The most expensive and rare fish in the world. Rare fish in the depths of the sea (10 photos)

Yesterday, September 26, was World Maritime Day. In this regard, we bring to your attention a selection of the most unusual sea creatures.

World Maritime Day has been celebrated since 1978 on one of the days of the last week of September. This international holiday was created in order to attract public attention to the problems of sea pollution and the extinction of animal species living in them. Indeed, over the past 100 years, according to the UN, some types of fish, including cod and tuna, have been caught by 90%, and every year about 21 million barrels of oil enter the seas and oceans.

All this causes irreparable damage to the seas and oceans and can lead to the death of their inhabitants. These include those that we will talk about in our selection.

1. Dumbo the Octopus

This animal received its name due to the ear-like structures protruding from the top of its head, which resemble the ears of Disney's baby elephant Dumbo. However, the scientific name of this animal is Grimpoteuthis. These cute creatures live at depths of 3,000 to 4,000 meters and are one of the rarest octopuses.

The largest individuals of this genus were 1.8 meters in length and weighed about 6 kg. Most of the time, these octopuses swim above the seabed in search of food - polychaete worms and various crustaceans. By the way, unlike other octopuses, these swallow their prey whole.

2. Short-snouted pipistrelle

This fish attracts attention, first of all, with its unusual appearance, namely with bright red lips on the front of the body. As previously thought, they are necessary to attract sea creatures, which the pipistrelle bat feeds on. However, it was soon discovered that this function was performed little education on the head of a fish, called an eska. It emits a specific odor that attracts worms, crustaceans and small fish.

The unusual “image” of the pipistrelle bat is complemented by an equally amazing way of moving in water. Being a poor swimmer, it walks along the bottom on its pectoral fins.

The short-snouted pipistrelle is a deep-sea fish and lives in the waters near the Galapagos Islands.

3. Branched brittle stars

These deep-sea marine animals have many branched arms. Moreover, each of the rays can be 4-5 times larger than the body of these brittle stars. With their help, the animal catches zooplankton and other food. Like other echinoderms, branched brittle stars lack blood, and gas exchange is carried out using a special water-vascular system.

Typically, branched brittle stars weigh about 5 kg, their rays can reach 70 cm in length (in the branched brittle stars Gorgonocephalus stimpsoni), and their body is 14 cm in diameter.

4. Harlequin pipe snout

This is one of the least studied species that can, if necessary, merge with the bottom or imitate a twig of algae.

It is next to the thickets of the underwater forest at a depth of 2 to 12 meters that these creatures try to stay in order to dangerous situation they were able to acquire the color of the soil or the nearest plant. During “quiet” times for harlequins, they slowly swim upside down in search of food.

Looking at the photograph of the harlequin tubesnout, it is easy to guess that they are related to seahorses and needles. However, they differ noticeably in appearance: for example, the harlequin has longer fins. By the way, this shape of fins helps the ghost fish bear offspring. With the help of elongated pelvic fins, covered on the inside with thread-like outgrowths, the female harlequin forms a special pouch in which she bears eggs.

5. Yeti Crab

In 2005, an expedition exploring the Pacific Ocean discovered extremely unusual crabs that were covered in “fur” at a depth of 2,400 meters. Because of this feature (as well as coloring), they were called “Yeti crabs” (Kiwa hirsuta).

However, it was not fur in the literal sense of the word, but long feathery bristles covering the chest and limbs of crustaceans. According to scientists, many filamentous bacteria live in the bristles. These bacteria purify water from toxic substances, emitted by hydrothermal vents, next to which “Yeti crabs” live. There is also an assumption that these same bacteria serve as food for crabs.

6. Australian coneberry

This one that lives in coastal waters Australian states of Queensland, New South Wales and Western Australia are found on reefs and bays. Due to its small fins and hard scales, it swims extremely slowly.

