Photos of truly frightening monsters that were caught by fishermen. Even the mere realization that such terrible creatures can live under the surface of the water can instill real fear. Next you can see 15 photographs of strange sea creatures, as well as the most terrible sea inhabitants.
The most terrible sea creatures caught by fishermen photo
This creature was caught by fisherman Roman Fedortsov, who works on a fishing trawler in the North-West region of Russia. According to some assumptions, this is a representative of chimera-like cartilaginous fish. It looks like a truly unearthly and frightening creature.
This creature with one eye was caught by a fisherman from Mexico, Enrique Lucero Leon. Here is a shark that, as a result of a mutation, received only one eye. Moreover, the shark is not only a cyclops, but also an albino.
This giant eye was discovered in 2012 on Pompano Beach in Florida. Researchers were never able to figure out who it could belong to. It was initially assumed that the eye belonged to a giant squid, but as a result of research, this version was discarded, and the eye remained a mystery to science.
The two-headed cetacean was caught by Dutch fishermen. Scientists were never able to find out the type of sea animal, since fishermen, after taking a photo, sent it back to the sea, fearing that its possession might be considered illegal.
In front of you is a fish whose eyes glow. This type fish is called the "European Chimera". One of the representatives of this species was caught by Scott Tanner and his team from Nova Scotia (Canada). The fishermen saw a pair of glowing eyes in the water and decided to catch the strange creature. The fishermen, some of whom had spent most of their lives at sea, had never seen anything like it. In fact, all European chimeras have glowing eyes, which allows them to fish at great depths, where there is very little light, but due to the fact that they live at the very bottom of the ocean, they are extremely rarely caught by sailors.
Giant Antarctic squid. Was caught off the coast of New Zealand. Considered to be the largest squid ever caught. The weight of the sea creature was 450 kilograms.
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The creepy fish that live at the bottom of the ocean can easily outshine the scariest movie monsters in their frightening appearance. This fish was caught in the ocean near Australia.
This photo does not belong to underwater monsters, but it is no less scary, so it’s worth telling about it. A creepy discovery was made in 2016. Two fishermen in the Philippines were out to sea when they saw a strange yacht adrift. When they boarded the yacht, they discovered the body of a man who had been literally mummified by the salty air of the ocean, dry winds and high temperatures. It later turned out that the fisherman was a German yachtsman, Manfred Fritz Bajorath.
A fish with two mouths was caught in Australia.
The pelagic largemouth shark is a species of shark that is extremely rare for humans due to the fact that it lives at great depths.
The giant fish "Herring King" was washed ashore, after which more than 10 people took photos with it, holding the snake-like creature in their hands, showing off its extraordinary length. This fish was nicknamed the herring king by Norwegian fishermen, who often noticed a giant creature in schools of herring.
A creepy frilled shark was caught off the coast of Australia. It looks very creepy.
Giant Moonfish or Sunfish. The largest specimen was caught in 1910. The weight of this fish is 1580 kg.
Branched brittle star or snaketail. Marine animals that live at the bottom of the seas. A branched brittle star was caught in Singapore and scared the fisherman to death. Indeed, this animal is extremely unusual and very creepy. More like a cross between starfish, corals and worms, all woven into one lump. Once in the boat with the sailor, the creature wriggled with all its limbs.
The real monster was caught near Fukushima, Japan. This is a catfish fish, which for unknown reasons has reached gigantic proportions. Regular representatives of this species reach a maximum of one meter in length and weigh up to 15 kg. The caught specimen was twice as large.
The most terrible fish in the world, what is it? If you carefully understand the issue, you should first clarify what is meant. Indeed, in this context, the word “terrible” has several meanings. Let's look at all the worst ones.
Most dangerous
The most terrible fish in the world in this case is, naturally, a shark. This ancient predator is distinguished by its cunning and bloodthirstiness. Its size allows it to perceive all others as prey.
Man is no exception. Therefore, the shark is the most dangerous fish. Its huge mouth is equipped with not one, but several rows of fangs. Nature designed her digestive system in such a way that her truly gigantic appetite was satisfied. A shark's teeth change six times during its life, and there are several additional rows. For example, the giant one grows them up to seven thousand! The most terrible shark fish are white ones. Their bloodthirstiness and ferocity are legendary. It can reach more than ten meters in length. A person, falling into its mouth, ends up being bitten in half.
