Home Trees and shrubs Ocean fish. Description and varieties of oceanic fish. There are other large groups of sharks.

Ocean fish. Description and varieties of oceanic fish. There are other large groups of sharks.

Exploring the underwater world of seas and oceans reveals many surprises, striking a variety of life forms. The greatest amazement is caused by fish of an unusual appearance and way of life. The most interesting representatives of the underwater kingdom are presented in the hit parade called strange fish in the ocean.

Representatives of the anglerfish order stand out against the background of their congeners with a disproportionately large head, the size of which is almost half of the body weight. With their constitution, bizarre fish resemble giant tadpoles.

The mouth of sea bats is normal in size. But due to the fleshy red lips, it seems just huge. The popular belief that red lips are a way to attract prey is wrong. This function is performed by an esca - a tube-shaped outgrowth on the head, which secretes odorous substances that are attractive to small fish and sea worms.

The whimsical image of one of the most amazing fish on the planet complements the original way of getting around. Being a clumsy swimmer, the fish moves along the bottom on the pectoral fins, touching them like legs.

Barrel eyes were discovered to science not so long ago, and therefore they have been studied only superficially. The main feature of this species is its transparent head. The chamber filled with a transparent liquid is covered by a dome-shaped shell. Through it, as if through an overview screen, the fish follows the prey. Cylindrical eyes of bright green color are also hidden under a transparent shell. They are directed upward and are able to see in almost total darkness. The eyelid folds on the front of the muzzle are actually the olfactory organs.

Macropinna spends most of the time motionless. Shows activity only during the hunt. Fish with a transparent head can be seen in the subtropical and temperate waters of the Pacific Ocean at a depth of 500-800 m.

The representative of ray-finned fish got its name for its slightly protruding and upward eyes. She spends most of the time at the bottom of the reservoir in the sand, burrowing into it so that only 2 large eyes and a small pink tendril peep out to the surface. With this organ, the astrologer attracts prey to itself and at the most crucial moment jumps on it with lightning speed.

Stargazers are the only perch-like species capable of producing powerful electrical discharges up to 50V. The electrical organs are located on the head near the eyes. They generate impulses when the animal is disturbed or when it is feeding.

The underwater predator gets its name from the loose skin folds that cover the gill slits. This unique and interesting deep sea fish is found in the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans.

The frilled bearer looks more like an eel than its shark counterpart. It has a long body, large flattened head, tight-fitting dorsal and pelvic fins. Yes, and an unusual shark hunts like a snake: first it bends its body, and then makes a sharp forward thrust. Thanks to the roomy sliding jaws, the predator is able to swallow prey whole, the dimensions of which are half of its own height.

The deep-sea dweller is famous for its extraordinary gluttony. He is able to easily swallow prey that is 10 times heavier and 2 times longer than his own height.

Chiasmodons live in subtropical waters at a depth of 1-2 thousand meters. Despite its predatory habits, the size of a gulper rarely exceeds 15 cm. It copes with large prey thanks to a huge mouth with canine-like teeth, elastic bones of the body itself and easily stretching walls of the stomach.

Greed for food often has a detrimental effect on the predator itself. Large portions of food do not have time to digest. Swallowed prey begins to decompose inside the chiasmodon, provoking gas formation in the intestinal walls, which leads to the forced raising of the fish to the surface.

The pelican eel is the sole member of the large-mouth family. It is found in all oceans, with the exception of the Arctic. It settles at a depth of 1-9 thousand meters.

This fish with a large mouth has immense jaws strewn with hundreds of tiny teeth, which make up about a quarter of the length of the entire body. The lower part of the jaw of the predator is equipped with a bag, into the cavity of which the captured prey in the form of mollusks, plankton and pelagic fish is placed.

The pelican uses a long, whip-like tail to move. Its end is equipped with tiny tentacles that emit a pink glow, interspersed with bright flashes. This attracts prey.

