The amazing world of fish. The most interesting fish in the world

In all the waters of the globe, be it the ocean, sea, lake or river, many living creatures live. Many people have not even heard of the existence of some. Centuries of study aquatic fauna was impossible due to lack of equipment and equipment. The most famous ocean explorer is undoubtedly Jacques Cousteau. Only after he invented scuba gear did it become possible to closely and more closely study the sea and ocean floor. Based on his invention, many other devices for diving into the depths of the sea were developed. Collected here the most amazing fish in the world, some views were discovered by Cousteau himself.

Ambon scorpionfish

Ambon scorpionfish. This fish lives at the bottom sea ​​waters. It spends most of its life buried under the sand, so it camouflages itself and hunts. This amazing fish is easily recognized by its bright violet color, sometimes turning into pale purple. She can change color, which is a necessary quality for camouflage. Animals camouflage themselves not only to hunt, but also to protect themselves from other predators. First discovered in 1856. It is distinguished by growths above the eyes in the form of eyebrows. Once you see her, you won’t confuse this extravagant look with anything else.

Fish - frog

Psychedelic View was opened quite recently, in 2009. I can’t even believe that in the 21st century there are still unknown species of animals. From the name alone it becomes clear that this is an unusual fish. Painted bright orange with white stripes. It is the directions of the stripes that justify the first part of this name. And “frog” because the fins and tail of a fish look more like the legs of some animal than a fin. Blue eyes the fish are directed in front, this gives the impression that it is a mammal. Thanks to its fins, it can crawl along the bottom, as well as push off and move by jumping.

Rag picker

Rag picker. This amazing fish got its name thanks to its camouflage uniform. Throughout the body and head there are processes resembling algae leaves. Some may confuse them with fins, although they have some similarities, they serve solely for camouflage. This is how she hunts small shrimp and hides from other predators. This species of fish lives off the coast of Australia in the waters of the Indian Ocean. The fish’s diet also includes plankton and algae, among which it actually lives. She has no teeth, so she swallows her prey whole.

This kind unusual fish was discovered in 1758. The fish was named so because of its body shape. It resembles a disk, the fish seems to be flattened from the sides. The tail is almost imperceptible, all fins are fused together. Pisces - Moon is very unadapted to physical activity, adults cannot overcome the strong current. Fish can grow up to gigantic size and weighing more than one and a half tons. Therefore, in addition to plankton, the diet of the “moon” also includes jellyfish, eel larvae and squid. Depending on its habitat, it can also feed on salps (underwater “lanterns”), eel larvae and ctenophores.

Broad-nosed chimera

Broad-nosed chimera. Despite the fact that the fish was discovered more than a century ago, it has been studied very little. Maybe because of its disgusting jelly-like appearance. The chimera's habitat is the bottom of the Atlantic Ocean. It lies motionless at a depth of about 1.5 kilometers, buried in the sand. The diet of this peculiar fish consists of mollusks, as well as everything that swims by. She leads a very sedentary lifestyle.

Cloaked

Cloakbearer. Another little-studied fish species is the Frilled Shark. This type of shark, discovered in 1884, is more similar in appearance to conger eel or a snake. This is a very rare species and their number is about one hundred individuals. The serpentine body of the shark is covered with stripes; these are gills hidden by the skin. The shark has 12 of them, six on each side. The first pair is interconnected and forms a single cavity. Like other individuals, the jaw of the Cloakbearer is dotted with teeth, but not small ones in several rows. 12 pairs of teeth, each of which is something like a Christmas tree branch, with many sharp formations.

Coelacanth Indonesian

Coelacanth Indonesian. Considered extinct until 1999, this amazing fish is the oldest species on the globe. There are two species of coelacanth on earth. Their divergence period is approximately 40 million years. To date, only a dozen individuals have been discovered. Until 2006, only four individuals were known, two were caught by fishermen and two more fish were observed from the submersible. In 2007, a fifth individual was discovered. The fisherman who found her fenced her with a net in the shallow waters of the sea. The individual lived for about 15 hours, although it was believed that in the upper layers of the sea it lived no more than two hours.