The most disgusting
There is a monster that has neither scales nor fins in the generally accepted sense. This is probably the most terrible fish in the world in terms of appearance. It's called a drop, and it looks like it. Imagine a jelly-like something topped with an almost human nose!
It looks at you with sad eyes through the water. Since the body density of this monster is less than water, it also sways under the influence of currents and waves. The drop fish lives quite deep. Therefore, she is deprived of some organs. Instead of an air bubble, she has a gelatinous body. Her character is peaceful, even virtuous. The most terrible blob fish, despite such a dubious name, are very caring. This is the only representative of the genus that “hatches” offspring. Literally sits on the eggs until the fry appear! Then the drop fish does not abandon them either, but protects them from natural predators.
Dangerous freshwater
But on the Amazon they will definitely tell you that the most terrible fish in the world is pacu! She's not as big as a shark. Just up to twenty-five kilograms. This does not stop the pack from scaring coastal residents and tourists.
The river dweller brings nothing pleasant. Her teeth are similar to human ones, she shows them off with pleasure. Yes, and he applies it without hesitation. Pacu is gluttonous and loves to eat the meat of mammals. It also turned out that this fish is not averse to traveling. If previously it was found only in the Amazon basin, now fishermen of Asian rivers cannot feel safe either. There is also information about two peasants who died from terrible wounds in New Guinea. The investigation of this case led to the conclusion that the poor fellows were bitten by flocks of pacu that settled in these parts.
Huge horror
This is how the saw-tailed stingray is rightfully characterized. This is a giant ocean fish. Its size is simply stunning - seven meters. It has a nose up to three meters long. With this weapon, the fish grinds everything that poses a danger to it. The bites of other dangerous creatures will seem like child's play compared to what this stingray does to the victim. Fortunately, the fish are not so bloodthirsty. She does not attack for the purpose of profit. She just jealously guards her territory. This giant moves unnoticed.
It is almost impossible to know that danger is approaching a person before the stingray attacks. He crushes people instantly. It is impossible to defend yourself. But now there is almost no one to fear. The sawfish ray is an endangered species.
Almost saber-toothed
This title was given to characin vampires. They are found in the Amazon. The danger of this predator is that it has long fangs. Sometimes in adult individuals their length reaches sixteen centimeters. In addition, people endow characins with superintuition. They say that she senses where the victim's unprotected areas are. There is evidence that such a fish killed a person with a direct blow to the heart. Having sunk her teeth into the victim, she intuitively finds the most vulnerable spot. She was awarded the title of Count Dracula among fish. The fish is quite large in size. The largest specimens caught were one and a half meters long. Weight - twenty-five kilograms.
The most timid of monsters
Hollywood-promoted piranhas cannot be ignored when reviewing the topic “The Scariest Fish” (see photo below). There are many legends about their gluttony, ferocity, agility and danger. It must be said that some of them are true. Piranhas are truly pathologically aggressive. They are always hungry and attack at the first sign of blood (they feel it).
A person should not get involved in a fight with these school predators. What is dangerous is not so much their greed fresh meat How strong are the jaws? Once a piranha sinks its teeth into the victim’s body, it is impossible to tear it off. But this thunderstorm of swimmers and fishermen is ridiculously timid. Schools of piranhas run away faster than the wind from a simple blow to the water.
The most poisonous
Australia is home to another representative of the marine kingdom, dangerous to humans. This is a scorpionfish. It camouflages perfectly, being painted in the color of the surrounding underwater world. Prefers to swim close to the shore. It turns out that scorpionfish can harm swimmers. It is very difficult to notice her. She does not use her teeth to attack. The scorpionfish has another weapon - a fin. There are sharp spines on it, connected to subcutaneous sacs filled with strong poison.
Poisoning is extremely dangerous. If you do not take the antidote in time, death cannot be avoided. By the way, local residents have learned to cope with this water scorpion. They catch scorpionfish and feast on their meat, having first rid the fish of poison. There are reports in the media that these monsters were seen on the Black Sea coast.
Ugly
Scary fish on the ocean floor can scare anyone. Fortunately, so far only divers, known to have strong nerves, can see them at arm's length. Anglerfish live in places where the sun's rays cannot penetrate. They are called the ugliest of sea creatures. As if ashamed of their appearance, they lead a bottom existence. They burrow into the sand and wait for prey. They look scary.
