Kunja, nsomba zimafanana kwambiri ndi mbola. Amadziwikanso ndi mutu wozungulira (kapena wopindika patatu) ndi mchira wawung'ono, wokhala ndi thupi osafunikira. Oyimira akuluakulu kwambiri a milewa ndi theka la mita, koma ambiri ndi ochepa. Pa kusinthika, zipsepse zidalephera kuti nsomba zisamayende, motero zimayenera kukwawa m'mphepete mwa nyanjayo. Ngakhale amakwawa mosakakamira kwambiri, monga lamulo amawononga nthawi yawo yopuma atangogona pansi, kumangodikirira nyama zawo kapena kuyipaka ndi babu yapadera yomwe ikukula molunjika kuchokera kumutu. Asayansi akudziwa kuti babu si mtundu wa zojambula ndipo samakopa nyama ndi kuwala kwake. Mosiyana ndi izi, njirayi imakhala ndi ntchito ina - imafalitsa fungo linalake kuzungulira wolunga, yomwe imakopa nsomba zazing'ono, crustaceans ndi mphutsi.
Nyama zam'nyanja zimapezeka paliponse m'madzi ofunda a nyanja, osasambira m'madzi ozizira a Arctic. Monga lamulo, onsewa amamatira ku kuya kwa 200-1000 metres, koma pali mitundu ya bat yomwe imakonda kukhala pafupi kwambiri ndi kumtunda, osati kutali ndi gombe. Munthu amadziwa bwino gulu la bat, lomwe limakonda madzi apamwamba. Nsomba sizokhudza chidwi chapadera, koma chipolopolo chake chakhala chokopa kwambiri anthu, makamaka kwa ana. Nsomba zouma padzuwa zikusiyira kumbuyo kwa carapace yolimba yofanana ndi kamba. Ngati muwonjezera miyala mkati mwake, mumapeza khola labwino, lomwe kuyambira nthawi zakale limadziwika ndi anthu okhala kum'mawa kwa dziko lapansi, omwe amakhala munyanja.
Monga momwe munthu angayembekezere, nyambo yake imakhala chodzitchinjiriza ngati zovala zotchinjiriza kuchokera kwa anthu akuzama akuzama. Ndi mano okhawo ogwiritsira ntchito mphamvu zolusa omwe amatha kuthyola carapace kufikira nyama yambewu. Komanso, kupeza mfuti mumdima sikophweka. Kuphatikiza kuti nsombayo ndi yopyapyala, ndikuphatikizika ndi malo ozungulira, momwemonso mtundu wa chipolopolo chake umabwereza mtundu wa seabed.
