DEEP SEA CREATURES PART 2

Spooky Sea Slug

Bottom-dwelling sea slugs come in all the colors of the rainbow, including blood red and a shade of neon blue that almost makes the above mollusk appear to be ablaze. Most sea slugs are carnivorous and some have sharp jaws and file-like rows of teeth. Called radula, these teeth are used to scrape away a prey's flesh. Although most sea slugs are less than 2 inches in length, some species can grow to be more than 12 inches (30.48 cm) long.

Neon Eel

This close-up view of the Gymnothorax undulates species of moray eel shows its distinctive pattern of light, lime-green speckles on a dark olive background. Its sinister smile brings to mind the malicious twin moray eels from Disney's "The Little Mermaid."

Creepy Crawly: Giant Isopod

This deep-sea marine creature isn't for those with a phobia of bugs: the giant isopod is a crustacean that lives at the bottom of the ocean and is related to shrimp, crabs, and… the roly-poly pill-bugs that dwell in your garden. But unlike their insect cousins, giant isopods can grow to be more than 16 inches (40.6 cm) long.

Halloween-Hued Shrimp

A parasite of sea cucumbers, this species of shrimp, called Periclimenes imperator, is characterized by its rich orange and purple coloring. These shrimp can also parasitically live on a number of other hosts, including sea slugs.

Deadly Sea Cucumber

Sea cucumbers can be found calmly crawling on the seafloor, but their goofy appearance and benign demeanor hide a dark secret. When startled or attacked by a predator, some species of sea cucumbers release a toxic chemical known as holothurin that has the ability to kill — or at least stun — any animal in its vicinity.