On the huge head, cut by a wide mouth, there are ugly spikes. The fish's teeth are not only sharp, but also curved inward. If you meet such a monster in the darkness of the sea, you might get a heart attack. These monsters grow up to two meters in length. In addition, their color is gray or brown, so it is impossible to notice them from a distance. In order not to offend an innocent creature, it must be said that the names themselves can be frightening. So, among these creatures there is a sack-eater and a sack-eater! What about a sea slug or sabertooth? The imagination suggests all sorts of horrors.
The most unusual fish in the world
Not only monsters can surprise and amaze. There are creatures in the sea that amaze with their uniqueness. Unusual fish species can be found in almost any large body of water. For example, handfish live in the seas surrounding Australia. It is surprising in that it does not swim, but moves through shallow water, relying on its fins. The latter look like small hands. And in the depths they found a telescope fish.
Her eyes are akin to a complex optical mechanism, both in the number of “lenses” and in the aiming system. Since ancient times they have been talking about such a miracle as She can jump out of the water and quickly fly almost half a kilometer! But the size of such a miracle as the mola-mola (moon fish) amazes. It can weigh up to one and a half tons! If such a beauty falls on a diver, it won’t be enough! Among the unusual ones, the pegasus fish is noted. Not only has she reoriented her mouth downwards, but she also recolors herself at will. What a miracle nature has created!
The rarest of the terrible
This very dangerous miracle caught the eye of scientists so rarely that it was difficult to identify it. One day, fishermen encountered an extremely rare fish - a chimera. She had a terrible poisonous spine and sharp teeth. Since this turned out to be only the second case of a collision between science and a secret inhabitant of the depths, at first he was even mistaken for a shark. The rarity of its appearance is understandable, because the chimera has mastered deep waters - up to two kilometers.
These spaces still remain a completely unexplored region for humans. The chimera is quite large in size. The captured specimen was five meters long and weighed 400 pounds.
Scary, but without a jaw
There is a fish that managed to survive many cataclysms and bring to this day an unusual appearance, which may have been characteristic of many of its relatives. This is a hagfish. She feeds in a very peculiar way: she climbs inside the victim and scrapes off its body with her lips. It is also called a slimy creature. It produces a lot of mucus through the lateral pores. This is a defense mechanism. Predators are wary of such dubious prey, as they may choke on its unpleasant secretions. Mucus is also needed so that the fish can get out of the “food”. Interestingly, the mucus sometimes clogs her nostril. In order to get rid of unpleasant secretions in time, the hagfish learned to sneeze! Among fish, this is the only such capable creature!
The aquatic world is full of other extraordinary species. Sometimes they can be dangerous and scary. It is recommended to study pictures of the most terrible fish before meeting them, so as not to fall into their mouths or “paws”. Precautionary measures will not harm not only tourists traveling to exotic countries, but also domestic vacationers. “Forced relocation” carried out by unlucky aquarium lovers leads to the fact that dangerous representatives of the deep sea can be found in completely harmless bodies of water.
In the depths of the sea and ocean there are a huge number of all kinds of creatures that amaze with their sophisticated defense mechanisms, ability to adapt, and, of course, their appearance. This is a whole universe that has not yet been fully explored. In this rating, we have collected the most unusual representatives of the depths, from beautifully colored fish to creepy monsters.
15
Our rating of the most unusual inhabitants of the depths opens with the dangerous and at the same time amazing lion fish, also known as the striped lionfish or zebra fish. This cute creature, about 30 centimeters long, spends most of its time among the corals in a motionless state, and only from time to time swims from one place to another. Thanks to its beautiful and unusual coloring, as well as long fan-shaped pectoral and dorsal fins, this fish attracts the attention of both people and marine life.
However, behind the beauty of the color and shape of its fins are hidden sharp and poisonous needles, with which it protects itself from enemies. The lion fish itself does not attack first, but if a person accidentally touches it or steps on it, then one injection from such a needle will sharply worsen his health. If there are several injections, then the person will need outside help to swim to the shore, as the pain can become unbearable and lead to loss of consciousness.
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This is a small marine bony fish of the pipefish family of the order Pipefish. Seahorses lead a sedentary lifestyle; they attach their flexible tails to stems, and thanks to numerous spines, outgrowths on the body and iridescent colors, they completely blend into the background. This is how they protect themselves from predators and camouflage themselves while hunting for food. Skates feed on small crustaceans and shrimp. The tubular stigma acts like a pipette - the prey is drawn into the mouth along with water.
