Although everyone has their own definition of beauty, everyone can recognize the ugly when they see it. Nature is amazing, but not every marine life is as adorable as a clownfish or as stunning as a killer whale. While each organism is vital and every animal has a purpose, occasionally evolution produces a species that lacks the visual appeal that people are accustomed to. And honestly, there could be creatures that are not weird looking but ugly too. Here is a list of the ugliest fishes in the world.
Ugliest Fishes In The World
1. Gulper Eel
The gulper eel, often known as the Pelican eel due to its large mouth, may be found in tropical and temperate oceans between 500 and 6,000 feet deep. The bioluminescence near the tip of the tail is thought to be employed to entice prey.
Also Read: 10 Most Amazing Aquatic Animals In The World
Image Source: NOAA Photo Library
2. Blobfish
By popular voting, the blobfish was chosen in 2013 to represent the Ugly Animal Preservation Society. (Yes, that group is real.) The fish is sadly endangered and lives off the coast of Australia. It is trapped in deep-sea trawler nets as a result of fishing for other fish. Its appearance is more disgusting than clownish. The blobfish’s gelatinous, squishy body is at the whim of the currents and feeds on whatever is drifting past because it lacks a swim bladder. At 4,000-foot depths, it hovers slightly above the seabed.
Also Read: 10 Different Types of Fish With Legs
Image Source: James Joel
3. Frilled Shark
The deep Atlantic and Pacific waters are home to the very uncommon frilled shark (Chlamydoselachus anguineus). One of the animals in the Mariana trenches due to its primordial eel-like characteristics, including color, length, and fin placements in the back of its body, it is regarded as a living fossil. The frilled shark hunts by bending and lunging like an eel to capture prey. It can swallow enormous animals whole because of its exceptionally broad jaws, which are lined with 300 curved, needle-like teeth. These beasts are very nasty and scary! The frilled shark, which is rarely observed, lives in the Pacific and Atlantic oceans.
Also Read: 10 Amazing Land And Water Animals In The World
Image Soure: Wikimedia
4. Anglerfish
Most anglerfish inhabit the murky depths of the Arctic and Atlantic oceans. The fleshy portion of the dorsal fin that hangs directly over the mouth and is used as bait to draw prey is where they earn their name. Anglerfish are found in more than 200 different species. Perhaps the ugliest animal on the earth is the angler fish. There are around 200 species of anglerfish, which range in size from 0.3 to 1 meter and are typically dark grey to dark brown in color.
Also Read: 10 Different Types of Fish with Big Foreheads
Image Source: Wikimedia
5. Monkfish
The monkfish (Lophius), also known as fishing frogs, frogfish, and “poor man’s lobster,” is a bottom-dwelling fish that inhabits the western and northern Atlantic oceans. These names refer to the monkfish’s – let’s face it, ugly – appearance, which includes mottled skin, small eyes, oversized heads and mouths, and rows of overbite teeth that resemble fangs. These fish are in fact really good, despite their unappetizing appearance, and they are increasingly showing up on menus of high-end restaurants and elsewhere.
Also Read: A List Of 15+ Fishes With Big Lips
Image Source: Ryan Somma
6. Red-lipped Batfish
It’s debatable if the red-lipped batfish (Ogcocephalus darwini), which has an odd appearance, genuinely qualifies as ugly. This fish, which is common in the area of the Galapagos Islands and close to the South American coast in Peru, has an unusually shaped body, a “beard” and “mustache,” a big “nose,” and, the show-stopping feature, brilliant red pouting lips. It is one of the ugliest fishes in the world.
According to scientists, the red-lipped batfish’s ability to attract a partner may be due to these lips. Unlike most fish, red-lipped batfish prefer to “walk” on the ocean floor rather than swim gracefully. As they get older, they stop using their dorsal fin for swimming and instead use it to lure prey.
Also Read: 10 Different Types of Fish With Big Teeth
Image Source: Vlad Karpinsky
7. Sloane’s Viperfish
The Sloane’s viperfish (Chauliodus sloani), also known as Sloane’s fang fish, inhabits nearly all marine environments in temperate and tropical oceans between a depth of 1,000 and 2,000 meters. They are not only a really ugly fish (and certainly deserving of a spot on this list), but they also hold a record for having the fish with the longest teeth in proportion to its head size, according to the Guinness Book of Records.
Actually, the Greek terms chaulios (meaning open-mouthed) and odous are the sources of their name (for teeth). In fact, it can’t seal its mouth because of how big the teeth are. The fish, despite its intimidating appearance, is just about a foot long. They stay at 5,000 feet during the day but descend to 2,000 feet at night to feed.
Image Source: Brian Suda
8. Goblin Shark
The goblin shark (Mitsukurina owstoni) is a deep-water fish with pink skin that has elongated, flattened jaws that protrude outward and pointed nail-like teeth. Its snout is quite unusual. They can get up to 6 meters long and have a thin, flabby bodies. When they reach adulthood, the mature sharks’ distinctive pink color is caused by visible blood veins beneath the skin, an evolution from their nearly white juvenile state.
Also Read: 10 Different Types of Sharks In The World
Image Source: Wikimedia
9. Whitemargin Stargazer
The whitemargin stargazer (Uranoscopus sulphureus) is a member of a class of fish that live on the bottom and have developed eyes on the tops of their heads. They bury themselves in the sand to conceal themselves while hunting, then pounces to ambush moving prey. Whitemargin stargazers have upward-facing eyes and upward-facing mouths in their huge heads, which make for the ideal hunting physique—though not the most appealing!
Image Source: Wikimedia
10. Illuminated Netdevil
Among anglerfish, the luminous netdevil (Linophryne arborifera) is the unique ugliest fishes in the world. To draw prey, they have bright lures protruding from their sides and heads. The species’ 8-centimeter female is shown in the image. The males are parasitic and considerably smaller. They live their entire lives hanging on the females’ bellies, looking forward. Good life!
Image Source: Wikimedia
Our collection of ugliest fishes is now complete. What did you think—were there any glaring fish missing? Or is there anything on the list that you believe is being mistreated and ought to be taken off? In the comments box below, we’d love to hear from you! You can share more about such ugly-looking creatures. Stay tuned for more.
