These weird fish are mouthbrooders – the female jawfish lays the eggs, which the male jawfish then keeps safe from harm in its mouth until they hatch! Sunfish ( Mola Mola) is a strange and unusual-looking fish. It is disc-shaped and can crow to lengths of 4.5 metres (15ft) and weigh thousands of pounds, making sunfish the heaviest bony fish in the world. Sunfish were previously very rare in UK waters, being found in tropical and sub-tropical species, but possibly as a result of warming seas, they appear to be becoming more common around the British Isles. Sea pens are named for their feather-like appearance, resembling old-fashioned quill pens, however, not all sea pens take this form. Unsurprisingly, the British record for a shore caught sunfish comes from the south-west of England with Mr M. Merry catching a sunfish weighing 49lbs 4oz from Fisherman’s Cove, Cornwall in 1976 – a large fish to catch from the shore but small by sunfish standards. It is interesting to note that with the apparent rising sea temperatures around the UK this record still stands today, and the 108lb boat caught record was set in the same year. Electric Ray and Marbled Electric Ray The leafy seadragon is a unique and fascinating marine fish found only in the southern coastal waters of Australia. It is a member of the Syngnathidae family, which also includes seahorses and pipefish.

The Mekong Giant Catfish is considered a delicacy in many parts of Asia and is highly prized in the commercial fish trade, which has contributed to its decline. Efforts are being made to protect and conserve the species, but its future remains uncertain. Discover More With Active Wild Like other frogfish, the clown frogfish is an ambush predator, using a modified dorsal spine as a lure to attract unsuspecting prey. Its ability to change color and texture allows it to camouflage itself among coral reefs, sponges, and other marine environments. The Megamouth Shark gets its name from its weirdly large mouth, which it uses to filter feed on plankton and small fish. The species can grow up to 5.5 meters in length and is typically found in deep waters between 120 and 1,200 meters. Not much is known about the biology or behavior of the Megamouth Shark, as it is difficult to study due to its rarity and deep-sea habitat. The species is currently classified as Data Deficient by the IUCN. Discover More With Active Wild The vampire squid is a deep-sea cephalopod with a unique combination of features from both squids and octopuses.Sawfish are a group of ray-like fish belonging to the family Pristidae. Also known as carpenter sharks, they are characterized by their amazing long, flat, tooth-lined snouts, which are used to detect and stun prey. Although unevaluated by the IUCN, species such as the mantis shrimp face threats from habitat loss, pollution, and the impacts of climate change on coral reef ecosystems. Discover More with Active Wild And they aren’t just pretty to look at either; they’re a surprisingly tough fish too. It’s been said that their scales are that strong, even spears can’t through them. 9. Sea pens

This elusive deep ocean fish lives at depths of over 13,000 feet / 3,962.4 meters and has a long, eel-like body with a gelatinous texture. Very little is known about the faceless cusk’s biology, including its reproductive habits and diet. Discover More with Active WildThe Goblin Shark is a deep-sea shark found in oceans around the world, typically at depths of up to 1300 meters. It has a distinctive, long, flattened snout that is covered in electroreceptor organs, which it uses to detect the electric fields of its prey.

Sawfish are a rare species of fish characterized by distinctive, saw-life “rostrums” that they use as a weapon and a digging tool. This spring, a 16-foot monstrosity washed up on shore in the Florida Keys. Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation biologists estimate the beast weighed 800 to 1,000 pounds—and say it’s the largest sawfish on record. Sawfish are protected under the Endangered Species Act. Scientists could not pinpoint a cause of death for the large sawfish. 2) Angler Catches Rare Mutant Carp This is a rare faintail mirror carp. Connecticut DEEP via Facebook

17. Crocodile Fish

The Goblin Shark can grow up to 4 meters in length and is a sluggish predator that feeds on a variety of fish and squid. It is rarely seen by humans and is not commercially fished, but it is sometimes caught accidentally as bycatch. The Goblin Shark is classified as Near Threatened by the IUCN due to its low reproductive rate and susceptibility to overfishing. Discover More With Active Wild The Humphead Wrasse, also known as the Napoleon Wrasse, is a large, colorful fish that can be found in the tropical waters of the Indo-Pacific region. The tassled scorpionfish is a carnivore which grows to a maximum length of 36 cm. It has ray fins which possess venomous spines. Swimmers in shallow waters may accidentally step on the tassled scorpionfish. When they do, they may experience painful injury which may eventually lead to death. 5. Frogfish A Portuguese man-o-war has a distinctive, gas-filled float that keeps it at the surface, with long tentacles trailing below, which contain powerful stinging cells used to capture and paralyze prey. The man-o-war feeds on small fish and other marine organisms. Discover More with Active Wild The Opah is not a targeted species in commercial fisheries, but it is sometimes caught as bycatch. Discover More With Active Wild

The whale shark is found in warm tropical and temperate oceans worldwide, often aggregating in areas with high food availability. It has a distinctive spotted and striped pattern, which is unique to each individual. The Ocellated Icefish, also known as the Pearly Icefish, is a weird fish species found in the Southern Ocean surrounding Antarctica. It is a member of the family Channichthyidae, which are collectively known as the icefishes due to their ability to survive in extremely cold waters. The Candiru typically feeds on the blood of larger fish, and its small size and slippery skin allow it to enter gill slits or other orifices of larger fish. It has a slender and elongated body, and its jaws are equipped with sharp teeth that it uses to attach itself to its host. The Alligator Gar is a large freshwater fish native to North America. This unusual-looking species is one of the largest freshwater fish in North America, with some individuals exceeding 300 pounds in weight and reaching over 8 feet in length. Its name comes from its broad, alligator-like snout, which is filled with razor-sharp teeth. You’ve probably never laid eyes on a wels catfish before, let alone caught one. Well… German angler Martin Glatz landed this stunner while fishing at a lake in the Netherlands with his twin brother. He calls his catch a “mandarin catfish,” which is how some European anglers refer to leucitic wels catfish. It’s as yellow as a school bus. 8) A Lancetfish from “The Twilight Zone”

an ˌodd/a ˌqueer ˈfish

The Frilled Shark is a weird deep-sea shark found in both the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans, typically at depths of up to 1500 meters. It has a distinctive appearance, with a long, eel-like body and a “frilly”, or ruffled, appearance around its gill slits. Pilot fish are not completely unheard of around the British Isles. There are unconfirmed reports that these fish have occasionally washed up dead on beaches in England, Wales and the Republic of Ireland. However, they are very much seen as a vagrant species which, for unknown reasons, have travelled from their warm water habitat and ended up disorientated on lost around the coast of Britain. It is also possible that pilot fish can survive around the UK when the sea temperature is high but will die when the temperature drops. The UK shore caught record for this species was set in 1997 at the Towy Estuary, Carmarthenshire, Wales when Mr J. Richards caught a pilot fish of just over 10oz. Pufferfish The Psychedelic Frogfish is named for its strikingly bright and vibrant coloration, which includes bold patterns of red, yellow, and white. It has a flattened body, a large mouth, and a lure on its head with which it attracts prey. The West Indian Coelacanth is a rare fish thought to be extinct until its rediscovery in 1938 off the coast of South Africa.