Weird Sea Monsters » Interesting Fish

Giant Arapaima Fish

Alex — Mon, 03 May 2010 17:10:11 +0000

This giant Arapaima fish is one of the largest freshwater species in the world and a bizzare one at that! In this picture, a diver shares a tank with the adult Arapaima at an aquarium in Manaus, Brazil.

These species can reach lengths of up to 10 feet (3 meters) and weigh up to 400 pounds (180kgs).

First Oxygen-Free Animals Found

Alex — Thu, 08 Apr 2010 19:19:08 +0000

Up until now, it was thought impossible for any living and breathing creature to survive without oxygen, but scientists have found the first animals that can survive as well as reproduce without any oxygen at all.

These tiny-sized creatures were found at the bottom of the Mediterranean sea. The scientific team found three new species of this non-oxygen group called Loricifera group. They are called so because the creatures are covered in a thick, protective layer or also known as lorica.

“It is a real mystery how these creatures are able to live without oxygen because until now we thought only bacteria could do this,” said Professor Danovaro, who heads Italy’s Association of Limnology (the study of inland waters).

“We did not think we could find any animal living there. We are talking about extreme conditions – full of salt, with no oxygen.”

The scientists will now continue on their search to find other like species to better understand the wast oceans that surround us.

Multi-Colored Psychedelic Frog Fish

Alex — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 17:02:08 +0000

This odd-looking multi-colored psychedelic frog fish is found off the waters in Indonesia and is scientifically known as the Histiophryne Psychedilica. This frog fish hops along the bottom of the ocean and uses its fins as legs and his gills to propel itself.

Largest Catfish Ever Caught in Thailand

Alex — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 16:16:37 +0000

This massive, humongous, 8 foot-long catfish was caught in the Chiang Khong district of Thailand, and is believed to be the biggest freshwater fish ever caught. Sadly, this huge catfish is listed as “critically endangered” by the World Conservative Union.

Villagers that caught the catfish tried to keep it alive for as long as possible, but it died and eventually became dinner.

The Longhorn Cowfish

Alex — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 18:15:59 +0000

All sorts of creatures exist in the deep sea, and this one struck me as being particularly odd with its horns protruding out of its head like that of a cows or a bulls. This brightly colored horn fish is called the Longhorn Cowfish (Lactoria Cornuta) and lives in the Indo-Pacific region.

This fish is only about 10 cm long, and although it is not really suited for a home aquarium, it is becoming increasingly popular as a pet. I say..let the poor things live in their wast ocean, don’t keep it locked up!

Weird Creature: Orange Sea Pen

Alex — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 16:30:08 +0000

This bizzare-looking creature is called the Orange Sea Pen and is abundant in the temperate waters of the northeastern Pacific. Each Orange Sea Pen (Ptilosarcus gurneyi) is a colony of polyps working together to survive as a whole.The primary polyp loses its tentacles and becomes the stalk of the sea pen, with a bulb as its base.

Scary Looking Creature: The Hatchetfish

Alex — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 15:44:59 +0000

This has got to be one of the strangest and scariest sea creatures I have ever seen. This fish, dubbed the Hatchetfish due to its hatchet-like thinness, is usually found in the Caribbean waters as well as the Gulf of Mexico.

The Hatchetfish has tube-like eyes that are permanently fixed upwards, giving them a scary look, but also helping them fish for food as it falls from above them. These fish are also equipped with light-producing photophores which are used in defensive behavior called counter-lighting. Basically, they can look like ghosts!

Amazing and Beautiful New Sea Creatures Found

Alex — Tue, 06 Oct 2009 17:07:44 +0000

These sea creatures were just recently discovered in the British North Sea territory.These species are absolutely stunning and it just makes you think about the thousands of other sea species that have yet to be discovered!

Leafy Sea Dragon

Alex — Fri, 02 Oct 2009 15:15:29 +0000

I came upon these pictures of Leafy Sea Dragons which are basically your regular Sea Dragons but they actually have a leafy look to them!

A Leafy Sea Dragon (phycodurus eques) has long leaf-like protrusions all over its body, serving as camouflage among different types of floating seaweeds of kelp beds. Neither prey nor predators recognize it as a fish.

It’s found along the coastline of Australia. A fully grown leafy sea dragon can reach about 45 cm (18 inch). During mating, the female deposits up to 250 bright pink eggs onto a special “brood patch” on the underside of the tail of the male where they are attached and fertilized.

Scientists Discover Glowing, Ultraviolet Fish

Alex — Wed, 30 Sep 2009 22:46:55 +0000

The deep sea if full of amazing creatures that are absolutely out of this world, and every year, scientists discover hundreds of these bizzare and unexplainable creatures. Researches made a trip to the Gulf of Mexico where they uncovered some of the strangest creatures deep in the ocean.

: Parts of the creature known as the pontellid copepod glow fluorescent green when viewed under blue light. The top image highlights the male’s specialized antenna and claw on its last leg (on the right) for grabbing females. In the bottom image, the female has an oblong sperm packet attached at her tail.

During this operation, a camera was set up at the bottom of the ocean floor, where it caught a variety of deep-dwelling shellfish that produce their own light as well as different fish that had the ability to see ultraviolet light.

Scientists haven’t yet figured out why these fish have these abilities or what for, but they’re thrilled to have made such an amazing discovery.