Being a nocturnal species, the Australian conefish spends the day in caves and under rocky outcroppings. Thus, in one marine reserve in New South Wales, a small group of conefish was recorded hiding under the same ledge for at least 7 years. At night, this species comes out of hiding and goes hunting on sandbanks, illuminating its path with the help of luminescent organs, photophores. This light is produced by a colony of symbiotic bacteria, Vibrio fischeri, which has taken up residence in the photophores. Bacteria can leave photophores and simply live in sea water. However, their luminescence fades a few hours after they leave the photophores.

Interestingly, fish also use the light emitted by their luminescent organs to communicate with their relatives.

7. Lyre sponge

The scientific name of this animal is Chondrocladia lyra. It is a type of carnivorous deep-sea sponge, and was first discovered in the California sponge at a depth of 3300-3500 meters in 2012.

The lyre sponge gets its name from its appearance, which resembles a harp or lyre. So, this animal is held on the seabed with the help of rhizoids, root-like formations. From their upper part stretches from 1 to 6 horizontal stolons, and on them equal distance vertical “branches” with spade-shaped structures at the end are located apart from each other.

Since the lyre sponge is carnivorous, it uses these “branches” to capture prey, such as crustaceans. And as soon as she manages to do this, she will begin to secrete a digestive membrane that will envelop the prey. Only after this the lyre sponge will be able to suck in the split prey through its pores.

The largest recorded lyre sponge reaches almost 60 centimeters in length.

8. Clowns

Living in almost all tropical and subtropical seas and oceans, fish from the clown family are among the fastest predators on the planet. After all, they are able to catch prey in less than a second!

So, having seen a potential victim, the “clown” will track it down, remaining motionless. Of course, the prey will not notice it, because fish of this family usually resemble a plant or a harmless animal in their appearance. In some cases, when the prey comes closer, the predator begins to move the esco, a process of the anterior dorsal fin, which resembles a “fishing rod”, which forces the victim to come even closer. And as soon as a fish or other sea animal is close enough to the “clown”, it will suddenly open its mouth and swallow its prey, spending only 6 milliseconds! This attack is so lightning fast that it cannot be seen without slow motion. By the way, the volume of the fish’s oral cavity often increases 12 times while catching prey.

In addition to the speed of clownfish, an equally important role in their hunting is played by the unusual shape, color and texture of their cover, which allows these fish to mimic. Some clownfish resemble rocks or corals, while others resemble sponges or sea squirts. And in 2005, Sargassum clown sea, which imitates algae, was discovered. The “camouflage” of clownfish can be so good that sea slugs often crawl over these fish, mistaking them for coral. However, they need “camouflage” not only for hunting, but also for protection.

Interestingly, during a hunt, the “clown” sometimes sneaks up on its prey. He literally approaches her using his pectoral and ventral fins. These fish can walk in two ways. They can alternately move their pectoral fins without using their pelvic fins, and they can transfer their body weight with pectoral fins to the abdominals. The latter method of gait can be called a slow gallop.

9. Smallmouth macropinna

Living in the depths of the northern part Pacific Ocean smallmouth macropinna has a very unusual appearance. She has a transparent forehead through which she can look out for prey with her tubular eyes.

The unique fish was discovered in 1939. However, at that time it was not possible to study it well enough, in particular the structure of the cylindrical eyes of the fish, which can move from a vertical position to a horizontal position and vice versa. This was only possible in 2009.

Then it became clear that the bright green eyes of this small fish(it does not exceed 15 cm in length) are located in a chamber of the head filled with transparent liquid. This chamber is covered by a dense, but at the same time elastic transparent shell, which is attached to the scales on the body of the smallmouth macropinna. The bright green color of the fish's eyes is explained by the presence of a specific yellow pigment in them.

Since the smallmouth macropinna is characterized by special structure eye muscles, then its cylindrical eyes can be in either a vertical or horizontal position, when the fish can look straight through its transparent head. Thus, macropinna can notice prey both when it is in front of it and when it swims above it. And as soon as the prey - usually zooplankton - is at the level of the fish’s mouth, it quickly grabs it.

10. Sea Spider

These arthropods, which are not actually spiders or even arachnids, are common in the Mediterranean and Caribbean seas, as well as in the Arctic and Southern Oceans. Today, more than 1,300 species of this class are known, some representatives of which reach 90 cm in length. However, the majority sea spiders are still small in size.