A marine life with a frightening name is a clear example of how a living organism can adapt even to the most unfavorable living conditions. The predator lives at the bottom of the deepest bodies of water, where the water has a low temperature, and its pressure reaches colossal parameters.

The visiting card of this fish is a ray of the dorsal fin resembling a fishing rod. Hanging over the immense mouth, the end of the "fishing rod" is equipped with a skin growth filled with thousands of glowing bacteria. Photophores act as bait for rare inhabitants of the ocean floor. The angler can damp and ignite the glowing bacteria by dilating the blood vessels.

Thanks to its well-stretching stomach, the angler easily swallows prey that is much larger than it. Everything would be fine, but he cannot digest large food, however, he also cannot spit it back out because of the teeth protruding from the barrier.

The Ashmeyer scorpion stands out with a very unusual look. The bizarre protrusions and strange appendages on the body of the fish make it almost indistinguishable from corals. The colors come in a wide variety of colors and depend mainly on the habitat, providing the perfect covert disguise.

The motley beauty is found in the waters of the tropics and subtropics of the Indian, Atlantic and Pacific oceans at a depth of 15-90 m. The fish prefers to lead a sedentary lifestyle. During the day, she hides among corals or in the caves of coastal rocks. The inhabitant of the underwater kingdom moves to a new place only occasionally and only under the cover of night. To do this, it relies on fins, which are similar in structure to paws.

The scorpion fish got its name due to its main weapon - thirteen sharp poisonous thorns on its back. The toxin contained in the poison is not fatal to humans, but it can cause redness of the affected area and swelling.

The representative of the family of sea needles is a rather extravagant creature. The head is like a horse, the mouth is stretched into a tube, a long graceful neck, a pot-bellied tummy and a tail wrapped in a spiral. Dozens of leathery outgrowths and small thorns make the seahorse inaccessible to predators and unsightly among the plants.

Of interest is not only the appearance, but also the way the fish moves.

The seahorse moves in jerks: up and down, from time to time moving diagonally towards the target. Two large swim bladders located in the abdominal and head parts help the animal to maintain an upright position.

Since the shape of the body does not allow the fish to swim quickly, they wait for their victims, hiding among corals and algae, covering the support with their tail for reliability. As soon as a gape plankton crustacean is within reach, the seahorse performs an instant pirouette and literally sucks the prey into itself.

An inhabitant of the sea kingdom, living at depths in the region of Tasmania and Australia, can be called a handsome man only with a stretch. The head of the half-meter monster is "decorated" with a process resembling a huge nose, on the sides of which there are 2 far-set eyes. A muzzle with a huge mouth, the corners of which are directed downward, is similar to a sad flabby face. The body of the animal is not covered with scales, but has outgrowths in the form of small spines.

The main difference between representatives of the psychrolute family is the absence of a swim bladder. They stay afloat due to a gelatinous body, reminiscent of a pink gel-like jelly, the density of which is minimal.

Since these creatures are not endowed with developed muscles, they get food for themselves by slowly moving with an open mouth along the bottom.

The member of the scapanorhynchia family is unique in its appearance. An adult, reaching a length of 3.5-4 m, has a translucent skin with translucent vessels. The face of the scapanorhynchus is decorated with a wedge-shaped outgrowth. This sensitive organ helps to find food in the pitch darkness.

The jaws of the brownie shark are a separate topic. While the predator is full, its mouth is almost invisible. But as soon as a potential victim appears on the horizon, terrifying jaws literally protrude from a flat snout. The teeth of the upper jaw have a straight conical shape for easy biting, and the lower ones are bent inward, which greatly simplifies the task of crushing the shells. This amazing transformation occurs due to the fact that the jaws are not fused with the skull.

Unusual for these sharks is the fact that the functions of the swim bladder are performed by the liver, which occupies 25% of the total body weight. In addition, they know how, if necessary, to regurgitate swallowed food, literally turning the stomach inside out.

