The final farewells of some of history's most iconic royals
Orangutan crabs are small in size, only 0.7 inches (2 cm), and have a unique rusty-red coat of fine hairs all over their bodies—not too dissimilar from the branch-dwelling orangutans found deep in the jungles of Borneo.
Sponge crabs are unlike other crabs: instead of protecting themselves with hard shells, camouflage, or pincers, they prefer to wear sponges on their bodies.
The inspiration for 'SpongeBob SquarePants,' perhaps?
The blobfish is arguably the ugliest fish on earth. It is a deep sea fish typically found around Australian and New Zealand coasts.
Due to decompression damage when brought up from the extreme depth of their habitat, they have a bulbous and gelatinous appearance.
There are 31 types of pearlfish. Their slim bodies allow them to live inside the body cavities of invertebrates. Curiously, some species live exclusively in the anuses of sea cucumbers. Delightful!
The body of a tripod fish can reach 17 inches (43 cm). What's more, it has long, bony rays below its pectoral fins and tail fin that stretches 3 feet (1 m) in length. And, yes, it stands on its three fins on the ocean floor like a tripod!
See also: The world's best snorkeling destinations
The peanut worm can grow up to 28 inches (72 cm) in length in some cases, and is most commonly found in shallow waters.
Also known as the cookiecutter or cigar shark, it belongs to the dogfish shark family. The shark is known for its feeding habit of biting out round chunks (cookiecutter shape) of fish flesh.
The megamouth shark is a rare and unique species of shark. One was found in Australia—the third ever in history.
Unique to Australia, this fish's "foremost fins are exactly like hands," as described by French mariner Nicolas Baudin in 1802.
This interesting creature is also known as the Spanish dancer sea cucumber or the headless chicken monster. It has webbed swimming structures that propel it from the ocean floor into water columns, only returning to the ocean floor to feed. With a transparent body, its intestines are visible. They can also be bioluminescent.
Commonly known as sea spiders, these creatures are creepier than your average terrestrial arthropods. Just check out their small bodies and extremely long legs.
Australia is known to have some of the most spectacular wildlife in the world, particularly when it comes to creatures of the deep. There's a reason it's one of the most popular destinations for diving enthusiasts! The Great Barrier Reef alone is home to more than 1,500 species of fish and Australia as a whole has more than 4,000. Many of them aren't found anywhere else in the world, and some of them look like they're not from planet Earth...
Click on to see some of Australia's weirdest, creepiest, and most colorful sea creatures in this gallery.
Surreal sea creatures: the weird wonders of the ocean down under
You wouldn't expect to find these creatures in the dark!
LIFESTYLE Ocean
Australia is known to have some of the most spectacular wildlife in the world, particularly when it comes to creatures of the deep. There's a reason it's one of the most popular destinations for diving enthusiasts! The Great Barrier Reef alone is home to more than 1,500 species of fish and Australia as a whole has more than 4,000. Many of them aren't found anywhere else in the world, and some of them look like they're not from planet Earth...
Click on to see some of Australia's weirdest, creepiest, and most colorful sea creatures in this gallery.