These animals have long paws, of which there are usually about eight. Moss spiders also have a special appendage (proboscis) that they use to absorb food into the intestines. Most of these animals are carnivorous and feed on cnidarians, sponges, polychaete worms and bryozoans. For example, sea spiders often feed on sea anemones: they insert their proboscis into the body of the sea anemone and begin to suck its contents into themselves. And since sea anemones are usually larger than sea spiders, they almost always survive such “torture.”

Sea spiders live in different parts world: in the waters of Australia, New Zealand, off the Pacific coast of the United States, in the Mediterranean and Caribbean seas, as well as in the Arctic and Southern oceans. Moreover, they are most common in shallow water, but can also be found at depths of up to 7000 meters. They often hide under rocks or camouflage themselves among algae.

11. Cyphoma gibbosum

The shell color of this orange-yellow snail seems very bright. However, only the soft tissues of a living mollusk have this color, and not the shell. Typically, Cyphoma gibbosum snails reach 25-35 mm in length, and their shell is 44 mm.

These animals live in warm waters the western part of the Atlantic Ocean, including the Caribbean Sea, the Gulf of Mexico and the waters of the Lesser Antilles at depths of up to 29 meters.

12. Mantis crab

Those who live on great depth in tropical and subtropical seas, mantis crayfish have the most complex eyes in the world. If a person can distinguish 3 primary colors, then the mantis crab can distinguish 12. Also, these animals perceive ultraviolet and infrared light and see different types polarization of light.

Many animals are able to see linear polarization. For example, fish and crustaceans use it to navigate and detect prey. However, only mantis crabs are able to see both linear polarization and the rarer, circular one.

Such eyes enable mantis crayfish to recognize various types corals, their prey and predators. In addition, when hunting, it is important for the crayfish to deliver precise strikes with its pointed, grasping legs, in which its eyes also help.

By the way, sharp, jagged segments on the grasping legs also help mantis crayfish cope with prey or predators, which can be much larger in size. So, during an attack, the mantis crab makes several fast strikes with their own feet, causing serious damage or killing the victim.

Unusual fish are found not only in the depths of oceans and seas, lakes and rivers, they can also be seen in aquariums. People who are keen on fishing have invented many original methods.

The most unusual aquarium fish

With a huge variety of aquarium fish, the most unusual ones can be distinguished among them. Tetraodon is an aquarium fish somewhat reminiscent of a helicopter. It swallows air or water, causing it to swell greatly, becoming like a ball. The body of the fish is egg-shaped, tapering towards the tail. Her skin is bare. Most often, tetraodon is gray-beige in color with stripes and spots along the body. There are small spines on its abdomen. Tetraodon grows to a length of between six and twenty-five centimeters. These are strictly territorial fish. In the aquarium they always occupy certain territory and “strangers” are not allowed there.

You can see snake-like fish in aquariums. Their name is macrognathus. The cylindrical body sometimes reaches a length of seventy centimeters. The upper part of the jaw ends in a proboscis-like process. During the day it is difficult to see them, since macrognathus leads mostly night look life, but during the day they prefer to bury themselves in the ground or stay in dark places. A fish that is unable to burrow into the ground may experience stress, which will lead to skin disease. Due to its activity at night, Macrognathus is capable of jumping out of the aquarium, so it is better to always keep it closed.

The Chukchan fish is considered to have an unusual shape and at the same time rare. She has a flat, slightly concave belly, a raised back and a high fin. Her body is light brown with three dark stripes. As soon as night falls, you turn off the light in the aquarium, and the fish freezes in place and does not move, remaining in this position until morning or the light turns on.

Large and massive fish are mastacembelas. Depending on the species, they can be from forty to sixty centimeters in length. Their color is bright and spotted.

Elephant fish belongs to the beaked fish family. The fish's snout is crowned with a long trunk with an oral cavity located on it. With this device, the elephant fish obtains food for itself in the mud. It can also fish out invertebrate larvae from crevices and cracks. These fish communicate with each other using a “living radar” - a unique electrical organ. An organ that is capable of producing electric charge 1/2 volt, located at the end of the body.

