Sunlight Zone

0 - 200m

The epipelagic zone is home to all sorts of iconic animals, like whales and dolphins, tunas, jellyfishes, sharks, and many other groups. Sunlight can penetrate the surface and there is enough light to see easily down to 200 meters.

Irrawaddy Dolphin

Found in the Mekong, the Ayeyarwady and the Mahakam River, this small dolphin is crucial for the health of the 1100 species found along these rivers. The Irrawaddy Dolphin is considered sacred by the Lao and Khmer people.

Vaquita

This small porpoise is characteristic with black rings around the eyes and the fins. Found exclusively in the Gulf of Mexico, it's considered the smallest of the cetaceans and the rarest sea mammal, with only 10 left of the population.

The Great Auk

Extinct now, the Great Auks once were an abundant bird in the Northern Atlantic. It was recognized for the white spots on their head, large beak and small wings, earning them the nickname “the original penguin”, though the closest living relative is the Razor-bill Auk.

Hawksbill Turtle

With its hawk-like beak, the Hawksbill Turtle can easily reach sponges within the crevices of the coral reefs. They also feed on sea anemone and jellyfish, making them essentiel for the ecosystem.

New Zealand Grayling

Native to New Zealand as the name suggests, it's the only freshwater fish which is known to be extinct. Colors had variety, from grey with dark greens, to an almost orange warm color.

Twilight Zone

200 - 1000m

The mesopelagic zone, or middle open ocean stretches from the bottom of the epipelagic down to the point where sunlight cannot reach. The mesopelagic zone is much larger than the epipelagic, and the most numerous vertebrates on Earth live in this zone.

Many of the species of fishes and invertebrates that live here migrate up into shallower, epipelagic depths to feed, but only under the cover of night.

Beluga Whale

Easily distinguished by their unusual white color, the Beluga Whale is known as “white whales”. This canary of the sea is able to produce different sounds, such as chirps, clicks, whistles and squeal, which sounds almost musical but is used for communication.

Strawberry Squid

Also known as the Cock-eyed Squid, this invertebrae got its name for the pinkish color and seed-like photospores resemblance to a strawberry. This family of squids takes diurnal trips vertically, to descend again in the daytime.

Atlantic Bluefin Tuna

There are 3 categories of bluefin tuna; Southern, Pacific and the Atlantic, whereas the Atlantic is the largest and also the most endangered. Considered apex predators, they hunt using their eyes and can reach a speed of 75 kilometers per hour.

Midnight Zone

1000 - 4000m

The next deepest zone is called the bathypelagic zone, or lower open ocean. It is the largest ecosystem on earth. The upper bound of this zone is defined by a complete lack of sunlight.

Organisms in the bathypelagic live in complete darkness, 24 hours per day. The darkness can be interrupted, however, by some light caused by the organisms themselves. This so called bioluminescence can be used to attract prey or to find a mate. Some species have lost their ability to see anything at all.

Leatherback Sea Turtle

The largest of the sea turtle species is also highly migratory, found in almost every ocean except for the arctic seas. Leatherback sea turtles have strong front flippers, making it possible to swim thousands of kilometers of open ocean against fast currents.

Black Dragonfish

Very sexually dimorphic, the scaleless Black Dragonfish females are the dominant in size, being 8-10 times bigger than the males. Males have no teeth, no working gut or barbel, making their existence about reproducing.

Chimaera

The Narrownose Chimaera, also known as rat fish or rabbit fish, is a close relative to sharks and rays. Instead of great size or a terrifying jaw, Chimaeras have a venomous dorsal fin which breaks after a single use, but unlike the bees sting, grows back eventually.

The Abyss

4000 - 6000m

Deeper still is the abyssopelagic zone, which stretches from the bottom of the bathypelagic to the seafloor, which is at around 6000 meters deep on average. This zone is characterized by a relative lack of life. The pressure is incredibly high, it truly is the abyss.

Crossota Millsae

When first discovered, scientists dubbed them “the psychedelic medusa.” Unlike other hydrozoans, Crossota millsae are viviparous, meaning the embryo develops inside the medusae. Their tentacles have a 360 degree reach.

Abyssal Grenadier

Grenadiers, or rattails, are found in different ocean depths from the Arctic to Antarctic, but as the name suggests, Abyssal Grenadiers are located in the abyssopelagic zone and have been found 5180m down.

Triplewart Seadevil

Residing on the border between mesopelagic and the abyssopelagic zone, this deep sea anglerfish is especially known for the extreme sexual dimorphism, while also having the well known little bioluminescence lantern to attract unbeknownst prey.

Trenches

6000 - 11000m

A special zone that only exists in certain places around the world is called the hadopelagic zone. Where deep, wide trenches occur in the otherwise flat seafloor, the open water that fills them is the hadopelagic zone. By this definition, all of the deepest parts of the ocean conclude in the hadopelagic. The deepest known ocean depth is nearly 11000 meters.

Amphipod

These rather small shrimp-like crustaceans are found in the deepest trench in the ocean. To counteract the crushing pressure found 8000 kilometres underneath the ocean surface, the Amphipod has adapted aluminium into its exoskeleton.

Cusk Eel

For a long time, it was believed to be the deepest caught fish. Cusk Eels' name is a little misleading, since they are not true eels, even though they share many features. They use their tail to bury themselves in the seabed, hiding from predators.

Mariana Snailfish

In the deepest trench, the Mariana Trench, over 8000 meters underneath the water surface, the Mariana snailfish have adapted to this crushing environment, holding the title of “Deepest fish in the ocean”.