It may have massive jaws, but the gulper eel’s ultra-black skin ensures it remains well hidden in the depths of the ocean
, a new Guardian Seascape series will profile some of the most recently discovered weird, wonderful, majestic, ridiculous, hardcore and mind-blowing creatures. They reveal how much there is still to learn about the least known environment on Earth – and how much there is to protect. As well as their massive mouths, gulper eels also have incredibly stretchy skin that can accommodate an enormous gulp of food.
Inflated with water, it looked like a black balloon with two beady eyes. Then it folded its skin away and swam off with sinuous waves of its snaky body. It remains a mystery what that particular fish was up to. Perhaps it was trying to look big and scare off the noisy, bright submersible that was filming it, or perhaps it was just stretching its muscles. “I don’t think anyone really knows,” says Tea.
Ultra-black skin helps gulper eels avoid being illuminated by their bioluminescent prey, such as lanternfish, which have glowing lights along their bellies. “It doesn’t want to be seen, it wants to be well hidden,” says Tea. “The outer blackness of its skin helps it to blend in well in its surroundings.”