The long, snake-like olive-coffee fish is called the kalamoicht. Its length reaches thirty centimeters and is no more than a finger thick. The fish's face is similar to a Chinese dragon. Many people confuse it with a snake when they see it for the first time. The kalamoicht fish is prone to escape. It is important that the aquarium is completely closed, since a small gap will be enough for her to escape.

The most unusual sea fish

Using bathyscaphes, sonars and scuba tanks, man is moving further and further in research underwater world oceans. From time to time, unusual fish are discovered there, the existence of which people knew nothing about.

The drop fish has a very unusual shape, which belongs to deep sea fish. It can be seen in tropical waters at a depth of about three hundred meters. The colors of these fish are very diverse and depend on the color of the native coral where they live. Surprisingly, the drop fish is able to walk along the bottom on its fins, like terrestrial quadrupeds.

Of the modern bony fishes, the largest is the sunfish. It is also called the sun fish. Sometimes its length reaches four meters and its weight reaches two tons. The body of the fish is strongly compressed from the sides, which is why it resembles a disk.

Smallmouth macropinna lives at enormous depths. Her cylindrical eyes point upward and peer through her transparent head. Among sea fish, the most poisonous is the stone fish. The spikes on the back are very dangerous. The poison affects the central nervous system, so meeting such a fish can result in disability or death.

Unusual ways of fishing

Fishermen use different types of bait when fishing. There are unusual ways. One of them is to use ordinary sand as bait, fried with oil for ten minutes. Such sand in small quantities It is poured into the water where fish are fished, thanks to which the catch is always considerable.

In Nepal, local residents manage to catch trout using kerosene lamp and khukri (knife). This is done at night. One person holds a lantern or lit lamp as close to the surface of the water as possible. Soon the head of a trout appears, which freezes for a moment, looking at the bright light. At this time, the local fisherman makes a sharp blow to the head of the fish with his knife, after which it floats downstream, where it is caught by a second fisherman.

It is known that in Rome mastiffs helped fishermen catch bulls. They swam to the reef closest to the shore, waited until the water they disturbed subsided, then lowered their mouths into the water and exhaled forcefully, gurgling loudly. Because of this, the bulls swam out from behind the stones, and the mastiff, jumping into the water, hit them with his paws. These movements raised silt, which clogged the gobies’ gills; in addition, they were stunned by the blows of the dog’s paws on the water. All this made gobies easy prey for fishermen.

The most unusual fish in the world

Most unusual fish Different fish are named in different ratings around the world. According to one version, this is a flying fish. Having jumped out of the water, it can fly about half a kilometer, and can reach speeds of up to seventy-five kilometers per hour.

In 2000, an unusual fish was caught in Australia, which belonged to an unknown species. She received her nickname “handshift” for her ability to move along the bottom on fins that resemble hands. This fish lives in clean water in shallow water and practically does not swim at all.

There is another unusual representative aquatic fauna- moon fish. This animal is considered one of the largest fish. The website has an interesting article about sunfish and other large inhabitants of the depths.
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on Earth, and some fish are definitely more unusual and scary than others. Below you will find a list of the TOP 11 most unusual, terrible and amazing fish in the world's oceans, ranging from the laughable blob fish to the nightmarish goblin shark and stargazer.

1. Blobfish

In his natural environment habitat at ocean depths from 900 to 1200 meters, drop fish ( Psychrolutes marcidus) looks almost like an ordinary fish, but when it appears on the surface, its body expands and the fish turns into a comical creature with big nose. This is because the blobfish's gelatinous flesh evolved to withstand intense deep-sea pressure while allowing it to float on the seabed. Torn out of your usual environment, the blob fish swells into a real monster. You may not have noticed, but the blob fish appeared in the Chinese restaurant scene in the third movie Men in Black, yet most people thought it was a special computer effect and not a real animal!