Hairy monkfish

Hairy monkfish. On the seabed, especially at great depths, live animals that are very strange and scary for the average person. One of them is the Hairy Monkfish, which belongs to the anglerfish family. At a depth of more than a kilometer, where it cannot pass sunlight, anglerfish attract potential prey with a glowing growth on their forehead. Since there are not many living creatures at depth, the fish rushes and eats everything that comes in its way, even more predators than itself. For this purpose, she has developed jaws and has sharp teeth. Harsh living conditions dictate their own rules, this even applies to reproduction, the male of this unique fish transfers its secretions to the female through the blood.

Discovered in 1926, this fantastic inhabitant depths of the sea named the ugliest animal in the world. Nothing in the water yet, but on land the jelly is a visible, rather unpleasant creature. The weight of the fish can reach 10 kilograms, length is about 50 centimeters. It usually feeds on plankton, small crustaceans or shrimp. She simply lies at the bottom with her mouth open, and waits for the victim to swim into her. Although scientists know very little about the reproduction of the “blob,” it has been revealed that it is very caring parent. This type of fish protects its fry until they mature and begin to find food on their own.

Smallmouth macropinna

Smallmouth macropinna. This individual is unusual in that in the head area it has a dome-shaped transparent formation somewhat reminiscent of a spacesuit. Although it was discovered in 1939, very little is known about it to this day. One of the reasons, the habitat of this amazing fish, the great depths of the sea are generally little studied. Until 2009, it was a mystery why the eyes of fish are directed straight up. Previously discovered specimens were caught in fishing nets; when rising to the surface, the transparent shell on the fish’s head was destroyed or deformed, causing researchers to come to incorrect conclusions. But watching the view in his natural environment clarified this issue. The transparent shell is filled with a special liquid that protects the visual organs.

Seas and oceans occupy more than half the area of ​​our planet, but they are still shrouded in mysteries for humanity. We strive to conquer space and are looking for extraterrestrial civilizations, but at the same time, only 5% of the world's oceans have been explored by humans. But this data is enough to be horrified by what creatures live deep underwater, where sunlight does not penetrate.

The chauliod family includes 6 species of deep-sea fish, but the most common of them is the common hauliod. These fish live in almost all waters of the world's oceans, with the exception of cold waters. northern seas and the Arctic Ocean.

Chauliodas got their name from the Greek words “chaulios” - open mouth, and “odous” - tooth. Indeed, these relatively small fish (about 30 cm in length) have teeth that can grow up to 5 centimeters, which is why their mouth never closes, creating a creepy grin. Sometimes these fish are called sea vipers.

Howliods live at depths from 100 to 4000 meters. At night they prefer to rise closer to the surface of the water, and during the day they descend into the very abyss of the ocean. Thus, during the day, fish make huge migrations of several kilometers. With the help of special photophores located on the hauliod's body, they can communicate with each other in the dark.

On the dorsal fin of the viper fish there is one large photophore, with which it lures its prey directly to its mouth. After which, with a sharp bite of needle-sharp teeth, the hauliods paralyze the prey, leaving it no chance of salvation. The diet mainly includes small fish and crustaceans. According to unreliable data, some individuals of hauliods can live up to 30 years or more.

The longhorned sabertooth is another fearsome deep-sea predatory fish that lives in all four oceans. Although the saber tooth looks like a monster, it grows to a very modest size (about 15 centimeters in length). The head of the fish with a large mouth occupies almost half the length of the body.

The long-horned sabertooth got its name due to its long and sharp lower fangs, which are the largest in relation to body length among all fish known to science. The terrifying appearance of the sabertooth earned it the unofficial name - “monster fish”.

Adults can vary in color from dark brown to black. The younger representatives look completely different. They are light gray in color and have long spines on their heads. The sabertooth is one of the deepest-sea fish in the world; in rare cases, they descend to depths of 5 kilometers or more. The pressure at these depths is enormous, and the water temperature is about zero. There is catastrophically little food here, so these predators hunt for the first thing that gets in their way.

