The Mariana Trench, the deepest part of the world's oceans, hosts a variety of specially adapted creatures living in extreme conditions of pressure, darkness, and cold. Notable inhabitants include:
- Marine tubeworms and mollusks (bivalves) found nearly 10 kilometers deep, thriving via chemosynthesis from methane seeping through the seafloor.
- The Mariana snailfish (Pseudoliparis swirei), the deepest known fish recorded at around 8,000 meters.
- Dumbo octopuses with ear-like fins, adapted to the deep-sea environment.
- Supergiant amphipods, shrimp-like crustaceans using aluminum in their exoskeletons for withstanding pressure.
- Large single-celled organisms called xenophyophores, about the size of a mango.
- Deep-sea dragonfish with bioluminescent abilities and transparent teeth.
- Frilled sharks with primitive features adapted for deep-sea life.
- Vampire squids, zombie worms (bone-eating worms that thrive on whale carcasses), and half-naked hatchetfish.
These organisms display remarkable adaptations such as bioluminescence, specialized feeding strategies, reinforced exoskeletons, and symbiotic bacterial relationships that allow life to thrive in the extreme environment of the Mariana Trench.