2. Asian sheephead wrasse

We know little about these fish, but it is likely that their huge forehead and chin are a sexual characteristic of dominance: males (or perhaps females) with larger head growths are considered more attractive to the opposite sex during mating season (one piece of evidence The support for this hypothesis is that the newly hatched Asian sheephead wrasses have normal heads).

3. Cube body

The marine analogue of the rectangular watermelons that are sold in Japan is the cube-shaped fish ( Ostracion cubicus) often visits the coral reefs of the Indian and Pacific oceans, feeding on algae and small. No one is sure how or why the cube body was distorted classic fish with flat, narrow bodies, but their maneuverability in the water appears to depend more on their fins than on their body shape. An interesting fact is that in 2006, Mercedes-Benz introduced the Bionic concept car, modeled after a cube-shaped fish (if you've never heard of the Bionic, that's because the car was a true evolutionary failure compared to its more successful inspiration ).

4. Psychedelic frog fish

Discovered in 2009 in Indonesian waters, psychedelic frogfish ( Histiophrine psychedelica) have a large flat face, Blue eyes, a giant mouth and, most importantly, a striped white-orange-brown pattern that supposedly allows it to blend in with the surrounding corals. For any potential prey who is not properly hypnotized, the psychedelic frogfish also possesses a tiny "luring appendage" on its head that resembles a wriggling worm.

5. Redfin opah

In terms of its appearance, the redfin opah ( Lampris guttatus) will surprise few people. You may have seen these fish in large aquariums. What makes the redfin opah a truly unusual fish is not on the outside, but on the inside: it is the first identified species of warm-blooded fish, that is, it is independently capable of maintaining its internal body temperature 10 ° C above the temperature surrounding water. This unique physiology gives the redfin opah greater energy (they are known to migrate thousands of kilometers) and also supports them in extreme deep-sea habitats. The hard question is, if warm-blooded metabolism is a beneficial adaptation, then why are other fish cold-blooded?

6. Goblin Shark

Deep-sea analogue of Alien from film director Ridley Scott, goblin shark ( Mitsukurina owstoni) is characterized by a long narrow muzzle on the top of the head and sharp protruding teeth below. When this shark is within range of its prey, it pushes out its lower jaws and captures the prey. However, do not be afraid, the goblin shark is unusually lazy and relatively slow and would probably not be able to outrun a frightened person. Surprisingly Mitsukurina owstoni is probably the only living shark that flourished during the early 125 million years ago, which explains its fearsome appearance and feeding habits.

7. Striped catfish

Striped catfish ( Anarhicas lupus) made this list for two reasons. Firstly, this fish has a pair of extraordinary terrible jaws, with sharp incisors in front and chewing teeth at the back, which are ideal for and. Secondly, and more astonishingly, the striped catfish lives in such icy Atlantic waters that it is forced to produce its own "antifreeze proteins" that prevent the blood from freezing at temperatures of -1° C. As you might expect, this strange chemical component makes the striped catfish unsuitable as food for humans, but they are so often caught in deep-sea trawl nets that they are endangered.

8. Red pacu

Red pacu ( Piaractus brachypomus) looks like something out of a nightmare, or at least a mutant from a David Cronenberg film: this South American fish has unusual human-like teeth. Oddly enough, red pacu are sold as "vegetarian piranhas" in some pet stores, whose owners often neglect to inform their customers that these fish are capable of inflicting serious, crushing bites on the fingers of their owners, and a 10-centimeter young pacu can quickly outgrow the size of its aquarium. demanding large and expensive dwellings.

9. Spiny-nosed Whiteblood

Almost all animals on Earth use the protein hemoglobin to carry oxygen, which gives blood its characteristic red color. But the spiny-nosed whiteblood ( Chionodraco rastrospinosus) fully lives up to its name, since due to the lack of hemoglobin, its blood is colorless. This amazing Antarctic fish uses whatever oxygen dissolves in its blood directly from its oversized gills. The advantage of this adaptation is that clear blood is less viscous and is more easily pumped throughout the body; The disadvantage is that the spiny-nosed whiteblood must lead a sedentary lifestyle, since prolonged bursts of activity quickly deplete oxygen reserves.

