Question

In the photic zone where sunlight penetrates the water, food webs are fueled by abundant primary producers. Since sunlight does not reach the deep sea, what adaptations do marine vertebrates and invertebrates of the deep sea have to do to obtain their food? If you were a deep-sea animal, describe which one would you be and why you think you would be successful at competing for food against other organisms.

Answer 1

The animals in the deepest part of sea has to deal with the dark, extreme cold and extreme pressure. The foods are also very hard to come by. So, they have developed certain adaptations to thrive there. Some of them are listed below,

• Bioluminescence: the animals like anglerfish emits colorful lights which attracts the prey
• Sense of smell: animals like ratfish of Mariana trench uses this sense of smell to catch their prey
• To avoid being crushed by the pressure, the deep sea animals do not have any body cavities

If I were a deep sea animal, I would be an anglerfish. With the bioluminescent property, I would be successful enough to lure my prey.