Published on: 2026-08-19
Deep Ocean and Marine Biology
Which deep-sea dweller is known for its ability to turn its own stomach inside out to digest food outside of its body?
Correct
Deep-sea sea stars are the masters of the external digestive hack. They push their stomachs out through their mouths to envelop prey, dissolving it right on the ocean floor before slurping it back up. The giant isopod is more of a scavaging vacuum cleaner that keeps its dinner firmly tucked inside. The vampire squid is a refined detritus eater that uses sticky filaments to capture marine snow, not its own internal organs. As for the anglerfish, it is far too busy luring prey into its giant maw to bother turning its stomach inside out; it prefers to gulp down anything that gets too close to its glow-in-the-dark fishing rod.