10. Common Vandellia

Described by one naturalist as “the most complex creature in creation,” the stargazer fish has two large, bulging eyes and one huge mouth on top, rather than in front, of its head. The Stargazer burrows into the ocean floor, from where it pounces on unsuspecting victims. Well, that's not all the weirdness: these scary fish also grow two poisonous spines above their dorsal fins, and some species can even generate mild electric shocks. Surprisingly, stargazers are considered a delicacy in Asian countries. If you don't mind having your dinner staring back at you from your plate, and you're confident the chef has successfully removed its toxic organs, don't hesitate to order a meal from Stargazer on your next trip to Asia.

As we know, life originated in water. And mysterious, unexplored expanses of water have always attracted travelers, scientists and simply adventurers. How many generations have replaced each other, but the rebellious element has never succumbed to full study, carefully guarding its secrets.

However, by the twenty-first century, humanity has still accumulated a lot of knowledge about the inhabitants of rivers, seas and oceans. And despite great experience, and a lot of materials studied, we are still surprised by those who live in the abysses of the sea.

We present to you the top 10 amazing inhabitants of the World Ocean. Happy reading!

One of their varieties is the Greenlandic, which lives in the vastness of the North Atlantic.

Their longest length that has been recorded is as much as six and a half meters! The weight of that shark was about a ton. But, despite their size and origin, Greenland sharks attack people very rarely, most often these cases are only attributed to them, without much evidence. This is because these sharks prefer cold waters, where it is almost impossible for them to meet a person. There are only two known cases of sharks chasing people. One of them occurred in the Gulf of St. Lawrence, where the Greenland polar for a long time swam behind the ship, and another time, she kept up with a group of divers, forcing them to rise back to the surface.

Some fishermen are sure that this type of shark causes damage to gear and large-scale extermination of other fish, and considers them pests. Therefore, most often when catching a polar shark, they get rid of their tail fins and throw them overboard.

Arapaima is a representative of tropical freshwater fish, which boasts interesting features.

Scientists have called this fish, which has a very archaic morphology, a living fossil. In addition to its enormous size for its genus, the arapaima has large scales that cover its entire body. Her head is also covered in durable bone plates.

At first glance, it seems as if such a fish is protected by some kind of armor. And this is not so far from the truth - the relief scales of the arapaya are incredibly strong (for comparison, if you compare the modulus of elasticity of such scales and ordinary bones, then these scales will exceed the strength of bones ten times). It is thanks to this protection that arapaima can live calmly even among piranhas.

These fish prefer a fairly warm climate, and therefore you can meet them by visiting South America, the Amazon basin, or in the vast expanses of Brazil, Peru and Guyana. At the same time, arapaima are predators, and their food is mainly other, smaller fish or even birds.

One of its types is Californian. They are quite poorly studied, but interest in these fish is growing very quickly. California sharks live mainly in the subtropical waters of the Pacific Ocean. The size of one shark can reach one hundred centimeters. These creatures are nocturnal, preferring to feed and reproduce at late times.

Such sharks are able to pump water into their stomach, and thereby swell, similar to other sharks of the genus bigheaded. They prefer to eat crustaceans and just small fish.

The Californian species is good because it is absolutely safe for people. If there is a collision with a person underwater, then this fish will remain motionless until the last moment, however, if someone disturbs it or scares it, it will swell, doubling its size. And therefore, the National Union for the Conservation of Nature has assigned such bloating sharks the status of “least dangerous”.

A very popular and famous fish. This form of discus appeared in the early nineties of the last century, that is, relatively recently. Its ancestors are considered to be discus fish of blue and brown natural forms. In Thailand, one of the breeders noticed among his pets a fish with a small pattern similar to snake skin. The first fish of this form had fourteen vertical stripes, although ordinary discus have only nine, but now they have become much thinner. Later, through the efforts of breeders, another form of these fish was developed, the stripes of which were so thin that they resembled a cobweb. Subsequently, representatives of this form became the basis for the emergence of many new beautiful and unusual forms of fish. This is how the Leopard Snake Skin and Eastern Dream were born; they delight aquarists with their appearance - bright red dots and a subtle cobweb pattern. Snakeskin discus are capricious and finicky; they require a caring attitude from their owners. They prefer to live in small flocks (5-6 individuals) and are susceptible to various diseases.