The body of seahorses in water is located unconventionally for fish - vertically or diagonally. The reason for this is the relatively large swim bladder, most of which is located in the upper part of the seahorse's body. The difference between seahorses and other species is that their offspring are carried by the male. On its abdomen it has a special brood chamber in the form of a sac, which plays the role of a uterus. Seahorses are very fertile animals, and the number of embryos borne in a male’s pouch ranges from 2 to several thousand. Childbirth for a male is often painful and can result in death.
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This representative of the depths is a relative of the previous participant in the rating - the seahorse. The leafy sea dragon, rag-eater or sea pegasus is an unusual fish, so named for its fantastic appearance - translucent delicate greenish fins cover its body and constantly sway with the movement of the water. Although these processes look like fins, they do not take part in swimming, but serve only for camouflage. The length of this creature reaches 35 centimeters, and it lives in only one place - off the southern coast of Australia. The rag picker swims slowly, its maximum speed is up to 150 m/h. Just like seahorses, the offspring are carried by males in a special pouch formed during spawning along the lower surface of the tail. The female lays eggs in this pouch and all care of the offspring falls on the father.
12
The frilled shark is a species of shark that looks much more like a strange sea snake or eel. Since the Jurassic period, the frilled predator has not changed at all over millions of years of existence. It got its name from the presence of a formation on its body Brown, resembling a cape. It is also called the corrugated shark due to the numerous folds of skin on its body. Such peculiar folds on its skin, according to scientists, are a reserve of body volume to accommodate large prey in the stomach.
After all, the frilled shark swallows its prey mainly whole, since the needle-like tips of its teeth curved inside the mouth are not capable of crushing and grinding food. The frilled shark lives in the bottom layer of water in all oceans except the Arctic Ocean, at a depth of 400-1200 meters; it is a typical deep-sea predator. The frilled shark can reach 2 meters in length, but the usual sizes are smaller - 1.5 meters for females and 1.3 meters for males. This species lays eggs: the female gives birth to 3-12 young. Gestation of embryos can last up to two years.
11
This type of crustacean from the infraorder of crabs is one of the largest representatives of arthropods: large individuals reach 20 kilograms, 45 centimeters in carapace length and 4 m in the span of the first pair of legs. It lives mainly in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of Japan at a depth of 50 to 300 meters. It feeds on shellfish and leftovers and is believed to live up to 100 years. The survival rate among the larvae is very small, so females spawn more than 1.5 million of them. During the process of evolution, the front two legs turned into large claws that can reach a length of 40 centimeters. Despite such a formidable weapon, the Japanese spider crab is non-aggressive and has a calm character. It is even used in aquariums as an ornamental animal.
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These large deep-sea crayfish can grow more than 50 cm in length. The largest recorded specimen weighed 1.7 kilograms and was 76 centimeters long. Their body is covered with hard plates that are softly connected to each other. This armor design provides good mobility, so giant isopods can curl up into a ball when they sense danger. Rigid plates reliably protect the crayfish’s body from deep-sea predators. Quite often they are found in Blackpool, England, and they are not uncommon in other places on the planet. These animals live at depths from 170 to 2,500 m. Most of the entire population prefers to be kept at a depth of 360-750 meters.
They prefer to live on the clay bottom alone. Isopods are carnivorous and can hunt for slow prey on the bottom - sea cucumbers, sponges, and possibly small fish. They also do not disdain carrion, which sinks to the seabed from the surface. Since there is not always enough food at such great depths, and finding it in pitch darkness is not an easy task, isopods have adapted to do without food for a long time. It is known for sure that cancer is capable of fasting for 8 weeks in a row.
9
The purple tremoctopus or blanket octopus is a very unusual octopus. Although, octopuses are generally strange creatures - they have three hearts, poisonous saliva, the ability to change the color and texture of their skin, and their tentacles are able to perform certain actions without instructions from the brain. However, the purple tremoctopus is the strangest of them all. For starters, we can say that the female is 40,000 times heavier than the male! The male is only 2.4 centimeters long and lives almost like plankton, while the female reaches 2 m in length. When the female is frightened, she can expand the cape-like membrane located between the tentacles, which visually increases her size and makes her look even more dangerous. It is also interesting that the blanket octopus is immune to the venom of the Portuguese Man of War jellyfish; Moreover, the intelligent octopus sometimes tears off the jellyfish's tentacles and uses them as weapons.