Fish species of the batrachov family are found in tropical waters. Fish-toads only vaguely resemble their congeners in their usual representation. As ambush predators, these creatures disguise themselves as plants of the bottom world. Buried in the muddy bottom, they are able to freeze and remain motionless for several hours, forgery to do without food.

Insidious predators are famous for being able to swallow prey with lightning speed. It will not work to see the rapid process with the naked eye. To record the process of eating, scientists had to record it on a camera, and then view it in slow motion.

Toadfish can make sounds that resemble a hoarse grunt or grinding. So they warn competitors about their rights to the occupied site. The strength of the sound sometimes reaches 100 decibels, which can even cause pain in the ear.

The selection of the strangest fish in the ocean is completed by a sea monster called the idiakant. This outlandish creature is unusual in everything - appearance, development and lifestyle.

The fish is found in the temperate waters of the Pacific, Indian and Atlantic oceans. It has a serpentine body 6-8 cm long with smooth black or light brown skin.

The most frightening aspect of the creature's appearance is its large mouth, the jaws of which are complemented by incredibly sharp teeth of various lengths. The teeth are so large that they do not allow the idiacant to completely close the mouth.

Intimidating teeth glow in the night, creating a truly eerie sight. The lower jaw of the predator is equipped with a long process, which also shines in the darkness, luring future victims. Idiakants are nocturnal and hunt mainly large prey, the size of which sometimes exceeds their own height.

Fish protein is best absorbed by the human body. This protein is healthier than meat. You can buy marine goods at any store.

The ideal ratio of proteins and carbohydrates makes the dish a dietary one. Find out what sea fish are, look at the photos with the names.

Description and characteristics of marine fish

The underwater world is rich in a variety of species of inhabitants. In the depths of the sea, you can find countless thousands of individuals who delight with their appearance or frighten with their huge teeth.

  1. Codfish representatives. Dietary species, which include hake, haddock, hake, cod and other white varieties.

    They called the fish "chicken" for the small amount of bones in the meat. A useful variety helps to overcome vitamin deficiency and rickets due to the vitamin composition.

  2. Mackerel group differs in a peculiar striping. The meat is tender and fatty compared to the white varieties.

    It contains vitamin D and omega-3, which help to maintain immunity.

  3. Horse mackerel group. There are more than 200 subspecies. Stavridka has a slightly sour taste, the fat content of meat is no more than 5%. The class includes seriola, lichia, caraxa.
  4. Scorpion family. A species called "sea bass" is known. Fatty fish that are popular with cooks.
  5. Couple group. On store shelves, a mix of Cuban crucian carp, chon fish and other representatives will be sold as ocean crucian carp. The fat content of meat reaches 10%.
  6. Nototenium family. A fatty variety, the main representatives of which have tender, practically boneless meat. Fat content - up to 25%.
  7. Humpback representatives. There are more than 150 subspecies of individuals. They taste like a river, they do not have a pungent sea smell.

    Famous representatives - captain fish, trout, umbrina.

  8. Herring and her friends. Source of income for most port cities.
  9. Smelt. The main known representative is capelin. Despite its small size, it is in demand on store shelves.

And that's not all the representatives. The sea and the ocean are not fully explored spaces. Fish is the basis of the daily diet of a healthy diet.

Of each the representative is easy to find on store shelves raw and cooked.

Types of edible marine fish

The habitat is the sea. Such species differ from their river relatives in a large amount of useful minerals and vitamins in meat. Conventionally, marine life can be classified into 6 groups.

Check out the list in the table:

Predators are sharks. Its meat is eaten as a delicacy. Mercury builds up in meat, which complicates the cooking process. There are over 450 species of sharks.

Herring species do not have scales on the head. Representatives have small teeth, simple color. Meat is rich in protein and vitamin A.

Herring- one of the most popular marine abodes. A similar group is mackerel.

Habitual marine life such as cod and mackerel often appear on our table.

Flounder - dietary meat, saturated with phosphorus, selenium and B vitamins. The flounder family includes halibut - a more fatty species.

