From aquatic species resemblant of mythological creatures to the deep-sea monsters of the
deep, today we look at the Strangest Fish On Earth.
Number 13.
Porcupinefish Also referred to as blowfish, balloonfish,
globefish or pufferfish, these fish are a slow-swimming and relatively small family
of fish that make their homes in tropical and shallow temperate waters around the world.
Porcupinefish are most notable for their ability to double in size via inflation and their
spines that protrude outward.
Some, but not all, species are poisonous, containing a neurotoxin that's 1,200 times
the potency of cyanide!
Number 12.
Dragonfish A long snout and large, winged, pectoral fins
make it fairly obvious what inspired the name of this tiny fish.
Native to the tropical region connecting the Indian and Pacific Oceans, dragonfish stay
relatively close to the sea floor, using pelvic fins to glide, and almost walk, across the
sandy bottom.
Like aardvarks, this creature's elongated mouth is used to reach into holes and crevices,
sucking out whatever worms or other invertebrates it can find for sustenance.
Though specific species are called dragonfish, this family of aquatic animals are also known
as seamoths, and their latin name "Pegasidae" was given in reference to the Greek myth of
the Pegasus, showing that they resemble more than just underwater dragons.
They've even been referred to as sea moths, a name that fits the creature's propensity
to molt their skin in the same way moth larvae molt before forming cocoons.
And just like a moth, the dragonfish's wing-like fins are just as varied as they are mesmerizing,
with each individual fish brandishing a unique pattern all their own.
Number 11.
Dendritic Jawfish This member of the jawfish family is small,
mean-looking, and perhaps surprisingly, a great parent!
The dendritic jawfish belongs to the overarching jawfish family and can be found in the Asian
Pacific with an ecosystem that stretches from North Borneo to the Philippines.
Typically seen living in solitude, this big-mouthed fish hides among rock-lined burrows among
sand and rubble reefs at a maximum of 131 feet below the surface.
They only grow to about 10 inches.
What makes the dendritic jawfish especially interesting isn't the size of its body, but
rather its mouth.
Like all jawfish, this species has a massive maw in proportion to its body.
While this allows for catching bigger prey, as well as an iconic frown, this creature
makes the most of its mouth by using it to incubate their own eggs!
Number 10.
Frogfish Specializing in seamlessly melding into their
surroundings, frogfish are masters of disguise thanks to their unique camouflage.
Short and plump, the amphibian comparison in their common name seems apt, but this creature
is unique on its own.
There are many different species of frogfish that can be found in tropical and subtropical
waters around the world, populating the Atlantic, Pacific, and Indian oceans.
Some sport a layer of algae, some can alter their coloration and texture, and some are
even covered in long, hair-like spinules to help them become one with the exotic flora
of the sea floor.
Here they lie in wait for their next meal as small members of the anglerfish family,
wriggling a concealed lure to entice their would-be prey.
Number 9.
Sawfish Though it may look like the kind of fish you
might see in a cartoon or comic book, sawfish are very real animals with an amazing appendage.
Growing up to 20 feet in length and over 13 hundred pounds, these great fish are equipped
with a saw-like rostrum that composes between a quarter and a third of its entire body length.
Adorning each side of the protrusion are a row of teeth and sawfish use this to slash
at prey, hoping to incapacitate them before moving in for the coup de grâce.
They also employ their sharp rostrum in self-defense, thrashing the saw back and forth as potential
predators attempt to make a meal of the sawfish.
In addition its rostrum, this sharp swimmer also employs electroreception, or the ability
to sense electric fields, allowing for better monitoring of other fish.
Number 8.
Lizardfish Slinking along the bottom of oceans around
the globe, this bottom-dweller has a mouth stuffed with sharp teeth and a flat angular
face, forming its reptilian look.
Lizardfish generally grow to a maximum of 2 feet in length and live up to 1,300 feet
below the surface, though most species stick to shallow coasts in their search for food.
With an insatiable hunger, they prowl the sandy floor for anything it can tear into,
hiding among natural cover thanks to its scaleless, camouflaged skin.
As the lizardfish moves in on its prey, keeping low to the sea bottom, its large mouth expands
to shred whatever it can find and fit in its jaw.
This fish is so vicious, it even has razor sharp teeth on its tongue!
There are 15 different species of lizardfish alive today, and many more prehistoric ancestors
discovered in recent years.
Number 7.
Asian Sheeps head Wrasse [rass] Known locally as a kobudai [KOH-boo-dye],
the Asian sheeps head wrasse [rass] can be recognized by its bulbous jaw and forehead.
It's gained popularity in recent years as it appeared in the popular nature show Blue
Planet in 2017, known most prominently for being a hermaphroditic species.
Fitted with both male and female reproductive organs, the strange looking fish has the ability
to change to fill whatever role is needed to reproduce.