The size of the deep-sea dragon fish absolutely does not fit with its ferocity. These predators, which reach a length of no more than 15 centimeters, can eat prey two or even three times its size. Dragon fish live in tropical zones of the World Ocean at depths of up to 2000 meters. The fish has a large head and a mouth equipped with many sharp teeth. Like the Howlyod, the dragonfish has its own bait for prey, which is a long whisker with a photophore at the end, located on the fish's chin. The hunting principle is the same as for all deep-sea individuals. Using a photophore, the predator lures the victim to the closest possible distance, and then with a sharp movement inflicts a fatal bite.

The deep-sea anglerfish is rightfully the ugliest fish in existence. There are about 200 species of anglerfish, some of which can grow up to 1.5 meters and weigh 30 kilograms. Due to its creepy appearance and bad character, this fish was nicknamed the monkfish. live deep sea anglerfish everywhere at a depth of 500 to 3000 meters. The fish has a dark brown color, a large flat head with many spines. The devil's huge mouth is studded with sharp and long teeth curved inward.

Deep-sea anglerfish have pronounced sexual dimorphism. Females are tens of times larger than males and are predators. Females have a rod with a fluorescent appendage at the end to attract fish. Anglerfish spend most of their time on the seabed, burrowing into sand and silt. Due to its huge mouth, this fish can completely swallow prey that is twice its size. That is, hypothetically, a large individual anglerfish could eat a person; Fortunately, there have never been such cases in history.

Probably the strangest inhabitant of the deep sea can be called the bagmouth or, as it is also called, the pelican-shaped largemouth. Due to its abnormally huge mouth with a bag and a tiny skull in relation to the length of the body, the bagmouth looks more like some kind of alien creature. Some individuals can reach two meters in length.

In fact, bagmouths belong to the class of ray-finned fish, but these monsters do not have too many similarities with the cute fish that live in warm sea backwaters. Scientists believe that appearance These creatures changed many thousands of years ago due to their deep-sea lifestyle. Bagmouths have no gill rays, ribs, scales or fins, and the body is oblong with a luminous appendage on the tail. If it were not for the large mouth, the bagmouth could easily be confused with an eel.

Bagworms live at depths from 2000 to 5000 meters in three world oceans, except the Arctic Ocean. Since there is very little food at such depths, bagmouths have adapted to long breaks in eating, which can last more than one month. These fish feed on crustaceans and other deep-sea brethren, mainly swallowing their prey whole.

The elusive giant squid, known to science as Architeuthis dux, is the world's largest mollusc and is thought to reach a length of 18 meters and weigh half a ton. On this moment A living giant squid has never yet fallen into human hands. Until 2004, there were no documented sightings of live giant squid at all, and the general idea of ​​these mysterious creatures It was based only on the remains washed ashore or caught in fishermen’s nets. Architeuthis live at depths of up to 1 kilometer in all oceans. In addition to their gigantic size, these creatures have the largest eyes among living creatures (up to 30 centimeters in diameter).

So in 1887, the largest specimen in history, 17.4 meters long, washed up on the shores of New Zealand. In the next century, only two large dead representatives of the giant squid were discovered - 9.2 and 8.6 meters. In 2006, Japanese scientist Tsunami Kubodera managed to capture on camera a living female 7 meters long in her natural habitat at a depth of 600 meters. The squid was lured to the surface by a small bait squid, but an attempt to bring a live specimen on board the vessel was unsuccessful - the squid died from multiple injuries.

Giant squids are dangerous predators, and their only natural enemy is adult sperm whales. There are at least two described cases of fight between squid and sperm whale. In the first, the sperm whale won, but soon died, suffocated by the giant tentacles of the mollusk. The second battle took place off the coast South Africa, then the giant squid fought with the baby sperm whale, and after an hour and a half fight, he still killed the whale.

Giant isopod, known to science, like Bathynomus giganteus, is the largest species of crustacean. The average size of a deep-sea isopod ranges from 30 centimeters, but the largest recorded specimen weighed 2 kilograms and was 75 centimeters long. In appearance, giant isopods are similar to woodlice, and similar giant squid are a consequence of deep-sea gigantism. These crayfish live at a depth of 200 to 2500 meters, preferring to bury themselves in silt.

The body of these creepy creatures is covered with hard plates that act as a shell. In case of danger, crayfish can curl into a ball and become inaccessible to predators. By the way, isopods are also predators and can feast on a few small deep-sea fish and sea ​​cucumbers. Powerful jaws and durable armor make the isopod a dangerous opponent. Although giant crayfish love to feast on live food, they often have to eat the remains of shark prey that fall from upper layers ocean.

