All the waters of our planet are densely populated by various inhabitants. Sometimes in the depths of the seas and oceans, rivers and lakes there are such amazing fish that people have not even heard of. Read the article below for everything you need to know about strange (and sometimes scary) fish.
Carapace pike
Shelled pikes are the largest fish that live in the fresh waters of North and Central America, as well as the island of Cuba. Their body is covered with a shell of surprisingly strong scales (hence the name). The second name of these awesome creatures is the alligator fish.
The heads of these two aquatic creatures are very similar in shape. The weight of the pike reaches 120 kg, and the body length is up to 300 cm. The heavy body of the fish prevents it from making clever maneuvers in the water, so the alligator fish, like the common pike, waits for its prey in ambush while hunting. It feeds on smaller fish, does not disdain ducks and small waterfowl. In addition, these amazing fish often eat waste, thereby purifying the pond.
The armored pike is considered an enviable catch for the fisherman because of its appearance and size. But you should knowthat its meat is little eaten, it is tasteless and tough. Caviar is completely poisonous to humans.
Fried Shark
Japanese fishermen know exactly what the most amazing fish look like, because they once managed to get a female frilled shark in the net. This most ancient species of sharks is also the most unexplored, mysterious. Very rarely, such fish floats to the surface, preferring depths from 500 to 1000 meters.
The appearance of the frilled man is different from sharks, it looks more like an eel or a sea snake. And the creature hunts, almost like a snake, bending its body and making a sharp jerk forward. The frilled shark has no commercial value, as it rarely gets into the net, because its length is about 2 meters. The fishermen of Japan even call it a pest, as it happens that the shark ruins the nets.
The fish is interesting because among all vertebrates it has the longest gestation period - 3.5 years. There can be up to 15 cubs in a litter. The frilled shark is a viviparous fish.
Moonfish is a harmless giant
The moon fish has impressive dimensions: length - up to 3 m, weight - about 1400 kg. Her huge body has a round (like the disk of the moon) shape and is strongly flattened laterally. These amazing fish swim like other fish at a young age, but then everything changes.
Adults swim near the surface of the water, occasionally lazily moving their fins. The fish-moon practically does not react to the approach of a person. They do no harm to humans. However, South African fishermenthey experience superstitious fear when they see this fish, and even cancel fishing by turning the boats towards the house. This can be explained simply - the approach of an individual is associated with the upcoming bad weather at sea, since the moonfish often appears near the shore just before the storm. She just can't handle the rising tide.
This giant bony fish feeds on small and easy prey: small fish, jellyfish, plankton and small crustaceans.
Amazing fish of the world: stone fish
This ugly and scary creature that lives in the ocean is very poisonous. A small fish (no more than 20 cm in length) has a very large head, small eyes and a huge mouth. The naked body has a brownish color, sometimes with spots or stripes. There are bumps and warts on the body, so the creature is sometimes also called a warthog. Venomous spines protrude from the dorsal fin of the stonefish.
At any touch, the fish sticks its thorns into the victim and releases a very dangerous poison. A person without an antidote can die within hours of encountering a dangerous seabed creature.
Most often, stone fish lives in thickets of algae or corals. She buries herself in silt or sand, disguises herself with mud. It's not just a lazy lifestyle - it's ambush hunting. Predators feed on small fish, shrimps and crustaceans.
The fish is also interesting because it can survive without water for quite a long time. A case was recorded when a stone fish lived on land for 20 hours!
The saddestfish in the world
The blobfish is known for its ugly appearance that sets it apart from other species. The deep-sea inhabitant of the Pacific, Atlantic and Indian oceans is most often found off the coast of Australia, Tasmania.
Why are these amazing fish so unpleasant? The body up to 70 cm long is completely naked, has no scales. Fins are also missing. The body of a drop fish is very reminiscent of a shapeless gelatinous mass with sad eyes. Her nose is vaguely reminiscent of a human. There is no swim bladder in individuals of this species - it is not needed at great depths. The drop fish does not have muscles, it simply swims with the current with its mouth open, into which food comes across. Most often this food is plankton.
What can make a drop fish attractive in the eyes of people? Her concern for offspring. She carefully incubates her eggs and does not leave the younger generation unattended.
Lampreys are marine parasites
When collecting amazing facts about fish, one cannot fail to mention lampreys. These creatures are found in all temperate waters of the Earth and even occasionally in the waters of the Arctic Ocean. There are references to lampreys in Russia, especially the largest lakes and rivers.
The appearance of an individual is close to an eel. Skin without scales, no pectoral and ventral fins. The mouth has a frightening appearance: ring-shaped, with many small teeth. Lampreys are parasites that most often feed on the meat of dead fish, not disdaining live fish. With an annular mouth, the lamprey sticks to the body of the victim and drills it. Strongtongue with teeth at the end penetrates deep into the victim's body and lets juices out.
Lamprey fishing is common. It is believed that its meat is very tasty, but not every gourmet dares to taste it.
World's Most Amazing Fish: Deep Sea Tripod
There are quite a lot of inhabitants on the seabed, and most of them have a frightening appearance: angler, grenadier, bighead and others. The tripod fish, famous for its three legs, as the name implies, also lives here. In fact, of course, these are not legs, but bony rays that extend from the body by almost a meter. Sinking closer to the bottom, a tripod rests on them. When she is standing, the rays are hard, as soon as the fish swims, the rays immediately soften. The tripod itself regulates their stiffness.
Another difference from fish that live at great depths is well-developed eyes located on the sides of the body. This is one way tripods survive. The fish is a hermaphrodite, as it is rare to find an individual of the desired sex at great depths.
Amazing fish, photos of which you see in this article, live all over the world. There are a huge number of them on our planet, and it is simply impossible to tell about them all in one article. Here are selected some of the most interesting representatives of the s alt and fresh waters of the world.