8
The blobfish is a deep-sea bottom-dwelling marine fish of the psycholute family, which, due to its unattractive appearance, is often called one of the most terrible fish on the planet. These fish supposedly live at depths of 600-1200 m off the coast of Australia and Tasmania, where fishermen have recently begun to increasingly bring them to the surface, which is why this species of fish is endangered. The blobfish consists of a gelatinous mass with a density slightly less than the density of water itself. This allows the blobfish to swim at such depths without expending large quantities.
Lack of muscles is not a problem for this fish. She swallows almost everything edible that floats in front of her, lazily opening her mouth. It feeds mainly on mollusks and crustaceans. Even though the blobfish is not edible, it is endangered. Fishermen, in turn, sell this fish as a souvenir. Blobfish populations are recovering slowly. It takes 4.5 to 14 years for the blobfish population to double.
7 Sea urchin
Sea urchins are very ancient animals of the echinoderm class that inhabited the Earth already 500 million years ago. At the moment, about 940 are known modern species sea urchins. The body size of a sea urchin varies from 2 to 30 centimeters and is covered with rows of calcareous plates that form a dense shell. According to body shape sea urchins divided into correct and incorrect. U the right hedgehogs body shape is almost round. U wrong hedgehogs The body shape is flattened, and the anterior and posterior ends of the body are distinguishable. Spines of various lengths are movably connected to the shell of sea urchins. The length ranges from 2 millimeters to 30 centimeters. Spines often serve sea urchins for movement, nutrition and protection.
Some species that are distributed mainly in tropical and subtropical regions of the Indian, Pacific and Atlantic oceans have poisonous needles. Sea urchins are bottom crawling or burrowing animals that typically live at depths of about 7 meters and are widespread on coral reefs. Sometimes some individuals can crawl onto. Correct sea urchins prefer rocky surfaces; incorrect - soft and sandy soil. Hedgehogs reach sexual maturity in the third year of life, and live about 10-15 years, up to a maximum of 35.
6
Largemouth lives in the Pacific, Atlantic and Indian oceans at depths from 500 to 3000 meters. The body of the largemouth is long and narrow, in appearance it resembles an eel 60 cm, sometimes up to 1 meter. Due to the giant stretching mouth, reminiscent of the beak bag of a pelican, it has a second name - pelican fish. The length of the mouth is almost 1/3 of the total length of the body, the rest is a thin body, turning into a tail filament, at the end of which there is a luminous organ. The largemouth does not have scales, a swim bladder, ribs, an anal fin or a full-fledged bone skeleton.
Their skeleton consists of several deformed bones and light cartilage. Therefore, these fish are quite light. They have a tiny skull and small eyes. Due to poorly developed fins, these fish cannot swim quickly. Due to the size of its mouth, this fish is capable of swallowing prey that is larger than itself. The swallowed victim ends up in the stomach, which can stretch to enormous sizes. The pelican fish feeds on other deep-sea fish and crustaceans that can be found at such depths.
5
The sac-eater or black eater is a deep-sea representative of perciformes from the suborder chiasmodidae, living at a depth of 700 to 3000 meters. This fish grows up to 30 centimeters in length and is found throughout tropical and subtropical waters. This fish got its name from its ability to swallow prey several times its size. This is possible due to the very elastic stomach and the absence of ribs. A bagworm can easily swallow fish 4 times longer and 10 times heavier than its body.
This fish has very large jaws, and on each of them the front three teeth form sharp fangs, with which it holds the victim when it pushes it into its stomach. As the prey decomposes, a lot of gas is released inside the bagworm's stomach, which brings the fish to the surface, where some black gobblers have been found with swollen bellies. Watch the animal in its natural conditions habitat is not possible, so very little is known about its life.
4
This lizard-headed creature belongs to the deep-sea lizard-heads that live in the tropical and subtropical seas of the world, at depths from 600 to 3500 meters. Its length reaches 50-65 centimeters. Outwardly, it is very reminiscent of long-extinct dinosaurs in a reduced form. It is considered the deepest sea predator, devouring everything that comes in its way. Bathysaurus even has teeth on its tongue. At such a depth, it is quite difficult for this predator to find a mate, but this is not a problem for it, since the bathysaurus is a hermaphrodite, that is, it has both male and female sexual characteristics.
