People are always fascinated by sharks, dolphins and whales, but there are so many underwater creatures that would blow your mind if you ever saw them.
So why don’t you climb aboard our ship and join us as we countdown 15 most unique fish in the world.
PUFFERFISH
Biologists think pufferfish, also known as blowfish, developed their famous “inflatability” because their slow, somewhat clumsy swimming style makes them vulnerable to predators.
In lieu of escape, pufferfish use their highly elastic stomachs and the ability to quickly ingest huge amounts of water and even air when necessary to turn themselves into a virtually inedible ball several times their normal size.
Some species also have spines on their skin to make them even less palatable.
A predator that manages to snag a puffer before it inflates won’t feel lucky forlong.
Almost all pufferfish contain tetrodotoxin, a substance that makes them foul tasting and often lethal to fish.
To humans, tetrodotoxin is deadly, up to 1,200 times more poisonous than cyanide. There is enough toxin in one pufferfish to kill 30 adult humans, and there is no known antidote. Amazingly, the meat of some pufferfish is considered a delicacy.
Called fugu in Japan, it is extremely expensive and only prepared by trained, licensed chefs who know that one bad cut means almost certain death for a customer. Let me call Uber eats to cancel my order right away.
FANGTOOTH
The fangtooth is a small fish with a laterally compressed body. Despite their small size, fangtooths have large heads and disproportionately long sharp teeth.
Two sockets have developed on the sides of their brains to make room for the teeth when their jaws close.
Large teeth enable the fangtooth to kill fish much larger than itself. Fangtooth fish colors range from black to dark brown as adults and are light gray when young. Their bodies are covered with prickly scales and spines.
They can be found at depths anywhere from 6 feet to 15,000 feet.
The common fangtooth is found around the world in temperate marine waters. This includes the Atlantic, Pacific, and Indian oceans.
The fangtooth is a carnivorous and highly mobile fish, feeding on small fish, shrimp, and squid.
When they are young, they filter zooplankton from the water and migrate closer to the surface at night to feed on crustaceans. Adults either hunt alone or in schools.
Unlike other predators that ambush their prey, fangtooth fish actively seek out food. Their large heads allow them to swallow most prey whole, eating fish one-third their size.
When fangtooths’ mouths are full, they can not pump water over their gills as efficiently.
Thus, they produce large gaps between their gills and use their pectoral fins to fan water over their gills from behind.
To find prey, fangtooths have lateral lines along each side of their bodies, which are important for detecting changes in temperature and movements of potential prey.
They also rely on contact chemoreception, where they find prey by bumping into them.