Coelacanth or coelacanth is a large deep sea fish, whose discovery in 1938 became one of the most important zoological discoveries of the 20th century. Despite its unattractive appearance, this fish is notable for the fact that for 400 million years it has not changed its appearance and body structure. In fact, this unique relict fish is one of the oldest living creatures on planet Earth, which existed long before the appearance of dinosaurs.

Coelacanth lives at a depth of up to 700 meters in the waters of the Indian Ocean. The length of the fish can reach 1.8 meters and weigh more than 100 kilograms, and the body has a beautiful blue tint. Since coelacanth is very slow, it prefers to hunt at great depths, where there is no competition with more fast predators. These fish can swim backwards or belly up. Despite the fact that the meat of the coelcanth is inedible, it is often the target of poaching among local residents. Currently ancient fish is in danger of extinction.

The deep sea goblin shark, or goblin shark as it is also called, is the most poorly studied shark to date. This species lives in the Atlantic and Indian Oceans at depths of up to 1300 meters. The largest specimen was 3.8 meters long and weighed about 200 kilograms.

The goblin shark got its name due to its eerie appearance. Mitsekurina has movable jaws that move outward when bitten. The goblin shark was first accidentally caught by fishermen in 1898, and since then 40 more specimens of this fish have been caught.

Another relict representative of the sea abyss is a one-of-a-kind cephalopod-detritus feeder, which has external resemblance, both with squid and octopus. Yours unusual name The hellish vampire got it thanks to his red body and eyes, which, however, depending on the lighting, can be blue. Despite their terrifying appearance, these strange creatures They grow only up to 30 centimeters and, unlike other cephalopods, they eat exclusively plankton.

The body of the hellish vampire is covered with luminous photophores, which create bright flashes of light that scare away enemies. In case of exceptional danger, these small mollusks turn their tentacles along the body, becoming like a ball with spikes. Hellish vampires live at depths of up to 900 meters, and can thrive in water with an oxygen level of 3% or lower, critical for other animals.

A person still knows very little who lives in ocean depths, but even our knowledge is enough to understand that, in addition to cute fish, the most nightmarish creatures swim there. At least we can make the TOP 10 most scary fish in the world, meaning their appearance or habits.

1. White shark

As far as we now know, the most terrible fish in the world's oceans is White shark. This is very ancient look huge and bloodthirsty. The size of the white shark is such that its prey is any marine life, except killer whales and large whales. Human meat is also included in her menu, but not often - as a delicacy. The huge mouth of the white shark hides several rows of very sharp teeth, which are constantly renewed throughout its life. The length of a white shark can reach up to 10 meters, and it can easily bite a large prey - a seal or a person - in half.

2. Long-horned sabertooth

If we take into account solely the appearance, the most terrifying looking fish is the long-horned sabertooth, also known as the common sabertooth and the common needletooth. She actually looks quite scary and not very nice. This fish has a disproportionately large head. The body of adults is black. Long thin teeth protrude from both jaws of the fish. Interestingly, young saber-tooths are very different in appearance from adult individuals, so scientists for a long time They even classified them as a different species. They have a different body structure, pointed spines on the head and a lighter color, and they live at shallower depths.
These gargoyle-like fish live in the great depths of the Pacific, Indian and Atlantic oceans in tropical and subtropical latitudes. These horror stories feed on crustaceans, small fish and squid. The young growth of the long-horned sabertooth itself is food for more large predators: tuna and no less terrible alepisaurs.

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3. Drop fish

Off the coast of Australia and Tasmania, at very great depths (presumably 600-1200 meters), there is a drop fish, which is also included in the list of the most terrible fish. More precisely, she is not so much scary as unattractive and to some extent disgusting-looking. Local fishermen call it the “Australian goby.”
The fish resembles at the same time the dissatisfied senile face of a person and some semblance of an embryo due to its watery, slippery body. However, it does not pose a danger to humans, if only because a person never appears at a depth of a kilometer, and fish do not swim near the surface. The blobfish does not have a swim bladder. The expression on the “face” of this fish is sad, even sad. This fish is inedible, but Lately It is increasingly being caught by fishermen, which is why scientists have begun to fear for the safety of this species - maybe that’s why the blobfish is grieving so much? It will take at least a decade to restore its population.