3
The smallmouth macropinna, or barrel eye, is a species of deep-sea fish, the only representative of the genus macropinna, which belongs to the order Smeltfish. These amazing fish have a transparent head through which they can watch their prey with their tubular eyes. It was discovered in 1939, and lives at a depth of 500 to 800 meters, and therefore has not been well studied. Fish in their normal habitat are usually motionless, or move slowly in a horizontal position.
Previously, the principle of operation of the eyes was not clear, since the fish’s olfactory organs are located above the mouth, and the eyes are located inside the transparent head and can only look up. Green color The eyes of this fish are caused by the presence of a specific yellow pigment in them. It is believed that this pigment provides special filtering of light coming from above and reduces its brightness, which allows the fish to discern the bioluminescence of potential prey.
In 2009, scientists found that thanks to the special structure of the eye muscles, these fish are able to move their cylindrical eyes from the vertical position in which they are usually located, to the horizontal position when they are directed forward. In this case, the mouth is in the field of view, which provides an opportunity to capture prey. Zooplankton of various sizes, including small cnidarians and crustaceans, as well as siphonophore tentacles along with cnidocytes were found in the macropinna vein. Taking this into account, we can come to the conclusion that the continuous transparent membrane above the eyes of this species evolved evolutionarily as a way of protecting cnidarians from cnidocytes.
1
The first place in our ranking of the most unusual inhabitants of the depths was taken by a deep-sea monster called an anglerfish or devil fish. These scary and unusual fish live at great depths, from 1500 to 3000 meters. They are characterized by a spherical, laterally flattened body shape and the presence of a “fishing rod” in females. The skin is black or dark brown, naked; in several species it is covered with transformed scales - spines and plaques; ventral fins are absent. There are 11 known families, including almost 120 species.
The anglerfish is a predatory sea fish. A special growth on its back helps it hunt other inhabitants of the underwater world - one feather from the dorsal fin separated from the others during evolution, and a transparent sac formed at its end. In this sac, which is actually a gland with liquid, surprisingly, there are bacteria. They may or may not glow, obeying their master in this matter. The anglerfish regulates the luminosity of bacteria by dilating or constricting blood vessels. Some members of the anglerfish family adapt even more sophisticatedly, acquiring a folding fishing rod or growing one right in their mouth, while others have glowing teeth.
Another interesting fact about sabertooths: young fish are so different from adults that it took scientists 50 years to realize that they are the same species.
Witch fish
The witchfish or hagfish is one of the most unusual fish in the world. This is one of the few jawless fish that have survived to this day. It feeds on both small living fish and dead and dying fish - they burrow inside the body and scrape it.
The hagfish also has the dubious reputation of being the slimiest creature on the planet. Pores on both sides of the body secrete a huge amount of viscous, sticky mucus, which predators can choke on. The mucus also acts as a lubricant, which allows the hagfish to crawl out of the body of a dead fish into which it has climbed to feast. Moreover, the “witch fish” is the only fish that can sneeze, thanks to which it clears mucus from its only nostril.
It is also the only vertebrate that can curl itself into a knot, allowing it to clear mucus from its body and climb out of fish-like bodies. Hagfish live in the North Atlantic and Mediterranean Sea in large groups, up to 15 thousand in one territory.
The fry are very similar to adult fish, but they have both male and female reproductive organs. As they grow older, they choose their own gender, depending on the demographics of the group.
Black dragon fish
Idiacanthus, or black dragon fish, is a long, flexible fish that lives at a depth of about two thousand meters. This fish is an example of extreme sexual dimorphism. Females reach 40 centimeters in length, have small eyes, a chin barbel and long teeth with which they catch other fish. Unlike females, males are only 5 centimeters long, they have no teeth, no chin barbel, and a non-functioning gut. The larval development of the idiacants is amazing - the eyes of the larvae hang on long stalks, which shorten in length as the fish matures, and gradually the eyes reach the eye sockets.
