Zombie worms, coffinfish and flesh-eating crustaceans are among the mysterious deep sea creatures scientists plucked from the depths of the mysterious abyss off Australia's east coast.

Among the haul of fish, starfish, shark and sea spiders recovered from the uncharted waters are species that are new to science and some which have been recorded in Australian waters for the first time.

"There are a handful of fish that are yet to be named and that's a big deal for fish, a group that generally speaking we know a lot about," said Museums Victoria's Tim O'Hara, the chief scientist on the "Sampling the Abyss" mission, which docked in Brisbane on Friday.

More than a third of the spineless marine creatures found during the 31-day voyage, including sea stars, small crustaceans, brittle stars, are also new to science.

A team of taxonomic experts worked around the clock to sort the known from the unknown species, some which had been retrieved from four kilometres below the surface.

Among the deep sea creatures scientists found were animals with fearsome names.

There was the zombie worms found feasting on the marrow of old whale bones in waters off Byron Bay, the red coffinfish found off the NSW and Queensland coast, the faceless fish rediscovered in Australian waters for the first time in 140 years and the shortarse feelerfish.

"We can thank the New Zealanders for the name of that one," Dr O'Hara said, adding that it is an apt description.

"The anus is up near the mouth of the fish ... and no one has any idea why."

Found living 2.5 kilometres below the surface of NSW waters, researchers also discovered a cousin of "Mr Blobby", the blobfish found in the Tasman Sea that gained worldwide attention when it was voted the World's Ugliest Fish in 2013.

Herds of sea pigs, considered the ocean's vacuum cleaners, were also captured thriving in the deep sea. Some live on the ocean floor, others in the water column.

"They have a rounded body and a curly thing at the end so I can see where the name comes from – they are fantastic things," Dr O'Hara said.

The pink sea pigs don't have eyes – and exactly why they produce their own blue-green light using bioluminescence is a bit of a mystery for researchers.

One theory is that it could be their way of signalling to predators they are not very tasty.

The international team of 58 scientists, technicians and crew lived aboard CSIRO's $126 million research vessel Investigator, which left Launceston for Fraser Island on May 15.

Dr O'Hara said it was the first time the abyss off Australia's east coast had been surveyed and its inhabitants documented.

The knowledge gained will make a sizeable contribution to international understanding of the planet's deep waters – which cover two thirds of the oceans and yet is relatively unknown.

"It's the number one habitat on the planet and yet we know so little about it," Dr O'Hara said.

The seascape, with it's canyons, ridges and cliffs was also mapped for the first time using sonar. One extinct volcano off the southern Queensland coast, looked to be as large as the city of Canberra, Dr O'Hara said.

"It's amazing terrain, it has all the features we see on land and it continues all the way up the coast," he said.