Published By: Rinks

9 Ancient Marine Creatures That Live With Us till Date

Imagine scuba diving, and you see a fossil that dates back to the Jurassic era! Well, guess what? Not every dinosaur is extinct, and some might be swimming right across your face! Here is a list of ancient marine creatures that have shared the earth with us longer than we know.

  1. Frilled shark-
The 150 million years old frilled sharks are deep-water eel-like fishes that reach lengths up to 2 m. Their appearance has not undergone any alteration through the ages. Found in depths of 50-200m, you might confront one if you go deep-sea diving in western pacific, Atlantic and the Indian Ocean.
  1. Tadpole shrimp-
Seeing one can make you feel like you found an age-old relic. The tiny shrimp has been on earth for over 200 million years and still looks the same. Found in pools and ponds in the US, Alberta and Saskatchewan, the tadpole shrimp hatches eggs when the surrounding is favorable.
  1. Sturgeon-
A far off relative of paddlefish, sturgeon fossils are 200 million years old. Found in rivers of the Mediterranean region, the fish has an exceptional life span that extends to 100 years. However, overfishing has resulted in the species nearing extermination.
  1. Lamprey-
Sadly this 360 million old creature looks like our worst nightmare. These blood-sucking parasites can haunt you even when you go for a dip in the river banks and lakes. The layers of teeth like structure feeds river trout till it reaches adolescence.
  1. Coelacanth-
This primitive 360 million-year-old fish was thought to be extinct and was rediscovered in 1938 from the South Africa coast. The specialty lies in its fins that bridge a link between a fish and an amphibian.
  1. Horseshoe Crab-
Horseshoe crab could give complex to dinosaurs as they date way back to 445 million years. These ancient creatures look like crab but biologically could be close to a 10 legged scorpion. This creature walks along the seafloor and follows the lunar cycle for mating.
  1. Nautilus-
The closest relative of octopus and squid, the 500 million old species are beautiful and have a well-comparted apartment to live in.  Like the submarine, the shell fills in with water allowing it to stay on sea beds. It’s a shame they are being fished and going extinct.
  1. Jellyfish-
Jellyfish dates back to the prehistoric era, and no known creature dares to feed on them. Often a threat to other marine organisms and humans, the population keeps increasing and will probably rule the warmer coasts in the future.
  1. Sponge-
Every known animal owes its ancestry to the sponge! The immobile creature survives without a nervous, circulatory, or digestive system and yet continues to thrive on ocean beds with nutrients flowing through their body.