Freaky Fish: Group #6

Not to be confused with The Creepy Creeps [good band]...

here is the next group of freaks:

You Creep Me Out

Vampire Squid

The Vampire Squid is a small, deep-sea cephalopod found throughout the temperate and tropical oceans of the world. It shares similarities with both squid and octopods. It was first described and mistakenly identified as an octopus in 1903. Its 6 inch gelatinous body varies in color between velvety jet-black and pale reddish, depending on location and lighting conditions. A webbing of skin connects its eight arms, each lined with rows of fleshy spines or cirri; the inside of this "cloak" is black. Only half farthest from the body of the arms have suckers. Its limpid, globular eyes—which appear red or blue, also depending on lighting—are proportionately the largest in the animal kingdom at 1 inch in diameter. Like many deep-sea cephalopods, Vampire Squid lack ink sacs. If threatened, instead of ink, a sticky cloud of bioluminescent mucus containing innumerable orbs of blue light is ejected from the arm tips.

SAFETY LEVEL: At a maximum 1 foot in total length, the Vampire Squid is no threat to humans. Whew!

Human Faced Carp

The human-faced carp are definitely products of selective breeding by humans. Generations of fish were bred to emphasive their "human" features, most notably their forward-facing eyes. These features would likely be a disadvantage in the wild - but then, these particular fish aren't going anywhere near the wild anytime soon. The so-called "Human Face Fish" are hybrids of common carp and leather carp. The fish rather large - about 32 inches long - and it's said that their heads have begun to take on a more human look as time goes by.

SAFETY LEVEL: They aren't even in the ocean. And even if they were the most harm they could do is give you a dirty look.

And yes, it's real:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gTVwgvqhwn8

Spook Fish

Barreleyes, also known as spookfish (a name also applied several species of chimaera), are small, deep-sea, odd-looking osmeriform fish. These fish are named for their barrel-shaped, tubular eyes which in most species are fixed gazing upwards. The toothless mouth is small and terminal, ending in a pointed snout. The body of most species is a dark brown covered in large, silvery imbricate scales; but these are absent in others, leaving the body itself a transparent white. In all species a variable number of dark melanophores colour the muzzle, ventral surface, and midline. Also present in these fish are a number of luminous organs that glow with a weak light due to the presence of symbiotic bioluminescent bacteria.

SAFETY LEVEL: Safe. They dwell so very deep in the ocean, you will probably never encounter one. Plus they have no teeth or poison spikes or appetites for flesh. Yay!

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