Mandarin ducks live in coral reefs in the western Pacific. These colorful representatives of the order Perciformes received their name for their bright juicy color, reminiscent of the mantle of imperial Chinese mandarins.

These small six-centimeter beauties have a slightly elongated body, slightly flattened on the sides. Their head is round with huge moving eyes. The skin is smooth, without scales. The tail has long plumage. The entire fish is painted in a cute red-brown color with bright blue psychedelic patterns. The “feather” of the tail, fins on the tail and on the chest are edged with a bluish color.

The mandarin duck is a bottom-dwelling fish and is quite friendly. Looking at her, you admire her amazing beauty. That is why the Mandarin duck is very popular as a aquarium fish. But it is worth noting that only experienced amateur aquarists can afford to own this beauty due to its rather difficult maintenance.

The imperial angelfish is deservedly one of the most beautiful coral fish on the planet. These underwater inhabitants swim in tropical and subtropical seas near the coral reefs of the Indo-Pacific region. It is noteworthy that the imperial angels change their color. The fry are born black with snow-white and turquoise curved lines and a black tail with spots and a bright blue edging. In adult individuals, the body is slightly flattened on the sides and increases in height. Their color turns bright purple with thin horizontal stripes of yellow and orange.

With age, the head becomes emerald above and brown below, with a noticeable bright mask near the eyes. This is amazing beautiful creatures! They are active during the day and like to live alone. IN mating season they pair up. Researchers believe that a couple is created for life, and if one “half” dies, then the other will soon die.

An amazing creature of the tropical seas - the surgeon fish. Her characteristic feature is a colorful color - from pale blue to rich yellow, as well as a mixture of blue-black colors with yellow fins.

These half-meter tropical beauties attract divers with their amazing colors, however, it is better to stay away from them. The fact is that in their crescent-shaped rear fin there are two sharp bone plates, which the fish use, like a knife blade, for self-defense. This dangerous weapon, sharp as a razor, can lead to rupture of a tendon or artery, and, as a result, heavy bleeding. Basically, the “scalpels” are peacefully pressed against the fin. But when a threat comes, the surgeon fish opens them and can inflict quite severe cuts with them. So you need to keep your distance with these fish. Losing blood can be fatal, but it's much worse if the wounds become bait for a deadly reef shark.

This cute fish has a beak-like front part of its head. That is why it has such a bird-like name. In addition, its colorful appearance determined the naming of a specific bird - a parrot. The fish uses its “beak” to eat small invertebrates found in corals. After which, the remains of food are spat out. These rainbow fish are very colorful. They are colored in a mixture of gold, blue, green, blue, purple and pink tones and are decorated with bright yellow spots.

2. Pisces - Leo

This handsome predatory fish is also called zebra fish, striped lionfish. It lives in the Indian and Pacific oceans, the Red Sea, and can be found in the waters of the Caribbean. This is a fairly large fish; its dimensions can reach forty centimeters (and in captivity it grows up to 13 cm), weight - up to one kilogram. The lion fish attracts everyone's attention, of course, with its color; the color of its stripes can be red, black, or light brown. This “lion” has a large head, there are spikes on it, and there are tentacles near the mouth. When he is in danger or during a hunt, the lion fish opens its rays and becomes very formidable. For marine inhabitants, this immediately becomes a signal of danger, but humans are always attracted to everything bright, colorful and unusual, and this can have sad consequences. After all, the needles of this fish contain poison that is dangerous to humans. But this handsome man will never attack first, only if in response to human provocation.
If you keep it at home, then its neighbors in the aquarium should be large fish, since it will simply eat small ones, and the “lion” swallows its victims whole. It lives near corals, in lagoons and bays, and in the aquarium it needs to create secluded places so that it can hide.