There are more than 500 subspecies in the group. Eating such varieties prevents the development of atherosclerosis, improves blood flow.

The cod group is the largest. It includes white fish. The Sargan family are individuals of the Sargan.

It is normal for the meat to turn green during cooking. This needle-like look is delicious.

Oily, white and red fish names

In the composition of fish meat, the percentage of proteins is much higher than the fat content. Low-fat varieties are suitable for dietary nutrition, the calorie content of white meat is no more than 100 kcal per 100 g.

Fat content of representatives - up to 1.5%. These are pollock, argentina, hake, blue whiting, pollock, etc. White meat is easy to digest, nutrients are quickly absorbed by the body.

Important! Include white fish in your diet and improve your well-being.

Red varieties such as pink salmon, trout, salmon are medium-fat fish. This group includes herring, tuna, horse mackerel.

The average calorie content is higher than the low-fat group - up to 150 kcal per 100 g. Lean fish are included in the diet of children and athletes.

Salmon and cod are suitable for salting, frying and stewing - as the cook's imagination dictates.

To bold the species includes representatives whose meat exceeds the fat content of 7%. Caloric content - more than 200 kcal per 100 g.

Halibut, eel, mackerel are the most beneficial fatty varieties for health, they contain a huge amount of polyunsaturated acids. Suitable for people with active lifestyles.

How is such a fish useful for humans?

Fish is not inferior to pork or beef in protein ratio. Polyunsaturated fats prevent cholesterol from accumulating.

It is worth including seafood in your diet for several reasons:

  1. Vitamin composition.
  2. Iodine and other trace elements.
  3. Omega-3.

In sea fish iodine most of all. The river cannot boast of such a rich composition. Eating seafood contributes to the proper functioning of the thyroid gland.

Also, immunity is strengthened, memory improves, pain syndrome decreases. Eat marine representatives to avoid heart attacks and strokes.

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Fish are aquatic vertebrates characterized by gill breathing. They can live in both fresh and salt waters. They can be found in various bodies of water: from mountain streams to the depths of the sea. From childhood, many are familiar with an impressive list of marine fish. These include capelin and herring, pollock and cod, halibut and hake, as well as many other small and large marine fish, the name and photos of some of which can be studied in the article you are offered.

Cod fish - photos, names

The cod family lives not only in salt, but also in fresh water bodies of the northern hemisphere. Besides burbot, all cod are marine species... They are distinguished by:

  • antennae on the chin;
  • 1-2 anal fins;
  • 2-3 dorsal fins;
  • very small scales;
  • about 1% fat content of meat;
  • approximately 7% of fat stores in the liver.

Cod. A bottom fish with a light green elongated body that feeds on small fish. It is distinguished by an abundance of dark spots on the sides, back, and lighter ones on the abdomen. Possesses dense white meat, which is high in protein and low in muscle bones. It is prized for its nutritional qualities and is a good raw material for obtaining fish oil.

Navaga. Schooling bottom fish, which is divided into two types:

Haddock. Ray fish inhabiting the northern seas of the Arctic and Atlantic Ocean. Average weight is about 3 kg, length is from 50 to 75 kg. But there are also larger individuals. It differs in a relatively high body slightly flattened from the sides with a lilac or purple back. The haddock belly is silvery or milky white. The fish has very tender and tasty meat, which contains many minerals.

Pollock... The family is benthic and lives in the coastal waters of many oceans of the north. It can weigh about 1.5 kg and reaches a length of 55 cm. It has an elongated body, a caudal fin with a small notch. Pollock meat contains about two percent fat and a lot of vitamins and minerals.

Mackerel family - photos, names

The family includes ray-finned fish, which are characterized by:

  • accessory fins behind the anal and soft dorsal fins;
  • laterally compressed thin caudal peduncle with 2 or 3 keels;
  • fusiform long body;
  • a bone ring around the eyes.

