Monsters of the Deep

A spectacular collection of weird yet real creatures from the darkest depths of the oceans.

In this book, readers get a look into the watery deep and find 14 of nature's strangest creatures. Intricately drawn artworks and 200 stunning photographs highlight the extraordinary features of each animal's anatomy and survival tactics, such as bioluminescence to ward off predators and jet propulsion (in one case, jet vomit) to escape quickly.

The monsters include deep-sea fish, squid, jellyfish, and microscopic life, such as:

• Black dragonfish, the inspiration for the parasitic Alien monsters
• Deep-sea hatchet fish, google-eyed and bioluminescent
• Deep-sea mussels that use bacterial "fuel cells" to harness energy from hydrothermal vents
• Deep-sea shrimp that spew bioluminescent vomit to escape predators
• Eyelight fish turn their "flashlight" eyes off and on while hunting
• Japanese firefly squid, bioluminescent, whose blue flashes attract small fish on which it feeds
• Lanternshark, totally bioluminescent in the deep sea
• Pelican eel, with a comically oversized mouth and a tail so long that it gets tied in knots.

Monsters of the Deep is an exciting, informative collection that will interest readers of all ages.

A background in science, education and journalism has been the perfect foundation for author Camilla de la Bedoyere. She studied zoology and geology at Bristol University, and has subsequently written or edited more than 200 books for children and adults, many of which aim to explain and explore the natural world and our relationship with it.