Weirdest Fish Discovered Over the Past Ten Years

Despite technical advances, 95% of the ocean amazingly remains undiscovered to this day. Here’s a list of the craziest fish discoveries over the past decade.

Great White Shark on Mexican Beach

A Great White is something most hope to never come face-to-face with. Fishermen in the Sea of Cortez were astonished to find a 20-foot specimen in their net in 2012. Understandably, the event became a sensation.

The Blobfish

This unique fish has caught the attention of many in recent years. While it’s not winning any contests, this humanlike fish is often accidentally caught by commercial fishermen with bottom-trawling nets.

Goblin Shark With Snacks

This 18-foot-long goblin shark was pulled in along with a boatload of shrimp off the Florida Keys in 2014. They are not known to inhabit the shallow Gulf of Mexico because they are bottom-dwelling.

Teeny Tiny Marlin

While fishing for swordfish off the South Carolina coast in 2013, anglers Joey Cagle and Richard Brackett encountered a baby blue marlin swimming behind their boat. They were able to nudge the tiny fish into a bucket to get a better luck. It was confirmed that it is a baby blue marlin which would grow to be a huge fish.

An Eel Caught on Halloween

In New Zealand in 2015, a 14 year old decided to fish instead of trick or treat on Halloween. He got more than he bargained for when he reeled in this long serpent eel with a long snout and piercing teeth.

Albino Sturgeon

This record-breaking beast was discovered in British Columbia in 2015 by Chad Helmer. It measured 11.2 feet and 1,000+ pounds.

Baby Sailfish in Cabo

Off the coast of Cabo San Lucas, Mexico, anglers found this baby billfish in 2011 while fishing for tuna using a sardine. They set the rare creature free after the photo was taken.

Giant Dog Tuna, Or At Least Part Of One

This enormous fish catches eyes for good reason, look at the size of its eyeball! This giant tuna was caught off the Tanzanian coast in 2014 but sadly only its head survived an apparent shark attack.

Albino Cyclops Shark

Perhaps the most spooky catch was secured off the coast of Mexico in 2011. A pregnant bull shark was rescued carrying 10 fetus pups, including a cyclops. Initially, it was deemed a hoax until a distinguished Mexican scientist enlightened the world about the rare genetic phenomenon of “cyclopia”.

Fanged Cannibal Fish

This horrifying fish washed up on the shore of North Carolina in 2014 still squirming. The nocturnal predator was listless when found so it was easily captured. They are called cannibal fish becaus they eat their own species but, not to worry, they are rarely seen on the coast.

Ghost Shark in Cabo

The Gulf Coast boasts a beautiful collection of sealife including Mahi Mahi and Blue Marlin. This bizarre looking fish is actually a pointy-nosed blue chimera, a type of “ghost shark” that lives thousands of feet in the depths.

Cowfish

In Lake Eufala, Oklahoma, a very unique catfish was caught which looked like it had cow spots. It has a unique genetic malfunction called “piebald abnormality”.

Dog Snapper

This odd fish, the “pooch snapper” was caught recently in the Sea of Cortez. They’re rarely seen as they’re super fast, dart between rocks near shore, and cut through fishing line with their sharp teeth.

Alien-like Sea Creature

A Taiwanese man discovered this creature which looks more like Flubber than a nonfiction sea dwelling organism. It is a ribbon worm which has a long tongue which shoots out of its mouth.

Living Fossil

A russian fisherman came across this fish which looks more like a prehistoric animal with odd, spiral-arranged teeth using a trawler. Understandably, the internet has become interested. It is called a frilled shark and it does have quite strong primitive shark features.

Gator Shock

A fisherman kayaking in Louisiana had the shock of his life with a giant alligator nearing his kayak after biting on his jug line. He had his young daughter with him at the time so he quickly dropped his line and paddled away.

Opah Trifecta

Off the Californian coast in 2014, three anglers broke records when they caught three giant Opahs in one day. Moonfish are brightly colored and are usually found alone. They are always wild-caught and are desirable for their flesh. The largest of the three was 180 pounds and 12 ounces.

Ice Fishing Surprise

An ice fisherman in Pennsylvania caught what he thought must be a large fish under the ice. He soon realized that it was a duck! Scientists assume it was a red-breasted merganser duck which is native to Pennsylvania and known to remain underwater to hunt.

Wolffish Zombie

A russian fisherman shared this photo of a wolffish with red teeth. They usually have white teeth but the red hue makes this specimen extra spooky.

Sea Lion Swarm

A British Columbian angler had secured a full net of roe herring but was soon in a predicament: a swarm of sea lions attacking the fish. Apparently, overwhelming sea lion populations are damaging the delicate balance of the sea ecosystem.

Blue Mahi Mahi

Usually a beautiful yellow and green, this Mahi Mahi is a beautiful deep blue. While not too uncommon, this specimen is a sight to behold from Mexico, 2013.

Alien Catch

Caught off the island of Singapore, this odd creature with hundreds of tentacle arms and tiny suction cups was found by an unsuspecting fisherman. It is called a basket star and lives deep in the ocean, as deep as 6,500 feet.

Salp

No, this is not a fellyfish. It was discovered in the Southern Ocean close to Antarctica and is a species of invertebrate which uses jet propulsion to swim. They procreate asexually, making clones of themselves.

Asian Sheepshead Wrasse

This Japanese diver enjoys a fun moment with a sheppshead wrasse. As odd as it looks, the fish is supposedly of quite high intelligence, able to recognize people’s faces with 86% accuracy. This diver has a 25 year friendship with the fish, named Yoriko.

Pacu

Similar to the piranha, pacu is surely creepy looking with humanlike teeth and a supposed taste for human flesh, too. It is native to South America in the Amazon.

¿?

We don’t know the species of this eery fish. Although it looks like some photoshopped a humane likeness on its face, there are several other photos of the fish. Do you know what it is?