The names of the fast swimmers of this marine family include: tuna, marrels, sardis, bonito, wahoo, Azov-Black Sea, Atlantic, Kuril and Far Eastern mackerels. Their meat usually does not have small bones, but is rather fatty and tender. It contains many vitamins D and B12, as well as omega-3 acids.

Flounder family - photo, name

Right-sided flounders belong to the family of ray-finned fishes, the eyes of which are on the right side of the head. They have symmetrical pelvic fins, and the eggs do not contain a drop of fat. While swimming, they develop in the water column or upper layer.

Most often, sea halibuts or flounder itself are isolated. In total, about 500 flatfish are found in the depths of the sea.

Flounder

Another name for this type of fish is sea ​​chicken... She has white meat without small bones, the fat content of which has from 1% to 5%. The most famous are the North American species of this marine fish. Flounder meat is rich in vitamins D and A, selenium.

Halibut

Among the varieties of these marine fish, the most popular are the white, black and blue halibut. The fat content of their meat ranges from 5% to 12%. It is rich in vitamins B12 and B6, phosphorus, selenium, potassium and magnesium. Halibut can be used to reduce vein resistance, improve blood flow, and prevent arrhythmias and atherosclerosis.

Herring fish - names, photos

Marine fish of this species differ in that they have there is not a single scale on the head... They have very small teeth and a missing or very short lateral line. The most important commercial herring species are:

  • European sprat;
  • European sardine;
  • Pacific herring;
  • Atlantic herring;
  • Menheden is Atlantic.

Sea herring meat has a large amount of protein, polyunsaturated fats, vitamin A.

Formidable Marine Shark Predators

The most ancient representatives of these individuals have already existed about 420 million years... Currently, there are more than 450 species of them. The smallest shark measures 17 cm. The whale shark is the largest fish, the length of which can reach twenty meters.

Basically, sharks are predatory fish, however, some of them feed on small fish, squid and plankton. These include largemouth, giant and whale sharks.

Despite the fact that according to some sources mercury accumulates in shark meat, some cultures still use it for food. Shark fins are used by the peoples of Asia to make delicious soups. And her liver contains vitamins of group B and A, and is used for the manufacture of various drugs.

Sarganov family - photo

This is another of the varieties of predatory marine fish. Sargans are different:

  • needle-shaped body;
  • small teeth;
  • long jaws;
  • weighing 400 g;
  • length 95 cm.

Sarganovs live in the White, Barents, Baltic Seas, where they walk along the coast, chasing schools of fish. Sargan meat is delicious, however, when brewing it, you need to know one feature. When boiled, fish bones turn green, which is absolutely not worth fearing.

The article contained only a small part of the names and photos of fish that are inhabitants of the deep sea. The meat of all of them is very healthy and therefore is quite often found on dining tables. Even animals are recommended to be fed not with river fish, but with sea fish, which are the least contaminated with heavy metals and do not contain pesticides and radionuclides.

Sea fish









The active study of the underwater world began relatively recently - in the middle of the last century. For this it was necessary to come up with sonars, scuba gear, bathyscaphes, orbital satellites ... How many surprises there were at the depths of the sea! The variety of life forms is simply overwhelming. Meet ten of the most adorable, strange, creepy and rare fish that mankind has discovered.

Scorpion Ambon (English Ambon Scorpionfish, Latin Pteroidichthys amboinensis)


Opened in 1856. Easily recognizable by the huge "eyebrows" - specific growths over the eyes. Can change color and fade. He leads a "partisan" hunt - disguising himself at the bottom and waiting for the victim. It is not uncommon and quite well researched, but its extravagant appearance simply cannot be ignored!