4. Brownie Shark

The goblin shark (Mitsekurina, Scapanorhynchus) also lives at great depths, but its population is probably small. At least to date, only a few similar specimens have been caught (less than 50 fish). Scientists have no idea about the habits of this mysterious deep-sea monster. So far they have only been able to establish that this species lives in the warm waters of all oceans at a depth of more than 200 meters. This shark is sometimes called the “goblin” for its terrifying appearance with a huge growth on its head and protruding, almost Alien-like jaws. Collectors of natural wonders greatly value such jaws.

5. Coelacanth

The coelacanth fish is an incredibly ancient species, considered a living fossil. Over hundreds of millions of years, it has changed little in its structure. The coelacanth has an eerie appearance, but it is not a very active fish and spends a lot of time in underwater caves.
At the moment, two species of coelacanth have been found, one lives in the southwestern Indian Ocean, off the coast of South Africa, and the second was discovered at the very end of the last century near the island of Sulawesi. Coelacanths are covered, like armor, with powerful scales, which are good protection for them. The scales of coelacanths are unique, like no other modern fish; on its outer surface there are many protrusions that make the scales look like a file. Coelacanths feed on coelacanths, anchovies, cardinal fish, cephalopods, cuttlefish and even big-headed sharks.

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6. Monkfish

Fish angler or the European anglerfish is not uncommon; it lives along almost the entire European coast, from the Black Sea to Barents Sea. The fish was named so because of its ugly appearance - a naked, scaleless body, a huge head with a large mouth.
This monster is capable of glowing in the darkness of the deep sea - a luminous rod-like outgrowth looms in front of the fish’s mouth, which lures prey to itself. This fish belongs to the order of anglerfish, and if you consider that it reaches an impressive two-meter length and a human weight of 60 kg, it is easy to imagine how such a monster can scare.

7. Viper fish

The terrifying appearance has become main reason popularity of viper fish: long thin body in luminous points, a disproportionately large mouth, dotted with needle-sharp teeth, a luminous fin - a fishing rod, luring simple-minded victims into this mouth. The habitat of this fish is extensive - Quiet and atlantic oceans. But in this case, this fish is quite small - only 25 centimeters long.
This small predator also deep-sea - it lives at about a kilometer depth, and if necessary, it can even descend into a 4-kilometer abyss. But this nocturnal predator hunts near the surface for small fish and other living creatures, after which it again plunges into the less populated depths of the ocean, where it can feel relatively safe.

8. Wart (stone fish)

Divers see a wide variety of rocks on the seabed, varying in color and shape. However, some stones may move unexpectedly. This is how the wart, the most poisonous fish in the world, mimics a reef stone. The body of the fish is covered with soft skin with bumps, like warts, which helps it skillfully camouflage itself on the bottom, pretending to be an inconspicuous stone. But the sharp, poisonous dorsal fins of this fish are especially dangerous, for which it was also nicknamed the wasp fish, and the Australian aborigines called it the warty vampire.
The length of an adult wart can reach 40 cm, although some divers claim to have met half-meter warts. The color of the stonefish can vary from brown to green, with reddish-orange spots. Despite its danger and repulsive appearance, the wart is edible fish, from which sashimi is prepared. But the spines on the dorsal fin can easily pierce shoes and injure the leg, which often ends in the death of a person.

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9. Big tiger fish

This predatory freshwater fish is also called the giant hydrocin or goliath, and the locals call it mbenga. The predator's mouth is armed with a rare but impressive 32 fangs, reminiscent of crocodiles. It can easily not only bite the fishing line, but also the rod or the hand of a careless fisherman. Goliath is named so for a reason - it is one of the largest freshwater fish in the world, which can weigh up to 100 kilograms. This monster lives in Central Africa, in the Congo River basin and Lake Tanganyika. In the Congo, there have been cases of river giant attacks on people. Local residents claim that the mbenga is the only fish that is not afraid of the crocodile.

