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(#3) Lamprey
- Petromyzontidae
Size: 5" to 40" (13 to 100 cm).
Location: Coastal ocean and fresh waters, though they have been found in the open ocean.
Distinguishing Features: Lampreys are jawless parasitic fish that resemble eels.
Why You Should Be Scared: Lampreys are prehistoric "living fossils" that have gone unchanged for millions of years. Their mouths do not possess jaws, but have rings of sharp conical teeth they use to latch onto their prey. They generally feed off of marine species, but could certainly swim up and latch onto a human if they were feeling bold and it has happened. They have become an invasive species in the North American Great Lakes, making them a serious pest for swimmers and fishermen alike.
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(#8) Anglerfish
- Lophiiformes
Size: The females can grow to large sizes between 8" and 3' (20 cm to 1 meter), while the males are tiny in comparison and are essentially parasitic to the female for mating purposes. Some female specimens have been noted to reach a size up up to 100 lbs. (45 kg).
Location: Worldwide, but deep in the ocean so you aren't going to find one while swimming—which is a good thing.
Distinguishing Features: Long, jagged teeth, the ability to open their mouths larger than seems possible, and a special appendage with a glowing sack at the end, which is used to attract prey.
Why You Should Be Scared: To be fair, these nasty-looking fish aren't a danger to humans. They look a lot worse than they are, but they have been placed on this list due simply to the way they look. They look scary! They are certainly dangerous to any small prey that comes their way. The females possess an illuminated appendage atop their head, which they use to attract prey. Plus, their ability to open their mouths more than seems possible means they can swallow quite the large prey.
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(#9) Sarcastic fringehead
- Neoclinus blanchardi
Size: 12" (30 cm) in length.
Location: Pacific waters off the coast of North America.
Distinguishing Features: Though small, they can distend their mouths making them look much larger than they actually are.
Why You Should Be Scared: These fish aren't a major concern to humans unless you are trying to take over their territory. They become incredibly aggressive when they feel their territory is threatened, which is the main reason they open their mouths in the frightening way they do. While they can bite a person, they are fairly small fish and cannot cause serious harm to a human.
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(#5) Northern Stargazer
- Astroscopus guttatus
Size: Around 22" (56 cm) in length.
Location: Eastern seaboard of the United States.
Distinguishing Features: They bury themselves in sand and wait for prey to come along.
Why You Should Be Scared: These ugly little buggers aren't too dangerous to humans, but their prevalence for burying themselves in sand means many a beachgoer's wandering foot has come into contact with some nasty, sharp teeth! Not only does the Northern Stargazer's bite cause pain and tissue damage, it has electric organs, which can generate and transmit an electric shock to its victims.
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(#6) Red bellied piranha
- Pygocentrus nattereri
Size: 5" to 14" (12 to 35 cm).
Location: Amazon Basin.
Distinguishing Features: They have incredibly sharp, strong teeth and a powerful jaw, which allows them to bite off nice little bits from their prey.
Why You Should Be Scared: When it comes to freshwater fish you know to avoid, the Piranha usually tops the list. While a single individual isn't necessarily a danger to humans, they rarely travel alone. When they get to feeding, a school of piranha can strip the flesh off a fully-grown cow in very short order, though many stories about their ravenous behavior has been sensationalized by the news media. They generally feed only at night so it's probably a good rule or thumb not to swim in their habitat after the sun goes down.
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(#4) Stonefish
- Synanceia verrucosa
Size: 14" to 20" (35 to 50 cm).
Location: Coastal regions of the Indo-Pacific.
Distinguishing Features: Relatively squat bodies and coloring patterns, which help them blend into their surroundings... they look like innocuous rocks right up until you step on them.
Why You Should Be Scared: Stonefish are some of the most venomous fish on the planet. Their venom is not only potentially lethal, but also extremely painful. A bite can result in death if left untreated, which makes them incredibly dangerous. There have been few noted fatal incidents, which is good seeing as people step on these things all the time. Stonefish have the nasty ability to blend into their surroundings. Pair that with their enjoyment of warm, shallow waters and people introduce their feet to their painful barbs far more often than they might prefer. Unlike most fish, they can survive out of water for up to 24 hours, which has led to people stepping on them or picking them up on dry land thinking them to be simple rocks.
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About This Tool
Fish is a kind of cute animal, and also a kind of delicious food. Some fish breeds are even the most popular pets that more people like to raise, but there is never a lack of fierce or scary fish in nature. The survival of the fittest is the truth, big fish eat small fish is common sense that everyone knows, however, there are some terrifying fish that break this routine.
The underwater world is unpredictable by humans, especially in the deep ocean, some aquatic animals are mysterious, rare, and deadly. The random tool displays 10 of the most terrifying types of fish on the planet.
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