Psychedelic Frogfish (Latin Histiophryne psychedelica)


Opened in 2009. A very unusual fish - the tail fin is bent to the side, the pectoral fins are modified and look like the paws of land animals. The head is large, wide-set eyes are directed forward, like in vertebrates, due to which the fish has a peculiar "facial expression". The color of the fish is yellow or reddish with sinuous blue-white stripes diverging in different directions from the blue eyes. Unlike other fish that swim, this species moves as if jumping, pushing off the bottom with its pectoral fins and pushing water out of the gill slits, creating jet thrust. The tail of the fish is curved to the side and cannot directly direct the movement of the body, therefore it oscillates from side to side. Also, the fish can crawl along the bottom with the help of the pectoral fins, touching them like legs.

Rag picker (English Leafy Seadragon, Latin Phycodurus eques)


Opened in 1865. Representatives of this species of fish are notable for the fact that their entire body and head are covered with processes that imitate algae thalli. Although these processes are similar to fins, they do not take part in swimming, they serve for camouflage (both when hunting shrimp and for protection from enemies). It lives in the waters of the Indian Ocean, washing southern, southeastern and southwestern Australia, as well as northern and eastern Tasmania. It feeds on plankton, small shrimps, algae. Without teeth, the rag-picker swallows food whole.

Moonfish (English Ocean Sunfish, Lat.Mola mola)


Opened in 1758. The laterally compressed body is extremely high and short, which gives the fish an extremely strange appearance: it resembles a disk in shape. The tail is very short, wide and truncated; the dorsal, caudal, and anal fins are interconnected. The skin of the moonfish is thick and elastic, covered with small bony tubercles. A fish moon can often be seen lying on its side on the surface of the water. An adult moonfish is a very poor swimmer, unable to overcome strong currents. It feeds on plankton, as well as squid, eel larvae, salps, ctenophores and jellyfish. It can reach gigantic dimensions of several meters and weigh 1.5 tons.

Broadnose chimaera (Latin Rhinochimaera atlantica)


Opened in 1909. Absolutely disgusting-looking jelly-like fish. It lives on the deep floor of the Atlantic Ocean and feeds on molluscs. It has been studied extremely poorly.

Frilled Shark, Latin Chlamydoselachus anguineus


Opened in 1884. These sharks look much more like a strange sea snake or eel than their closest relatives. In the frilled shark, the gill openings, of which there are six on each side, are covered with skin folds. In this case, the membranes of the first branchial slit cross the fish's throat and join together, forming a wide skin lobe. Along with the brownie shark, it is one of the rarest sharks on the planet. No more than a hundred specimens of these fish are known. They have been studied extremely poorly.

Indonesian coelacanth, lat.Latimeria menadoensis


Opened in 1999. A living fossil and probably the oldest fish on Earth. Before the discovery of the first representative of the Celikant order, to which the coelacanth belongs, it was considered completely extinct. The time of divergence of two modern species of coelacanth is 30-40 million years. Not more than a dozen were caught live.

Hairy Angler (Latin Caulophryne polynema)


Opened in 1930. Very strange and scary fish that live on a deep bottom, where there is no sunlight - from 1 km and deeper. To lure the inhabitants of the deep sea, it uses a special luminous growth on the forehead, which is characteristic of the entire order of anglerfish. Due to its special metabolism and extremely sharp teeth, it can eat whatever it comes across, even if the victim is many times larger and is also a predator. It reproduces no less strange than it looks and feeds - due to the unusually harsh conditions and the rarity of fish, the male (ten times smaller than the female) attaches to the flesh of his chosen one and transfers everything he needs through the blood.

Drop fish (English Blobfish, Latin Psychrolutes marcidus)


Opened in 1926. It is often mistaken for a joke. In fact, this is a completely real species of deep-sea bottom marine fish of the psychrolute family, which on the surface acquire a "jelly" appearance with a "sad expression". It is poorly studied, but even this is enough to recognize it as one of the most bizarre. The photo shows a copy of the Australian Museum.