10. Characin Vampire

The payara or characin fish lives in the Amazon River basin. But it also has another sonorous name - “vampire” for its two incredibly long lower fangs, with the help of which it holds its prey (usually smaller fish). This fish is a coveted trophy for professional fishermen. Adult fish grow in the Amazon up to one and a half meters in length, but weigh relatively little - 14 kilograms. The lower fangs, which gave the characin the name “vampire,” can grow up to 16 centimeters. With the help of such a formidable weapon, the fish is able to reach deeply hidden internal organs the attacked victim, since it accurately determines their location.

Ecology

Today it is open and described about 30 thousand species of fish. Some of them boast such an unusual appearance that it is hard to believe that they are really fish. Some other representatives of these aquatic vertebrates so rare that very little is known about them.

The most unusual and rare fish often found at great depths (sometimes 300-500 meters underwater) and never rise close to the surface. Undersea world still conceals many secrets, many of which we just have to reveal.

The rarest fish

Blind fish climbing on rocks

Found in the subtropical regions of Thailand, the cave fish species Cryptotora thamicola lost during evolution vision and pigmentation. But this is not its only feature. This strange fish adapted to fast cave currents: she can climb vertical surfaces.

The rough, sticky undersurface of its large fins allows the fish to climb and stay on slippery rocks in conditions fast currents and even climb under waterfalls!

Rare fish of the world

Catfish that lives without water

Quite rare and little-studied fish from the squad Catfish– the only one famous fish, which can live without water. It is enough for her to glide along the wet surface of leaves on the banks of streams and rivers.

This slippery fish is something resembles a worm, she has no eyes, apparently because she spends most of her time underground. Nothing more is known about her.

Sole

Fishes from the squad Flounder(lat. Pleuronectiformes) - representatives of very strange vertebrates. Although they are born quite ordinary fish, their skull gradually deforms with age, until both eyes are in the same plane. This feature allows the fish to acquire a flat body and skillfully camouflage itself on the seabed.

Fish sea ​​tongues families Cynoglossaceae went even further: they are completely lost pectoral fins and developed a smooth teardrop-shaped body. Many species have an arched mouth.

Rare fish species

Sea devils

Fish monkfish families Thaumatichthaceae boast one of the strangest appearances in the animal kingdom. The upper jaw of these fish is often several times larger than the lower jaw; it is also capable of folding in half, allowing the fish easier to suck prey down the throat. Each member of the family has a luminescent prey lure protruding directly above its mouth.

Long probe from the squad monkfish have very long bait, which can be 10 times longer than the body of the fish itself. It is interesting that all these creatures swim upside down, but none of the scientists can really say why.

Another family of monkfish - Batfish- resemble the offspring of a turtle and a chicken. These fish have adapted to move along the seabed using their fins, which are used as paws.

Thus the fish seem to walk along the sandy bottom, looking for prey.

Mudskipper

One of the most famous fish that has the ability to live out of water – mudskipper. She belongs to the family Bychkov and spends most of his time climbing the clayey banks. On land these fish can move much faster than underwater.

The gill cavities of these fish are capable of retaining water for a long time. If their body remains wet, fish can breathe through thin skin. Male spinyskippers are very territorial and constantly fight with each other for influence.

Rare deep sea fish

Sticktail

Sticktail(lat. Stylephorus chordatus) is a rare deep-sea fish that is so unusual that it is the only species of its genus and family. This fish has a very unusual mouth. It has one small tubular opening, and the jaws form an expanding skin pouch that works in the same way as a blacksmith's bellows.

Expanding the bag, the fish forcefully sucks in tiny crustaceans along with the water. At the same time, the eyeballs constantly turn like binoculars, focusing on incredibly small prey.

Tripod sloth

This strange deep-sea fish is one of the few examples of living creatures that prefer not to move much in the water and eat like coral polyps, sponges And anemones. She stays in place and feeds on plankton passing by.

Its three fins have long, thin projections, allowing the fish to hold onto the mud of the seabed and remain motionless for several days. The fish begins to move only when necessary, using its two front fins, which help it grab pieces of food and move them to its mouth.

Since fish do not need to hunt for food, tripods practically blind. With this lifestyle they rarely meet with their relatives, so they are hermaphrodites.

