Content
- 1. Bubblefish (Psychrolutes marcidus)
- 2. Sunfish (Spring Spring)
- 3. Stonefish (Synanceia horrida)
- 4. Common Sawfish (Pristis pristis)
- 5. Dragon fish (Good Stomias)
- 6. Sea Lamprey (Petromyzon marinus)
- 7. Lizardfish (Lepisosteus spp.)
- 8. Parrotfish (Family Scaridae)
- 9. Charroco or frogfish (Halobatrachus didactylus)
- 10. Fish with hands (Brachiopsilus dianthus)
- Other rare fish around the world
In the seas, oceans, lakes and rivers inhabit a large number of animals, such as fish. There are different known fish species, such as sardines, trout or white shark. However, other species have more showy and unknown characteristics that allow them to be classified as "rare" animals. We can find these rare fish around the world, in shallow waters or at great depths, feeding on different prey and adopting totally different ways of life.
If you want to know some of the characteristics of rarest fish in the world, as well as their food and habitat, this PeritoAnimal article is for you!
1. Bubblefish (Psychrolutes marcidus)
In addition to being one of the rarest fish in the world, it is also known for being "the ugliest fish in the world", as out of the water it has a gelatinous appearance and a pinkish color that looks like a big sad face, with big eyes and a structure that resembles a huge nose. It is characterized by its low body density, which allows it to float in water without the need to have a swim bladder like most fish.
The bubblefish or dropfish are found in the deep marine waters of countries like Tanzania and Australia.In them it feeds on numerous molluscs, crustaceans and one or another sea urchin. It does not actively search for food, as its movements are slow and it ingests everything that it finds in its path.
2. Sunfish (Spring Spring)
This species is known for its large size, reaching 3 meters and weighing 2000 kg. Your body flattened sideways, without scales, with normally grayish colors and oval shaped. In this body are small body fins, small eyes in the anterior region and a narrow mouth with small teeth. Like the previous specimen, it does not have a swim bladder as a floating organ.
As for its distribution, the moonfish is common in practically all seas and oceans in the world. In fact, many divers have been able to observe it up close in the Mediterranean Sea, the Atlantic Ocean or the Pacific Ocean. They mainly feed on salt marshes and jellyfish, as these creatures are among their favorite foods.
3. Stonefish (Synanceia horrida)
Due to their protuberances on the body and the grey, brown and/or mixed colors, these large fish have the ability to camouflage themselves on the seabed, imitating a stone. Hence the common name of the species. However, what most characterizes the stone fish is the danger, as it has some spikes or spines producing a neurotoxic poison in its fins, capable of causing death to other animals that come in contact with it.
This very rare fish inhabits the Pacific and Indian Ocean, it is usually found at shallow depths. Its diet is varied, it can feed on molluscs, crustaceans and other fish. Its hunting technique consists of opening its mouth so that, when the prey is near, it quickly swims towards it and finally swallows it.
4. Common Sawfish (Pristis pristis)
The name of this long fish refers to the resemblance that its snout has with a saw, because it is large and has dermic scales that resemble teeth, with which it can hunt and protect itself from predators. In addition, it has sensory receptors that allow it to perceive waves and sounds produced by other animals in the vicinity, thus offering sawfish information about the location of possible dangers or prey.
It lives at low depths in the fresh and salt waters of the African, Australian and American regions. In them it feeds on other animals such as shrimp, crabs or salmon. Among its hunting techniques is attacking with its saw-snouted snout and ingestion when prey is injured. Without a doubt, it is one of the strangest fish around, don't you think? It is not the only one with these characteristics, as among the different types of shark we find the famous saw shark.
5. Dragon fish (Good Stomias)
Another of the rare fish observed is the dragon fish. Characterized by its large cephalic region in proportion to its body. There are large eyes and a jaw with teeth so long they keep your mouth shut. This spectacular, terrifying-looking fish has obscure body colors such as grey, brown or black. In addition, there are also cases of bioluminescence, another characteristic of these animals that inhabit the great ocean depths.
