Top bizarre ‘alien’ animals residing in Antarctica

These animals adapt to harsh environments and bring many surprises to scientists when they find them in Antarctica.

1. Blackfin rockfish (Chaenocephalus aceratus): This fish has white blood because it lacks a functional hemoglobin gene, not creating red blood cells that carry oxygen in the blood.

This animal has a very large heart and very low bone mineral density. To survive temperatures below the freezing point of sea water, they have developed the ability to produce proteins that act as a kind of “antifreeze”.

2. Antarctic sea spiders: Antarctic sea spiders are significantly larger than sea spiders elsewhere, measuring up to nearly 25 cm.

This strange-looking animal has the ability to change color according to the oxygen concentration, pressure and temperature of its living area.

3. Red sea cucumber Enypniastes eximia: Discovered in Antarctica, this sea cucumber is red and has the ability to glow in the dark.

They have stubby bodies that resemble the wings of chickens and move by crawling along the seabed or floating in the water to feed.

4. Woolly worm (Polychaeta): This species of worm was discovered while exploring waters up to 1,000 m deep under the ice in Antarctica.

This animal found in Antarctica has many hairs running down its sides and is one of the most diverse groups of invertebrates on the seabed.