Water spaces were explored by man much later than land. Life in water seems amazing and mysterious to us, since it follows different rules and principles, and its own laws reign in the dark depths. But among the aquatic inhabitants there are completely unique ones that make people horrified and sometimes smile. Among the most amazing fish in the world you can find bright and inconspicuous, small and huge, because they are all very different, just like people.

Lion fish

Off the coast of Krasny and Mediterranean seas, and also in the warm waters of Japan, Haiti or China you can see very beautiful fish, which has an unusual coloring. The lionfish or lionfish lives among atolls and corals and most of the time hangs motionless in the water, occasionally swimming across when it wants to find food.

Her long ribbons extending from her dorsal, caudal and lateral fins give her a noble appearance and attract the attention of people and others. sea ​​creatures. Because of these fins, reminiscent of the feathers of a soaring bird, it was called the lionfish. But it is this amazing beauty that keeps in its depths main danger: hidden among the large fan-shaped processes are sharp spines containing glands with a poisonous substance. The bright coloring of the lionfish warns others about this defense mechanism, which aquatic animals know very well, but people are not always able to understand.

If a person touches or steps on poisonous needles, then after one injection there is a sharp pain and deterioration in well-being. If there are several injections, the person becomes so ill that without outside help he may not make it to shore. People often lose consciousness due to pain, so health care should be stung in the shortest possible time.

To be fair, it must be said that there have been no recorded cases of lionfish attacks on people; it uses its poison only when it tries to protect its life.

The amazing creature owes its romantic name to its body shape, which resembles an oval, although it does not shine with beauty. A short, wide tail visually shortens the body even more and makes it look like a pancake.

The moon fish is the Guinness Book of Records record holder as the owner of the most heavy weight among all existing bony fish. The weight of a three-meter specimen is 1.5 tons, and how much the largest representatives that could be observed weigh has not been recorded. But you can imagine how much weight such a five-meter fish had.

Despite its terrifying appearance, the moon fish is completely harmless and even helpless: due to its enormous weight and disproportionately small fins, it is very difficult for it to swim. She is unable to overcome the current, so she simply drifts in the water. As an adult, she becomes even less mobile and spends most of her time lying on the bottom.

Amazing inhabitants of the sea - seahorses - resemble the body shape of a chess knight. Even the head itself, if you look closely, is very similar to the head of a young horse. The method by which skates move in water is atypical for ichthyofauna: they move spasmodically, maintaining a vertical position. They can “walk” vertically due to the special location of the swim bladder.

Their skin is covered with hard plates that protect their delicate body from possible damage, which helps them a lot, since they cannot swim quickly and cannot escape in case of danger.

The male acts as the mother of seahorses; he bears the offspring in a special brood pouch. This is not at all easy, given that the brood often reaches thousands of specimens.

It is very interesting that these fish are predators, although they do not have teeth. They suck in their small prey like pipettes. They also look funny during a storm, when they tightly grab the seaweed with the tip of their tail and stagger in the water until the elements calm down.

Now seahorses have become very rare in the seas and oceans. The reason for this is that people tend to catch them and sell them as souvenirs due to their unusual appearance. The cost of dishes made from them is also very high: a small portion starts at $800.

What titles are given to this creature - “the saddest”, “the most dissatisfied”, “the ugliest”. IN real life this amazing fish never sought to be appreciated by anyone, maybe that’s why it lives at very great depths - 600 - 1200 m. For this reason, it remained unknown for a long time, it was first described only in the first half of the 20th century, counting unsuitable for food. The sailors who caught it could not even think that they had caught a fish. They assumed it was some kind of oceanic animal.

The enormous depth of its habitat determined many of its features. For example, the blob fish does not have a swim bladder. At a depth of 800 m, the pressure is 80 times higher than that observed at sea level, so the swim bladder would burst with a huge explosion in the first second.

Outwardly, the drop fish really resembles jelly spread in a bubble, especially since it has neither fins nor scales. She also has no muscles, so she cannot swim. Most often, she moves to where the current takes her, with her mouth open, in the hope that a potential dinner will swim into it.

But this fish is an amazing mother. She is very caring and worries about the safety of her offspring until they become completely independent.

