Oceans 11 – Dalesandro

Notes – The Bathypelagic Zone

-This zone extends from the bottom of the mesopelagic zone (1000 m deep)

down to the top edge of the abyssopelagic zone (4000 m deep).

·  This area is firmly in the aphotic area with almost no light present at all.

·  Because of this, the bathypelagic zone has been called the midnight zone.

-Photosynthesis does not take place here, so marine snow is the only source of

food for primary consumers.

-Organisms living in this zone have to deal with very high water pressure and

very cold water temperatures of 4oC or so.

-Some species of bathypelagic organisms have very large eyes, to catch the little

light that exists here. Other species have small ones or no eyes at all, relying on

other ways to detect and pursue prey.

·  Many bathypelagic animals are able to generate bioluminescence.

·  In the bathypelagic zone, bioluminescence is usually used to lure prey or to signal a mate.

-Fish who live in the bathypelagic zone include anglerfish, gulper eels,

viperfish, hatchetfish, slickheads, sleeper sharks, and bristlemouths.

-They are joined by giant squid, sperm whales, slime stars, and box jellies.

-In general, the bathyal zone has few creatures and is fairly empty.

·  This zone qualifies as an extreme environment because of its darkness, temperature, pressure, and scarcity of food.


Bathypelagic Zone – Organism Fact Sheet 15 – Gulper Eel

- The end of its tail is tipped with a light-producing photophore.

- The gulper eel has a very long, whip-like tail. Some eels that have been caught

and dragged to the surface in fishing nets have even had their tails tied into

knots!

- Gulper eels are large creatures – they can vary in length from one to two

meters. They are usually black or dark green in color and sometimes have a

white line or groove on either side of the dorsal fin.

-These eels are voracious predators. They eat krill, copepods, squid, fish, and

just about any other creature smaller than themselves. They are preyed upon by

lancet fish, sleeper sharks, and large angler fish.

-Male gulper eels degenerate and die soon after mating. Females, however, can

live for several years and continue to mate and produce young.

-It is unknown how many gulper eels exist in the world’s temperate and tropical

waters. The world population is estimated to be only about 120 000 individuals,

but this might be low because so much of the depths are still unexplored.