This is what's written in Arthur Spiderwick's Field Guide to the Fantastical World Around You about Sea Serpents.
Sea Serpents (Family: Serpentimaridae)[]
Atlantic Sea Serpent
These scourges of the high seas are powerful and massive constrictors with flat heads. Their bodies coil around whales and ships, crushing their ribs. Unlike land snakes, however, sea serpents have many rows of long, sharp teeth. In the deep sea, they have been reported as growing to the length of a suspension bridge and are capable of creating maelstroms with the lashing of their tails and freak waves (sometimes called rogue waves or, ironically, monster waves) by surfacing close to a boat.
In shallower water, sea serpents may curl up and wait for prey. After coiling around an animal's legs, they will drag their victims out to sea. In deeper water, sea serpents usually swim in an undulating manner, like an eel, but certain species swim with their bodies vertical to the surface, disguising themselves as much smaller fish. This method allows them to dart up easily and swallow prey whole.
Crushed pieces of boats washed ashore are possible signs of a sea serpents. Look also for hooked teeth too large for a shark, or a long shed skin in the shape of a tube.
Known species[]
- North Atlantic Sea Serpent (Serpens marinus)
- Southern Sea Serpent (Scientific name Unknown)
Additional facts[]
Sea Serpent sightings have occurred in even pace throughout history.
Sea Serpents have, just like their land-living relatives, elastic lower jaws. This allows them to swallow extremely large prey; a full-grown Sea Serpent is capable of swallowing a rowboat whole.
The belly and throat are almost completely translucent, while the dorsal side is very dark-colored.
They resemble the oarfish greatly; but oarfish are smaller, and gentle to humans. This leads to the theory Sea Serpents are probably the carnivorous, larger cousins of the oarfish. Or a cross between oarfish and snake.
Known Serpents[]
One male individual was sighted outside the northwest Atlantic coast of Maine. For years, the local fishermen said they'd seen it. The Serpent once killed a deep-sea diver. The larger, two-headed species was sighted on an Antarctic expedition, and was supposively at least 200 feet long. It was said to resemble a Gulper eel.
Behind the scenes[]
The legend of the Sea Serpent is by some scientists believed to be inspired by the Giant Oarfish. Regalecus glesne, also called "King of Herrings", is a large, elongated fish with a brightly colored dorsal fin on its forehead.
A dead specimen of Giant Oarfish, displayed at the Naturhistoriches Museum, Wien, Austria.
its forehead. They can grow to emense sizes, but are generally harmless to human beings, only eating microscopic planctons. Illustrator Tony DiTerlizzi was apparently inspired by the real-life animals when creating the pictures for Arthur Spiderwick's Field Guide, as the Spiderwick Sea Serpents are almost identical to dark-colored, oversized oarfishes.
Appearances[]
- Lucinda's Secret (First mentioned)
- Arthur Spiderwick's Field Guide (First appearance)