Blobfish: The saddest fish on Earth
The blobfish is unique in its kind, it has a repulsive appearance, and many call it the most disgusting fish found in the sea. This fish lives in deep water, and scientists classify it as a member of the Psycholutidae family. You can meet the blobfish in the depths of the Pacific, Atlantic and Indian oceans. Most often, the drop fish is found off the coast of Australia and Tasmania; it is always found very deep under water - from six hundred to 100 meters. The British call it the toad fish, as well as the Australian goby. The drop fish has a unique body structure, which makes it completely unlike any other fish. The length of the body is up to seventy centimeters; it has no scales or fins. In general, the body of a blob fish resembles a gelatinous mass, the weight of which can be up to 10 kg. This fish has huge eyes, which are often called sad, and a nose shaped like a human. The sad expression on the face of the blob fish is quite understandable, because its interorbital space is wider than the diameter of the eye. Another difference from other fish is expressed in the drop fish by the absence of a swim bladder. It is simply not needed at the depths at which this type of fish lives. It is the gelatinous structure that allows the drop fish to swim, which supports it and helps it not to expend effort in moving in deep water. For the same reason, this fish does not have muscles; it simply swims with the flow, its mouth wide open in anticipation of food falling into it. Drop fish can also wait for their victims, motionless “hanging” in the water. Its main source of nutrition is small invertebrates and plankton. Although, this fish can swallow almost anything that is suitable for food and swims into its mouth. Blob fish under water The body of the blob fish itself produces the gelatinous gel of which it is composed. The air bubble inside the body helps her in this process. The blobfish is an inedible fish, but recently fishermen in Australia and Tasmania have increasingly caught it along with other deep-sea prey. Most often, the drop fish is caught in the nets of fishermen who hunt for lobsters. It is because of this that today this species of fish is considered a species that is in danger of complete extinction. What does a drop of fish look like on land? The blobfish is difficult to observe in its natural environment, and therefore science cannot provide complete information about it. However, science has managed to uncover one very interesting fact that can make the blob fish more attractive in the eyes of people. This fish is the most caring when it comes to its offspring. Very strange and unusual fact– the drop fish “hatches” its eggs. After the fish has laid eggs, it constantly remains on it for some time, protecting and preserving the offspring. After the offspring of the drop fish are born, she begins to “raise” them. The fry of this fish are never left without parental attention; they are constantly close to their mother. At the same time, the drop fish tries to find the quietest and most hidden places in deep water for the fry, thus diverting danger from them. True, this fish has practically no natural enemies at such depths. Today, the drop fish is one of the most mysterious and incomprehensible creatures on earth. The difficulty in studying it is due to the fact that it lives too deep under water. However, this unique fish is no less popular. The Internet is literally teeming with images of this mysterious creature, which is included in the ratings of the strangest creatures on earth.
Mandarin duck "psychedelic fish" - the most colorful fish in the world
The mandarin duck is perhaps the most colorful and popular fish in the world. Despite its popularity, it is quite difficult to maintain. It feeds exclusively on copepods and can die in captivity due to malnutrition. The mandarin duck, which is also known as the "psychedelic fish", gets its name from its vibrant coloring, which resembles the clothing of the imperial Chinese mandarin.
Goliath tiger fish - the most dangerous freshwater fish
The giant piranha, whose exact name is “Goliath Tigerfish,” is, in fact, the most dangerous freshwater fish in the world. There are 5 known species of tiger fish, but the largest species lives exclusively in the Congo River basin. The predator can reach up to 180 centimeters in length and weigh more than 50 kilograms. This monster feeds on various smaller fish, small animals that fall into the water, and can also attack humans and even crocodile. Also, the goliath fish is one of the representatives of the unique ichthyofauna of the Congo River, which is not found anywhere else. It is extremely difficult to catch such fish. With its sharp teeth it will bite through fishing line of any thickness, so special steel leads of very high strength are used for this.
Protopter fish can walk and jump
The African protoptera fish has four pairs of thin flagellated fins, with the help of which it vigorously walks along the bottom, gracefully bouncing to accelerate. Moreover, she walks only on her hind “legs”, and to jump she pushes off with all four. Despite the fact that this fish is a lungfish, the protoptera does not walk on bare ground, since the fins are too thin to support its weight. After studying protoptera's walks, scientists suggested that perhaps the earliest creatures learned to walk even before they emerged from the ocean, and that walking fish demonstrate an example of the "emergence of gait" millions of years ago.