The Bangai Cardinal fish, named after its habitat on Bangai Island in Indonesia, is quite rare and is on the verge of extinction. In length, Bangai generally grow to five to six centimeters in length, with a maximum of eight. These fish are extremely beautiful. They are recognizable due to their forked caudal fin, very long dorsal fin rays, decorated with black and white spots. Also, three black stripes vertically cross the entire body and head. These sea inhabitants are extremely hardy. In addition, Bangai Cardinals are not problematic to breed in their natural environment.

The waters of the world's oceans are home to countless fish and other marine animals. Ordinary people have no idea about some of them. The study of marine fauna began relatively recently. This is due to the fact that previously there was no appropriate equipment for diving to great depths. The Frenchman Jacques Yves Cousteau made a huge contribution to in-depth research. It was he who discovered many marine inhabitants that are included in the TOP 10 most amazing fish.

Blobfish

The list of the 10 most amazing fish opens with the drop fish. It is found at a depth of 900-1200 m and is practically no different from its counterparts. But as soon as she gets on land, her gelatinous body swells, and sea creature transforms into unusual creature, having big nose. The blob fish appeared in the film “Men in Black” in the episode of the third part with a Chinese restaurant.

In second place we placed the predatory Scorpionfish of Ambon, which has an extravagant appearance. This deep sea dweller, discovered in 1856, has characteristic eyebrow-like projections above its eyes. Its ability to change color helps well in hunting: Scorpionfish waits for its prey, merging with the seabed.

Psychedelic Frogfish

The list of 10 most amazing fish continues with the psychedelic frog fish, so named for its extravagant appearance and unusual coloring: bright orange with white stripes. It was opened only 8 years ago. The tail and fins of this sea dweller resemble the limbs of an amphibian. The frog fish looks at the world with bright blue eyes. Fins unusual shape allow her to push off from the bottom and move by jumping.

Semicossyphus reticulatus

Scientists know little about Asian sheephead wrasses. These fish are distinguished by the presence of large growths on the forehead and chin. Moreover, young animals do not have such features: bulges appear in adults. Perhaps these are signs of sexual dominance of males or females. There is a well-known story about a 25-year friendship between a similar fish named Yoriko and a Japanese diver.

Leafy Seadragon

When telling what the most amazing fish on the planet live in the waters of the world's oceans, one cannot fail to mention the rag picker. This fish was discovered in 1865. The head and body of these representatives of the fauna are covered with processes very similar to algae. With their help, fish camouflage themselves during hunting and hide from enemies. They feed on shrimp, plankton and algae, swallowing food whole because they do not have teeth. They live in the southern Indian Ocean.

Ocean Sunfish

The moon fish was discovered in 1758. Its body is shaped like a disk, flattened on the sides. The fins grow together, touching the tail. It was for this structure of the body of the deep-sea inhabitant that they dubbed it the moon. This type It is not very resilient and has difficulty in overcoming strong currents. But the moonfish grows to enormous sizes. Some individuals reach 1.5 tons. The moon feeds on jellyfish, squid, eel eggs, ctenophores and plankton.

Ostracion cubicus

The TOP of the most amazing fish continues with the cube box. This inhabitant of the deep sea has a cubic body, which would seem to contradict the laws of evolution. However, such fish live in the Pacific and Indian oceans near coral reefs and maneuver well in the water using their fins. Their main food is small invertebrates and algae.

Broadnose chymaera

In 1909, at great depths at the bottom of the Atlantic Ocean, researchers discovered a jelly-like fish. For its unsightly appearance and characteristic muzzle, it was called the broad-nosed chimera. This fish has been studied very poorly. It is only known that its main diet consists of shellfish.

Frilled Shark

The frilled fish is a shark. It's not enough known species. It was opened in 1884. Externally, the cape bear looks like a snake or conger eel. There are stripes on the sides of the body, which are gills hidden under the skin. A pair of gills located near the head are connected to each other into a single flesh, reminiscent of a cloak. In the mouth of a deep-sea inhabitant there are several rows of large teeth. Currently, there are no more than 100 individuals left.