Meet the World’s Strangest Fish That Look Too Weird to Be Real

Our oceans, lakes, and rivers are teeming with life. Amongst the fish that swim in these waters are some very unique species. They look so strange that they could be a child’s drawing or an alien from outer space. Yet, these weird animals are perfectly adapted for the ecological niches that they inhabit. Let’s meet some of the strangest-looking fish on the planet!

1. Blobfish

At first glance, the blobfish, also known as a flathead sculpin (Psychrolutes phrictus), looks like a pinkish, gelatinous blob with a droopy mouth and a sagging nose. It looks even worse when it is out of the water. These guys live at depths where appearances are not important because it is pitch-dark all the time. They are found at depths of between 1,970 feet and 3,940 feet in the Indian, Atlantic, and Pacific Oceans.

This far under the surface, they need their high water and fat content to survive. They also have no swim bladder because it would explode! The jelly-like flesh just under their skin weighs them down and keeps them near the ocean floor. Here, they wait for potential food to pass by and grab at it. This method of hunting uses up little energy, which is vital when food sources are so rare. Their diet is mainly made up of crustaceans, brittle stars, and anemones, but they will also eat parts of dead animals that have sunk to the depths (carrion).

2. Red-Lipped Batfish

Imagine a walking fish wearing lipstick, and you may get close to picturing the red-lipped batfish, also called the Galápagos batfish (Ogcocephalus darwini). These fish are found at depths of 10 to 249 feet in the Pacific Ocean around the Galapagos Islands and off Peru. They can be up to 14 inches long, and their mottled light-brown and grey body color is the least remarkable part of their appearance. This fish has bright red lips, which may help with recognition when they are spawning. When necessary, it can change its color to blend into its surroundings and evade predators. They use their specially adapted pectoral, pelvic, and anal fins to walk along the ocean floor.

Feeding takes place mainly at night, and they hunt shrimps, crabs, worms, and mollusks.  They have a special projection coming out of the top of their head, which lures prey towards them. Then they pounce and create a rapid influx of water to pull prey into their mouths. The last thing the prey sees is those bright red lips!

3. Barreleye Fish

Looking more like a spaceship than a sea creature, the barreleyes are a group of fish found in several genera, including Bathylychnops, Dolichopteroides, and Opisthoproctus. They live in the temperate or tropical waters of the Pacific, Atlantic, and Indian Oceans. Their whole life is spent in the deep waters of the mesopelagic to bathypelagic zones at depths from 1300 feet to 8200 feet. At these depths, there is no light penetration.

Their most distinctive feature is their upward-looking tubular eyes, which they use to scan the waters above for prey. Their transparent forehead allows them to look directly up. Most of their diet is made up of zooplankton, and thanks to their telescopic eyes, they can see these tiny creatures. But what about those bright green ‘head lights’? That is a green pigment in their eyes, which helps to filter out sunlight from the surface when they are looking up so that they can better spot their prey.

4. Flying Fish

Not all fish are content to simply swim around the oceans; some of them are able to fly. This leads to some pretty strange-looking fish! The Exocoetidae family can propel itself out of the water at speeds of over 35 mph. Above the surface, they use highly adapted pectoral fins as wings. They are not capable of powered flight, but they can glide for up to 650 feet, which is an extraordinary sight. In the water, however, these special fins are held by their side, and they look much more like a regular fish.

The 40 or so species of flying fish live in tropical and temperate waters of the Atlantic, Indian, and Pacific Oceans. You may spot them both in the open oceans and on the edges of coral reefs. Their flying ability is not used to hunt for food but to escape predators. When it comes to their diet, they mainly eat plankton and some small crustaceans.

5. Sawfish

Sawfish (Pristidae) belong to the same order of fish as rays and skates. Among them, you will find smalltooth (Pristis pectinata) and largetooth sawfish (Pristis perotteti). Their unique ‘saw’ is a rostrum edged with special teeth, which are replaced if they fall out. This is actually an extension of their skull and is made of cartilage. When it is swiped from side to side, it can be used to cut prey. Smalltooth and largetooth sawfish are found in the Gulf of America, along the borders of southern states, in South America, near the Gulf of California, and on the west coast of Africa. Other species are found worldwide in tropical and subtropical waters. They like to live in shallow, coastal, and estuarine waters and can even be spotted in rivers. Using special pores in their rostrum, sawfish detect fish, which they then kill by swiping at them. They also eat crustaceans and mollusks.

