Scotoplanes: The Sea Pigs of the Deep Ocean

deep-sea creatures · weird ocean animals · sea cucumbers

Nicknamed sea pigs. Scotoplanes got their funny name because they look a bit like tiny pigs as they walk across the ocean floor on leg-like tube feet. They move slowly and deliberately, snuffling through the mud like pigs rooting in dirt.

Live in the abyss. These sea cucumbers live thousands of feet down in the deepest, darkest parts of the ocean where sunlight never reaches. The pressure is crushing and the water is freezing cold, but Scotoplanes are perfectly adapted to survive there.

Eat ocean leftovers. Scotoplanes spend their days eating bits of dead plants and animals that sink down from the ocean above, along with mud and muck. They're like the ocean's garbage collectors, cleaning up waste on the seafloor.

Belong to Elpidiidae family. Scotoplanes are part of a special family of sea cucumbers called Elpidiidae that are specially designed for life in the deep sea. Many of these deep-sea sea cucumbers have weird shapes and glowing parts.