Smallmouth Macropinna microstoma - quirkiness winner


Opened in 1939. It lives at very great depths, therefore it is poorly studied. In particular, the principle of fish vision was not entirely clear. It was believed that she must experience very great difficulties due to the fact that she sees only upward. Only in 2009 was the structure of the eye of this fish fully studied. Apparently, when trying to study it earlier, the fish simply could not tolerate the change in pressure. The most notable feature of this species is the transparent dome-shaped shell that covers the top and sides of its head, and the large, usually upward, cylindrical eyes that are under this shell. A dense and elastic covering membrane is attached to the back scales, and on the sides - to the wide and transparent ocular bones, which provide protection for the organs of vision. This covering structure is usually lost (or at least severely damaged) when fish are brought to the surface in trawls and nets, so until recently its existence was not known. Under the covering shell there is a chamber filled with a transparent liquid, in which, in fact, the eyes of the fish are located; the eyes of living fish are colored bright green and are separated by a thin bony septum, which, extending backward, expands and contains the brain. In front of each eye, but behind the mouth, is a large, rounded pocket that contains the olfactory receptor rosette. That is, what at first glance looks like eyes in photographs of live fish is actually an olfactory organ. The green color is caused by the presence of a specific yellow pigment in them. It is believed that this pigment provides special filtration of light coming from above, and reduces its brightness, which allows the fish to distinguish the bioluminescence of potential prey.

The sea is the least explored area of ​​our planet. And even on the surface, where a person seems to have settled everywhere and studied a lot, there are still quite a few blank spots. Well, the depths of the ocean are still a completely unknown world. But nevertheless, a person tries to look into the depths of the sea, where he finds a lot of interesting things. For example, fish, among them there are also many bizarre and unexplored forms. Let's take a look at the most bizarre fish.

1. Scorpion Ambon (English Ambon Scorpionfish, Latin Pteroidichthys amboinensis).

Opened in 1856. Easily recognizable by the huge "eyebrows" - specific growths over the eyes. Can change color and fade. He leads a "partisan" hunt - disguising himself at the bottom and waiting for the victim. It is not uncommon and quite well researched, but its extravagant appearance simply cannot be ignored! (Roger Steene / Conservation International)

2. Psychedelic Frogfish (Latin Histiophryne psychedelica).

Opened in 2009. A very unusual fish - the tail fin is bent to the side, the pectoral fins are modified and look like the paws of land animals. The head is large, wide-set eyes are directed forward, like in vertebrates, due to which the fish has a peculiar "facial expression". The color of the fish is yellow or reddish with sinuous blue-white stripes diverging in different directions from the blue eyes. Unlike other fish that swim, this species moves as if jumping, pushing off the bottom with its pectoral fins and pushing water out of the gill slits, creating jet thrust. The tail of the fish is curved to the side and cannot directly direct the movement of the body, therefore it oscillates from side to side. Also, the fish can crawl along the bottom with the help of the pectoral fins, touching them like legs. (David Hall / EOL Rapid Response Team)

3. Rag picker (English Leafy Seadragon, Latin Phycodurus eques).

Opened in 1865. Representatives of this species of fish are notable for the fact that their entire body and head are covered with processes that imitate algae thalli. Although these processes are similar to fins, they do not take part in swimming, they serve for camouflage (both when hunting shrimp and for protection from enemies). It lives in the waters of the Indian Ocean, washing southern, southeastern and southwestern Australia, as well as northern and eastern Tasmania. It feeds on plankton, small shrimps, algae. Without teeth, the rag-picker swallows food whole. (lecates / Flickr)

4. Moonfish (English Ocean Sunfish, Lat. Mola mola).

Opened in 1758. The laterally compressed body is extremely high and short, which gives the fish an extremely strange appearance: it resembles a disk in shape. The tail is very short, wide and truncated; the dorsal, caudal, and anal fins are interconnected. The skin of the moonfish is thick and elastic, covered with small bony tubercles. A fish moon can often be seen lying on its side on the surface of the water. An adult moonfish is a very poor swimmer, unable to overcome strong currents. It feeds on plankton, as well as squid, eel larvae, salps, ctenophores and jellyfish. It can reach gigantic dimensions of several tens of meters and weigh 1.5 tons. (Franco Banfi)