Poisonous fish silver locomotive
This fish is called Lagocephalus celeratus, but is best known as the silver locomotive. It usually lives in the tropical zone of the Atlantic and Pacific oceans, but within a few years, thanks to rising temperatures, it reached the Red Sea and began colonizing the Mediterranean. After Greece, Turkey, Israel and Egypt, Italy were warned of its possible appearance, the Messina coast guard announced that local fishermen had caught a poisonous specimen in the strait. The Silver Engine is an extremely poisonous creature. The skin, liver and reproductive organs contain a highly toxic substance, "tetradotossin", which when ingested causes blockage of nerve impulses, causing complete paralysis, respiratory arrest, and subsequent death from suffocation.
The deep sea devil is one of the ugliest animals on the planet.
The Deep Sea Anglerfish looks like a creature from a science fiction world. It may be one of the ugliest animals on our planet and lives in the most inhospitable environment - the lonely, dark seabed. There are more than 200 species of monkfish, most of which live in the murky depths of the Atlantic and Antarctic oceans. The monkfish lures its prey with its elongated dorsal spine, curving it around the bait, while the end of the spine glows to attract unsuspecting fish to its mouth and sharp teeth. Their mouth is so large and their body so flexible that they can swallow prey twice their size.
The strangest fish Thaumatikht
Many of us have heard more than once about deep-sea anglerfish, which, with their repulsive appearance, have earned the nickname “sea devils.” But few people know about the monkfish's closest relative, Thaumatichthys pagidostomus, which may well take its place among the most disgusting characters in horror films. These fantastic creatures brought together all the ugliest features that nature has endowed with deep-sea anglerfish. Unlike its cousins, the thaumatikht hides a glowing bait (called an "esku") in a huge cavernous mouth. The bait mechanism of this deep-sea monster consists of a fishing rod (illicium), which is formed by the front part of the dorsal fin and an esky, a luminous gland filled with bioluminescent bacteria. A hungry thaumatikht independently turns on and off the glow of the eski, regulating the supply of oxygen to the vessels. No less surprising is the structure of the mouth of the Thaumatikht - the upper jaw is so large that it can completely cover the lower jaw. All the work of catching and swallowing food is performed by the upper jaw, while the lower jaw is assigned only the function of breathing. The monkfish lies in wait for its prey, hiding deep at the bottom and luring everything that floats past into its mouth-trap. Huge jaws sometimes cause trouble for deep-sea hunters - being naturally greedy, thaumatihts swallow everything that can fit into their voracious mouth. Having grabbed prey that is twice its own size, the anglerfish tries to spit it out, but the structure of its teeth does not allow it to get rid of the unbearable burden, and it suffocates. It’s not for nothing that they say that greed is destructive.
Tripod fish
You will meet everyone at the bottom of the sea: angler fish, giant squids, fish with huge mouths and other deep-sea “handsome creatures”. Next door to them lives another fish - the tripod fish, famous for its three “legs”. We called “legs” the long bony rays emanating from the pectoral fins and tail, the length of which can reach 1 meter. The fish rests on them, sinking to the bottom. All fish from the bathypteroid family (lat. Bathypteroidae), which includes our “long-legged” heroine, are small in size. The length of her body does not exceed 35 centimeters. Unlike other deep-sea fish, they have well-developed eyes, which are located not on the sides of the head, but immediately above the upper jaw. The back of the body is slightly compressed from the sides, and the front, on the contrary, is almost round in cross-section. In the photographs it seems that it is light in color, but it is not. Its true color is dark brown or even black. Bioluminescence, a visible glow, gives it a bluish tint. When the fish “stands” on the bottom, it seems that it is resting on hard and dense rays, but as soon as it starts swimming, they become very flexible and soft. The fish itself regulates the rigidity of its fins, tensing or relaxing them. Most The tripod fish spends its life standing on the seabed and hunting for prey. To do this, it is positioned with the front part of the body against the flow. It opens its large mouth and waits for the current to carry small fish, crustaceans or shrimp into its mouth. Thus, she spends a minimum amount of effort on her food. The most important thing here is patience, patience and more patience. During fishing, by relaxing or straining its long rays, the tripod fish can change the height of its body. Due to this, it can move to where the prey density is greater. Another feature of these fish is hermaphroditism. Each individual has both male and female reproductive organs. This is one of the ways to survive, because at such a depth not every fish is lucky enough to meet an individual of the opposite sex. Tripod fish are found in tropical and warm temperate regions of all oceans, with the exception of the Arctic Ocean. They live near the bottom, at depths from 800 to 5000 meters.
