There was TV show some years back, about exploring the deep part of the oceans and some of the lifeforms were in the "what on earth" category, and rather too deep for human exploration.

Goliath grouper swallows a Blacktip shark whole.

Try and ignore the bloody idiots whooping in the video and look at the sheer size of the fish.

Epinephelus itajarais one of the largest of the groupers at up to around 3 metres and possibly over 400kgs.

Amongst all the world's reef bony fish only the Giant Queensland grouper - Epinephelus lanceolatus - is a more massive animal (3.5 metres and about 600kg at maximum size).

http://io9.com/hero-grouper-saves-re...rod-1624605240

http://www.nydailynews.com/news/nati...icle-1.1911688

Another link and a very nice National Geographic article on the great beast.

http://newswatch.nationalgeographic....-typical-meal/

http://ngm.nationalgeographic.com/20...r/holland-text

A gigantic stomatopod (Mantis shrimp) has been captured.

Not only do they have the most complex eyesight in the animal kingdom (16 colour system compared to our three and able to seen ultraviolet, infrared and polarised light) but the most powerful punch as well.

A small one can hit with the force of a .22 bullet - what the hell damage could this one do?

The mind boggles.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/arti...nt-shrimp.html

http://www.accuweather.com/en/weathe...video/33498799

http://www.techtimes.com/articles/14...hs-florida.htm

http://www.livescience.com/47718-gia...f-florida.html

And a great little link on why Mantis shrimp are total badass!

http://theoatmeal.com/comics/mantis_shrimp

Oh wow! Remind me never to go swimming in those waters! Lol, that is one big fish! In the second link you can see how big the fish is next to the diver, amazing. Great links, KS.

Oh my god, that looks like something out of the Aliens movies. lol

In just over a week a huge and intact Mesonychoteuthis hamiltoni (the Colossal squid) will be dissected and you can view it live!

The remarkable animal - the largest invertebrate in the world (even bigger than Architeuthis dux - the Giant squid) - will be examined by scientists to reveal it's mysterious secrets.

This is a real life 'sea monster' if ever there was one.

The blog will make fascinating reading over the coming days and the video should be very interesting to watch indeed - especially for cephalopod fans.

http://blog.tepapa.govt.nz/2014/09/0...al-squid-live/

https://www.tonmo.com/community/thre...olossal.17162/

Real life 'Sea Monsters'

Look at my sturgeon: http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-KaTUnP69PP...ina+russia.jpg

They do have a primitive look about them and they are a possible explanation for sightings of Nessie.

That to me looks like a cross between a sea lion and a whale!

I have left Sturgeon out of this discussion because they spend a lot of their time in freshwater but some of them are real monsters - sadly the biggest of them have all been massively overexploited (although the White sturgeon is now doing quite well thanks to conservation) so the really huge specimens are now a thing of the past.

A mature 6 metre long, 1179kg Beluga (Huso huso) for example - and they used to grow much bigger than this.

http://www.fishing-worldrecords.com/...uso%20huso.jpg

From 1991 one of the last mature ones I could find at 'only' 792kg and 5.24 metres in length.

http://www.fishing-worldrecords.com/...uso%20huso.jpg

Well at least they're better looking than Evil Fish http://img4.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb2.../Ugly_Fish.jpg, Depression Fish http://fishforpets.com/wp-content/up...13/07/Blob.jpg and Alien Fish http://keeppy.com/attachment.php?id=12449.

The second one reminds me of this: https://www.google.co.uk/url?sa=i&so...10289993229855

Why are they all wearing helmets?

They look like an extended version of the Village People.

They are construction workers IIRC.

Forget about their ugly mugs and look at the sheer beauty of the fish.

Well if we're dealing with salines then we must surely feature...conger eel!

This English-caught one weighed 45kg and was 3m long: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/arti...-possible.html

They have been known to attack humans - double

This is a good page for big congers - one of the most magnificent animals of our coasts and also the largest and heaviest eel in the world.

Ones caught by commercial fishermen can be over twice the weight of the rod caught records.

http://www.britishcongerclub.org.uk/conger.htm

Some large rod caught congers - with a two page gallery of photos.

http://www.britishcongerclub.org.uk/100lbpluseels.htm

Really interesting links Keyser, great thread.

Still cant get over the Bobbit and the Coconut Crabs.

Incidentally, one of my brothers aged 7-8 in a wooden row boat off the Dorset coast caught a conger, not a big one, 25 pounds or so not with a rod and reel but with one of those orange fishing lines wrapped round a wooden cable reel you use to be able to buy.

Him and his mate got it to shore and they sold it to a fish monger for 10 bob, cheap skate, pun intended.

It's a shame but my favourite sea monster died out 65 million years ago. Whilst not as "computer graphics" sort of scary as some of the other in this thread the Coelacanth just seemed to encapsulate some sort of primeval menace.

Ring ring, ring ring, excuse me .... Whaddya talking about? Stop talkin' sh*te. Whaddya mean someone's just caught one ? Stop talking bollocks. Really ? Someone's just caught one ? I'm comin' over right now .....

https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=co...=2480&bih=1515

I just love the "story" ( ahem, with a little dramatisation from me )

The Colossal squid (Mesonychoteuthis hamiltoni) was dissected yesterday and I missed it as I thought it was tonight, never mind.

There is the full remarkable necropsy on several of the linked articles (over three hours long but well worth a skip through) - she's not quite as large as the previous specimen - but still a bloody substantial cephalopod to say the least!

http://www.vox.com/2014/9/16/6219063...uid-on-live-tv

http://blog.tepapa.govt.nz/2014/09/1...l-squid-today/

http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/s...0-pound-squid/

http://www.upi.com/Science_News/2014...4911410885119/

Another few nice links to the the Tonmo discussion on the Colossal squid dissection.

It should be noted that the tentacles shrink dramatically once frozen (the body less so but still significantly) from about 8-10 to 4 metres in a previous specimen - so the full length of an adult can still only be estimated.

http://www.businessinsider.com/disse...en-2014-9?op=1

http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/2014...n_5835520.html

https://www.tonmo.com/community/thre...olossal.17162/

I really love this photo of the beast when first it was first captured and also the ones of the incredibly formidable beak - pure badass!

https://www.tonmo.com/community/atta...014-jpg.58958/

https://www.tonmo.com/community/atta...-51-png.58955/

https://www.tonmo.com/community/atta...-39-png.58954/

An artist plans to create a very ambitious poster containing every squid that lives below 200 metres.

Their preliminary paintings are exceptional including three (so far) of the giant species that exist within the stygian depths.

The final poster will be superb (if they ever complete it).

The Colossal Squid (Mesonychoteuthis hamiltoni) - the heaviest invertebrate on earth.

http://www.tonmo.com/community/attac...eij-jpg.59137/

The Giant squid (Architeuthis dux) - probably the longest of all the squids.

http://www.tonmo.com/community/attac...eij-jpg.59080/

The Bigfin Squid (Magnapinna pacifica) - surely one of the weirdest large animals in the world.

http://www.tonmo.com/community/attac...eij-jpg.59114/

I'm loving this thread (except for the distressing images of idiots fishing for sharks). My favourite "monster"? The Coconut Crab without a doubt! If only it were feasible (and ethical) to keep one as a pet...

Yes they are really wonderful animal.

I just love the photo of them taking over the dog's yard.

http://i.imgur.com/0zQ9STj.jpg

Giant Sea Creature 'Lurking off New Zealand'

I'm thinking that if you lived where they're indigenous you could feed them in your back garden, the way we might feed birds. Would they become tame and feed from your hand, do you think?