Mostly found in the Pacific Ocean near the Korean Peninsula, Japan, and China, this wrasse
[rass] can reach over 3 feet in length and weigh up to 32 pounds and is valued as a delicacy
among locals.
But not everyone views them as food.
One story out of Japan tells of a diver who nursed the Asian sheepshead wrasse [rass],
named "Yoriko" to health after finding it injured, and has established a 25-year-long
relationship with the fish.
He cares for it to this day, summoning it with a bell from an underwater Shinto shrine
near Japan's Tateyama [tah-tay-yama] Bay.
Number 6.
Oarfish Like a living sea serpent, the oarfish is
characterized by its long, sleek, scaleless body and a pompadour-esque crest that tapers
back into a massive dorsal fin.
There are three species of oarfish with the largest being the giant oarfish, which can
reach lengths of 36 feet!
This makes them the longest bony fish known to man, and in consistency with such great
size, they can weigh as much as 600 pounds.
Oarfish inhabit the middle ocean layers, from 660 feet to 3,300 feet below surface level,
where there is little to no current.
As a result of no natural current, oarfish don't accumulate a lot of muscle and subsequently
can't survive the turbulence of surface waters.
Number 5.
Stargazer With a pair of soulless, beady eyes atop it's
head and a wide, mean grimace stretching across its upturned jaw, stargazers are a family
of fish eternally afflicted with a nasty resting fish face.
Their upward-facing eyes are perfectly attuned for its sea-floor ambushing tactics as these
aquatic nightmares will submerge themselves beneath the sand for concealment.
As prey passes overhead, the stargazer will shoot up and snatch it inside of its gaping
mouth.
They are comparably small to humans, but they don't pose any less threat.
With a pair of big, venomous spines on their back, combined with a camouflage strategy,
stepping on one of these fish can be an excruciating, dangerous experience.
If that wasn't enough, two species can even deliver electric shocks...in addition to venom!
This is one case of a fish being just as mean as it looks.
Number 4.
Lancetfish Found in every ocean, with the exception of
the waters surrounding the polar seas, the lancetfish is the remnant of another era.
Belonging to the genus Alepisaurus, which translates to "scaleless lizard" in Latin,
this six and a half-foot beast can look more like a prehistoric monster than a modern deep-sea
predator.
Nonetheless, they can be found living more than 65 hundred feet below the surface, and
are often scooped up alongside tuna by fishing vessels all over.
Lancetfish will eat nearly anything, including each other, which is probably why they've
mostly been observed living solitary lives.
At the same time, they often are found playing the part of prey within the stomachs of sharks,
albacore, and fur seals among other creatures.
Number 3.
Goblin Shark With a lineage stretching back more than 125
million years, this grisly hunter is often thought of as a "living fossil".
The Goblin Shark's prominent snout and protruding, separated jaws filled with scattered needle-like
teeth have inspired its name.
Reaching lengths of 10 to 13 feet, these beasts have a soft, chubby body with fairly small
fins, suggesting a slow and lethargic lifestyle.
Goblin sharks make their home among continental slopes and submarine canyons around the world,
at depths of more than 330 feet, prowling for crustaceans, cephalopods, and fish to
feed on.
As it approaches its prey, the goblin shark will use a unique natural mechanism in which
its upper and lower jaw will shoot forward to snatch quick moving prey as they attempt
to escape!
Number 2.
Hagfish Though they may look like eels, these slime-coated
creatures are actually a jawless, spineless fish that's roamed the seas, fairly unchanged,
for 300 million years!
Despite not having a jaw or spine, the hagfish still maintains a cartilaginous skull, which
houses its horizontal-moving mouth.
On average, the hagfish grows around 19 to 20 inches long, though the largest specimen
on record was over 4 feet!
They feed on larger fish by using their spiky, comb-like teeth to burrow into the creature,
eating it from the inside-out.
If that's not gruesome enough, should a hagfish feel threatened, it reserves the defense mechanism
of secreting up to 5 gallons of gooey, protein-packed mucus from around 100 glands on its body.
Though it assists in escaping predators, this slime has recently been under investigation
as a potential resource in the development of body armor!
Number 1.
Blobfish Viewed by most as one of the ugliest animals
in the world, the blobfish looks like something out of a nightmare...or out of a used piece
of tissue.
But this unseemly swimmer can't help how it looks or the gross, fleshy feel of its body.
Afterall, these attributes help it survive!
The blobfish's saggy, drooping, pale look comes from the intense conditions it experiences
between 2 and 4 thousand feet below sea level.
Its gelatinous, boneless physique allows the blobfish to survive 120 times the pressure
of the surface, a level of force that would crush a human.
In this environment, though, the monstrous blobfish just looks like an everyday fish!