6. Pufferfish

These are aggressive little fish in the family Tetraodontidae. There are at least 200 species of them, including dwarf puffers and Nile puffers. They also have a wide range of sizes and appearances – some have delicate spines, but others have sharp spikes. In their normal state, pufferfish do not look too remarkable. But when threatened, something incredible happens. They suck in water through a process called buccal pumping. The water enters their incredibly elastic stomach and makes them swell to an almost spherical shape, three or four times their normal size.

Pufferfish also have specialized teeth formed into a hook-nosed beak. They use this to break open their hard-shelled prey, which includes mussels and crabs. Their range is throughout the tropical and subtropical regions of the world, where they can be found in coastal waters, estuaries, and lagoons.

7. Oarfish

Oarfish (Regalecus glesne) are such a startling sight in the oceans that they may have been the source of many sea monster legends. They have lots of other names, including ‘king of herrings’ and ribbon fish. They have a distinctive, long, and tapering body that can reach up to 36 feet! In fact, they are the longest bony fish on the planet. They also have no scales (their skin is a blotchy, silvery-blue) and no visible teeth.

These fish are very elusive and are hardly ever encountered by humans despite the fact that they are probably widely distributed in the Atlantic Ocean, Mediterranean Sea, and eastern Pacific Ocean. This is because they occupy the very deep waters, typically at 656 feet but as far down as 3,280 feet. What makes them even more unreal is that they have been seen swimming in an upright position! They were likely searching for prey items, which include plankton, crustaceans, and squid. These are consumed by straining them from the water using specially evolved gill rakes.

8. Lionfish

The lionfish (also commonly called the red lionfish) has a lot going on when it comes to fins! So much so that it can look like it has a flowing mane – hence their name. Their scientific name is Pterois volitans, and they are a native species of the Indo-Pacific region. You can spot them in the western and central Pacific and off the coast of western Australia. However, they are also reported along the southeastern United States coast from Florida to North Carolina. These were possibly intentionally released ornamental fish. They live in warm marine waters of the tropics to depths of 300 feet.

Their appearance is startling and has evolved to scare off predators. They have brown (or maroon) and white stripes covering their head and body. Add to this some fleshy tentacles above their eyes and below the mouth, and lots of dorsal soft rays and spikes, and you have a unique look. Don’t be tempted to touch them because their spines are venomous and can cause extreme pain and even paralysis. Hunting usually takes place during late afternoon and dawn, and they target crustaceans and other fish. These are caught by persistently following the target and striking when the prey pauses.

9. Ocean Sunfish

The amazing ocean sunfish (Mola mola) looks as if half of its body is missing because it has no tail! Both their size and shape are unique – their diameter can be up to 9.5 feet or even more. You can find them in the open ocean areas of tropical and temperate seas, but occasionally, they are spotted closer to the shore.  Sunfish have been recorded at the surface, but also at depths of 660 feet.

Their tail fin is completely absent, giving them a rounded appearance. Despite the lack of a tail, they can move fast when they need to and have been seen jumping vertically out of the water. They are generalist predators that feed primarily on jellyfish and gelatinous zooplankton, but they will also eat other fish, squid, and even eelgrass.

10. Yellow Hairy Frogfish

This extraordinary fish (Antennarius striatus) is a type of anglerfish. It is not that large (they are around eight inches long), but what they lack in size, they make up for in a weird appearance. Typically, they are yellow, brown, and orange, and can change their coloration to suit their habitat. Their bodies are covered with irregular spines, but one of their dorsal spines, called an illicium, tips forward like a fishing rod. The tip looks just like a wriggling worm and lures prey towards it. That’s when they open their huge mouth, which allows them to swallow prey as big as they are! Using suction to grab their food, the meal is over very quickly. When it comes to diet, they are not fussy and will eat anything that fits in their mouth. That includes many types of fish, including other frogfish!

Hairy frogfish are found in tropical and subtropical waters in the Pacific Ocean, Atlantic Ocean, Indian Ocean, the Gulf of America, and the Caribbean Sea. Most of the time, you will find them in rocky areas and coral reefs, either near the surface or to depths of up to 600 feet. What makes them even more unique is their angled fins that allow them to hop along the ocean floor.

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