The blob fish has no enemies in nature, but fishermen often bring it to the surface, so its numbers are declining very quickly.

Among the amazing inhabitants of the deep sea, one cannot fail to mention the long-horned saber-tooth, which looks very terrifying. His appearance does not deceive him: he is a fierce predator who can easily defeat an opponent one and a half times his size.

Among marine inhabitants, this species has the longest teeth relative to the rest of the body proportions. The huge lower fangs grow for a very long time and begin to interfere with the closing of the sabertooth's mouth. In order to still close his mouth, special pockets are formed in his brain, where the ends of the teeth sink while the jaws close.

These fish live at very great depths, reaching up to 5 thousand m, but can live after rising to the surface for another 7-10 days. This is extremely amazing, since the conditions of the vast depths and the surface of the ocean differ in the same way as the surface of the Earth and space.

You can go fishing not only with a fishing rod, but also with a shovel. You will have to dig if you want to catch protoptera - fish that know how to live on land.

During a drought, they can lie in the sand for six months, waiting for a favorable time. Protopters are very unpretentious, they can easily endure any difficulties. Even without food, they will last 3 years, losing significant weight during this time and becoming thinner. During the hungry months, they fall into torpor several times, but do not die.

Thanks to four thin fins, protopters deftly walk along the bottom of reservoirs. In addition to gill respiration, they also use pulmonary respiration. Scientists suggest that these amazing inhabitants of the seas and fresh water bodies are creatures that served as the origin of animals from water to land.

Big Mouth

The second name for largemouth is pelican fish. It was given this name because its mouth stretches as much as the pouch at the bottom of a pelican's beak. The mouth of the largemouth is very large: it makes up 1/3 of the entire body of this amazing fish. Apart from the head, the rest of the body resembles that of an eel; it is just as long and narrow.

If the skull bones were complete, the pelican fish would not be able to swim under the weight of its own head. Wise nature provided for this moment, so the largemouth has a skeleton of deformed porous bones and lightweight cartilage. For added relief, it has no scales, swim bladder, ribs or caudal fin. In place of the lateral fins there are only small rudiments, so the speed at which it swims is very low.

Due to the huge size of its mouth, largemouth can swallow prey that is larger than itself. The stomach is also adapted to this, so it stretches to enormous volumes.

On the body and tail of the pelican fish there are special photophores - luminous spots found in deep-sea inhabitants. The largemouth feeds not only on large fish, but also on small fry and crustaceans that are found at such depths.

The anglerfish does not have a pleasant appearance. He lives at a sufficient depth to remain unknown for a long time. Interest in them is caused by the presence of a special process at the front end of the head - a “fishing rod”. It was formed from one dorsal fin, at the end of which there is a bag. This sac contains liquid and special bacteria. According to the needs of the anglerfish, blood flows into this sac either stronger or weaker, which causes the bacteria to periodically glow.

In some subspecies, this rod is located near the very entrance to the mouth, and in some it folds up so as not to get in the way when it is not needed for hunting.

Small fish swim to the glowing bag, becoming interested in the pleasant glow, and immediately become dinner for the anglerfish.

These close relatives of seahorses have unusual, amazing appendages on their bodies that are not fins. In fact, the function of these processes is considered to be camouflage. It looks like a broken piece of algae that is carried by the current. The sea dragon needs camouflage both when hunting small animals that serve as food for it, and to protect itself from its own enemies.

In addition to obvious help, the shoots interfere with the fish in some ways. For example, she cannot swim quickly because the “twigs” create resistance.

The color of a sea dragon can be different, it depends on what it feeds on, as well as on the region where it lives and on its age.

At the moment this species is considered almost extinct. The reason for this was its very beautiful appearance: collectors and professional aquarists are willing to pay a huge amount to add such an amazing specimen to their collection. Despite the fact that their catching and transportation is prohibited without a special license, the smuggling trade of sea dragons flourishes around the world. The only hope for the restoration of the species is that specialized aquariums and ichthyofauna institutes have recently learned how to reproduce these rare fish.

The expanses of water have not yet been fully explored, so it is possible that many more unusual and amazing creatures causing bewilderment or admiration.