5. Broad-nosed chimera (English Broadnose chimaera, Latin Rhinochimaera atlantica).

Opened in 1909. Absolutely disgusting-looking jelly-like fish. It lives on the deep floor of the Atlantic Ocean and feeds on molluscs. It has been studied extremely poorly. (Jay Burnett, NOAA / NMFS / NEFSC)

6. Frilled Shark, Latin Chlamydoselachus anguineus.

Opened in 1884. These sharks look much more like a strange sea snake or eel than their closest relatives. In the frilled shark, the gill openings, of which there are six on each side, are covered with skin folds. In this case, the membranes of the first branchial slit cross the fish's throat and join together, forming a wide skin lobe. Along with the brownie shark, it is one of the rarest sharks on the planet. No more than a hundred specimens of these fish are known. They have been studied extremely poorly. (Awashima Marine Park / Getty Images)

7. Indonesian coelacanth, lat. Latimeria menadoensis.

Opened in 1999. A living fossil and probably the oldest fish on Earth. Before the discovery of the first representative of the Celikant order, to which the coelacanth belongs, it was considered completely extinct. The time of divergence of two modern species of coelacanth is 30-40 million years. Not more than a dozen were caught live. (Pearson - Benjamin Cummings)

8. Hairy Angler (Latin Caulophryne polynema).

Opened in 1930. Very strange and scary fish that live on a deep bottom, where there is no sunlight - from 1 km and deeper. To lure the inhabitants of the deep sea, it uses a special luminous growth on the forehead, which is characteristic of the entire order of anglerfish. Due to its special metabolism and extremely sharp teeth, it can eat whatever it comes across, even if the victim is many times larger and is also a predator. It reproduces no less strange than it looks and feeds - due to the unusually harsh conditions and the rarity of fish, the male (ten times smaller than the female) attaches to the flesh of his chosen one and transfers everything he needs through the blood. (BBC)

9. Fish-drop (English Blobfish, Latin Psychrolutes marcidus).

Opened in 1926. It is often mistaken for a joke. In fact, this is a completely real species of deep-sea bottom marine fish of the psychrolute family, which on the surface acquire a "jelly" appearance with a "sad expression". It is poorly studied, but even this is enough to recognize it as one of the most bizarre. The photo shows a copy of the Australian Museum. (Kerryn Parkinson / Australian Museum)

10. Smallmouth Macropinna (English, Lat. Macropinna microstoma) - the winner in quirkiness.

Opened in 1939. It lives at very great depths, therefore it is poorly studied. In particular, the principle of fish vision was not entirely clear. It was believed that she must experience very great difficulties due to the fact that she sees only upward. Only in 2009 was the structure of the eye of this fish fully studied. Apparently, when trying to study it earlier, the fish simply could not tolerate the change in pressure. The most notable feature of this species is the transparent dome-shaped shell that covers the top and sides of its head, and the large, usually upward, cylindrical eyes that are under this shell. A dense and elastic covering membrane is attached to the back scales, and on the sides - to the wide and transparent ocular bones, which provide protection for the organs of vision. This covering structure is usually lost (or at least severely damaged) when fish are brought to the surface in trawls and nets, so until recently its existence was not known. Under the covering shell there is a chamber filled with a transparent liquid, in which, in fact, the eyes of the fish are located; the eyes of living fish are colored bright green and are separated by a thin bony septum, which, extending backward, expands and contains the brain. In front of each eye, but behind the mouth, is a large, rounded pocket that contains the olfactory receptor rosette. That is, what at first glance looks like eyes in photographs of live fish is actually an olfactory organ. The green color is caused by the presence of a specific yellow pigment in them. It is believed that this pigment provides special filtration of light coming from above, and reduces its brightness, which allows the fish to distinguish the bioluminescence of potential prey. (Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute)

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