Marine Life

Deep in the ocean, living in eternal darkness, is the dumbo octopus (of the genus Grimpoteuthis), a creature that few humans have seen face-to-face. When someone is lucky enough to spot one, they're often captivated by its charms.

By Kimberly Olson

The most dangerous sea creatures in the world don't always have large teeth like great white sharks or weigh over 10 tons (9 metric tonnes) like the killer whale. The sea creatures that are a threat to humans are often the smaller, more innocent-looking ones that carry lethal amounts of venom.

By Ada Tseng

While swarm of jellies may look serene, you're best off keeping your distance. A sting from the most dangerous jellyfish on Earth can be deadly. Even when we're not looking at the most dangerous, many jellyfish species have venomous stings that can cause everything from mild discomfort to serious pain.

By Talon Homer

You might think of snails as the little shelled creatures that you find crawling in your garden, or even as a delicacy of French cuisine, where they are called "escargot." But there are snails that live in the water, too, including marine snails in the tropical oceans and freshwater snails found across the world in ponds, lakes and rivers.

By Zach Taras

Both the European lobster and American lobster are crustaceans that people living in coastal regions love to eat, but left to their devices, the lobsters can survive many decades and grow to ridiculous sizes - particularly the American lobster, which is the largest arthropod species on Earth.

By Talon Homer

The life cycle of jellyfish can seem almost otherworldly. Some species are the closer to actual immortality than anything else we see in the animal kingdom!

By Mack Hayden

Far below the ocean's surface, in the dark depths of the deep sea floor ecosystem (about 3,000 feet or 1,000 meters deep), exists an entire world of deep sea creatures that humans rarely glimpse.

By Sascha Bos

If you're afraid of sharks, stop reading now, because we're about to get in deep with six types of sharks. Learn more about these fascinating fish - big and small, solid and patterned, sluggish and speedy.

By Sascha Bos

Orcas are known as "killer whales" because they are apex predators. In the wild, highly social killer whales prey on sharks, seals, dolphins and even other whales.

By Sascha Bos

Far below the ocean's surface, in the dark depths of the deep sea floor ecosystem (about 3,000 feet or 1,000 meters deep), exists an entire world of deep sea creatures that humans rarely glimpse.

By Sascha Bos

Known for their long legs, pincers and hard shells, most crustaceans are omnivorous scavengers, although some are predators or vegetarians. Either way, a steady diet can assist certain crab species in growing to incredible sizes.

By Marie Look

It's a slippery proposition, to be sure, but bees do it, birds do it and you can bet that eels do it too. The question is, how do eels reproduce?

By Mark Mancini

Sailfish are the fastest known animal in the ocean. Just how fast? As fast as a cheetah. That's how fast.

By Cherise Threewitt

Cymothoa exigua will make you feel very glad you're not a fish.

By Jesslyn Shields

These massive mollusks are one of the world's most invasive species. They have the potential to devastate Florida's agriculture. Oh, and they can cause meningitis in humans.

By Sarah Gleim

Cone snails are marine animals that harpoon their prey and incapacitate them with deadly toxins. They may be beautiful, but they are highly venomous.

By Jesslyn Shields & Zach Taras

Tons of these humongous bug-like creatures live in the darkest depths of the sea, but they are still somewhat of a mystery to us humans.

By Jennifer Walker-Journey

Even washed up on the beach, the Portuguese man-of-war can deliver searing pain with its stinging tentacles, so whatever you do, don't touch it.

By Mark Mancini

You might not think a worm could be longer than a whale, but allow us to introduce you to the bootlace worm, one of the longest animals on the planet. And, oh and it packs a potent toxin, too.

By Mark Mancini

Looks can be deceiving. That's definitely true for the blue-ringed octopus. It's tiny, stunningly beautiful and looks harmless. Yet its venom could kill 26 men in minutes.

By Stephanie Parker

The pistol shrimp is feared in the ocean for its ability to hit a prey with air bubbles that travel 82 feet per second, pop at 218 decibels and deliver 8,000 degrees Fahrenheit of heat.

By Katie Carman

Yes, this terrifying worm was named after the infamous Bobbitt case. And with good reason.

By Mitch Ryan

These brightly colored crustaceans can smash aquarium glass or quickly cut through a human finger, so whatever you do, keep your distance.

By Stephanie Vermillion

These two sea creatures can be easy to confuse. But they're actually quite different. We talked to experts to find out how to tell them apart.

By Wendy Bowman

Roly-poly bugs are natural soil conditioners because they process decomposing matter, helping keep your garden soil clean and healthy. And - fun fact - they're crustaceans, not insects.

By Jeremy Glass