despite their massive size. These are the deep sea giants.

Surprisingly, most of these deep sea dwellers are not predators, but rather scavengers who save their energy for more important things.

Predation requires a lot of energy, and few animals in the deep sea can afford to pay that price. This is called low predation pressure, which has led to gigantism. When nothing’s chasing you and you’ve got centuries to kill. There’s room to grow big, slow and strange.

The Greenland Shark Is the Longest Living Vertebrate