They are found mainly in the Gulf of Mexico and the Atlantic Ocean, at approximately 2,000 meters deep, where it can feed on small invertebrates and numerous algae, as it is an omnivorous animal.
6. Sea Lamprey (Petromyzon marinus)
A fish that can live for more than 15 years, it has an eel-like morphology, reaching a meter in length on numerous occasions. However, what best characterizes the lamprey is the lack of scales and jaws, as its mouth has the shape of a suction cup and a large row of small horny teeth is hidden in it.
It lives in marine waters, mainly in the Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea. But how anadromous fish, travels to rivers to reproduce. As for their food, they are hematophagous or predatory ectoparasites, as they remain attached to the skin of other fish and scrape it off to suck the blood resulting from the wound.
7. Lizardfish (Lepisosteus spp.)
this fish with the head like a lizard it is considered a prehistoric animal, as it has existed on Earth for over 100 million years. It is characterized by its long, cylindrical body where you can see a big muzzle with strong jaws. In addition, it has shiny, thick scales that offer protection against other large predators. They are very feared, since, in addition to being very voracious, they can exceed 100 kilograms in weight and 2 meters in length.
The lizardfish is freshwater, and is found in American waters. Fossil records made it possible to know its existence in places on the African and European continents. It is a great predator of other fish, as its hunting technique consists of remaining stationary and reaching high speeds to unexpectedly catch prey when it is close. This is another of the most spectacular rare fish out there.
8. Parrotfish (Family Scaridae)
There are numerous species of parrot fish. These animals are characterized by having teeth that leave you with a form ofparrot beak. In addition, among its spectacular features, the ability to change color and sex. Precisely because of its color, the parrotfish is also considered one of the most beautiful fish in the world. Unlike many other rare fish mentioned, the parrotfish is not very big, as its length varies between 30 and 120 centimeters approximately.
It inhabits practically all the oceans in the world and feeds mainly on algae that it obtains from corals released in the reefs. With its teeth located in the throat it manages to gnaw the coral and, after ingesting the algae, it deposits the excrement on the sand.
9. Charroco or frogfish (Halobatrachus didactylus)
As your name indicates, yoursmorphology remember the frog, as this brownish colored fish has a flat dorsoventral body and a large mouth. It also stands out for the presence of thorns on the fins, capable of producing poison and dealing damage to those who come in contact with it.
Charroco mainly inhabits the Indian Ocean, Pacific and Atlantic, although some species can also live in fresh water. In them it feeds on numerous crustaceans, molluscs and other fish, which it can capture with its speed.
10. Fish with hands (Brachiopsilus dianthus)
Although sizes vary between individuals, practically all of them are approximately 10 cm long, which is why it is not considered a large animal. The fish with hands is characterized by its pink and red colors and, as its name implies, by its peculiar pectoral fins that look like a kind of hands. It also stands out for its mouth, which is close to the body, but with full lips.
Thanks to the fossil record, we know that fish with hands lived in different seas and oceans around the world, but nowadays its presence is only known in Oceania, mainly on the island of Tasmania. It feeds on small invertebrates found on the ocean floor, it is already considered a practically benthic animal and its pectoral fins in the shape of hands are used to move through the marine substrate looking for prey.
So, have you ever seen a strange fish as rare as this one?
Other rare fish around the world
The great diversity of fish found in the seas, oceans and fresh waters of the world allows us to see numerous unique species. Even so, we still don't know all the species that inhabit the aquatic environment, which is why it is impossible to know which are the rarest fish in the world. The above form part of the rare fish known to this day and, below, we show other of the rarest fish in the world:
- Big-Swallower or Black-Swallower (Chiasmodon niger)
- Lantern fish (spinulosa centrophryne)
- Marbled ax fish (Carnegiella strigata)
- Lion-fish (Pterois antennata)
- River Needlefish (Potamorrhaphis eigenmanni)
- Hypostomus plecostomus
- Cobitis vettonica
- batfish (Ogcocephalus)
- Viola fish (rhinobatos rhinobatos)