The Animals Living In The Mesopelagic Zone

selim12 December 29, 2023 0 Comments

It never comes to mind if there is animals living in the mesopelagic zone also get this question! But First:

Table of Contents

What Is the Mesopelagic Zone?

The Mesopelagic Zone (known also as the twilight zone) is the ocean layer(part) starting from 200 meters depth to up to 1000 meters. Here, light is insufficient for photosynthesis. This part of the coast has low sunlight(almost disappearing) but most of the ocean creatures live here. The mesopelagic zone occupies about 60% of the planet’s surface and about 20% of the ocean’s volume. This ocean layer contains a thermocline which is the transition layer where the temperature changes from the upper zone affecting the mesopelagic zone. The water in the epipelagic zone is exposed to sunlight and currents, it mixes with the cold water in the mesopelagic zone below. The thermocline varies significantly.

Conditions In The Mesopelagic Zone:

The conditions here are harder than in the upper zone where no photosynthesis occurs. As temperature decreases alongside the sunlight, the pressure increases, and survival of the animals living here (like fish, shrimp, squid, snipe eels, jellyfish, and zooplankton) depends on migrating to the surface for food and more oxygen

Now Let’s Get to know what common creatures live here:

Animals in the mesopelagic zone: Cuttlefish

The Cuttlefish is a mollusk common to this zone. These creatures have tentacles just like squids with the ability to change color quickly. They can reach 50 cm and weigh about 10.5 kg. They eat mollusks which are common to the mesopelagic zone. These creatures are venomous and use ink as most of the squids for self-defense.

Animals in the mesopelagic zone: The Swordfish

Xiphias gladius gets its name from their sword-like bills. They can reach 14 feet in length. Found at depths from surface to up to 550 meters. This fish can reach 50 mph in speed. It can migrate to shallow waters at night for feeding. They also can reach 3 meters in length with 650 kg.

The Chain Catshark:

Scyliorhinus rotifer, also known as chain catsharks are known to have colorful stripes in their bodies. Found in the Northwest Atlantic, Gulf of Mexico, and Caribbean. Found at depths between 36 meters and up to 750 meters, these creatures are rarely encountered by humans.

animals in the mesopelagic zone: the catshark

The Sabretooth Fishes:

Sabertooth or sabretooth fish are small, fierce-looking deep-sea aulopiform fish comprising the family Evermannellidae. Named after their large size teeth like those of saber-toothed cats made to ambush and devour prey at lightning speed. With elongated bodies and a few inches in length, they lack normal scales.

Lanternfish:

The Lanternfish are small fish from the family Myctophidae. Found in oceans worldwide at depth between 300 and 1,500 meters, this fish is known to produce bioluminescence. Lanternfish are generally small fish, ranging from about 2 to 30 cm. The fins are generally small, with a single high dorsal fin, a forked caudal fin, and an adipose fin. Most of the body is with cartilage(resilient and smooth type of connective tissue).

The Freshwater Pipefish:

Freshwater Pipefish is a common name for a group of small, elongated fish that belong to the family Syngnathidae. It’s like a sea snake. They have long tubular snouts, a tiny mouth, and a lack of scales. They are toothless. A dorsal fin is always present. They can reach from 2 to 14 inches (5 to 35 centimeters) in length.

The animals in the mesopelagic zone migrate to the surface in large numbers at dusk in search of food.

Animals in the mesopelagic zone have adapted to red light absorption in the upper waters,So most of them are black or red for camouflage and adaptation. Many studies and efforts are required to further study these remote environments to prevent species extinction and to better understand life and creatures in this particular zone.