To date, more than 30,000 are known various types marine and freshwater fish. Scientists explore the World Ocean, discovering new species and gaining more knowledge about aquatic organisms already known to them. The most colorful and unique inhabitants of the underwater depths became known not so long ago. Rare fish prefer greater depths or live in coral reefs, which explains the riot of colors and their unusual behavior.
There are a number of rare fish
Rare river fish
Fresh water in rivers and lakes has a lower diversity of species, which is explained by difficult living conditions and active human influence. Only in remote regions, where rivers and lakes are inaccessible to humans and are not so studied, are various exotic rare fish found, which are distinguished by their unusual coloring or body shape, which is uncharacteristic for most species.
The category of rare and endangered species today includes most sturgeons, which are found in nature only in North America, Russia, China, Iran and a number of other countries in Southeast Asia. Today, there is active fishing for sturgeon, which has led to the almost complete destruction of most species of this valuable and rare fish.
Beluga and Thorn are rare
Rare sturgeons include:
- Siberian sturgeon.
- Paddlefish.
- Stellate sturgeon.
One of the rarest and most interesting species of sturgeon is the paddlefish, which lives in the Mississippi, and its subspecies are found in the Yangtze and other Chinese rivers. This fish is characterized by an enlarged nasal appendage, which in large specimens resembles an oar in appearance. The paddlefish is large in size and weighing up to 90 kilograms, and the rostrum, that is, an enlarged paddle-shaped nasal appendage, can account for one third of the entire body length.
Paddlefish can weigh up to 90 kg.
The blind cave fish, which lives in the subtropics of Thailand, is extremely interesting. During evolution, this species lost pigmentation and vision, gaining the unique ability to climb vertical surfaces. This unique skill is necessary for this fish, since it lives mainly in caves and has adapted to the fast flow of underground streams.
The mudskipper is another extremely interesting freshwater fish. The body structure of the mudskipper resembles a cross between a frog and a tadpole. The fish belongs to the goby family and spends most of its life out of water, moving along clayey shores. On land, thanks to the unique structure of its body, the mudskipper can stay for up to half an hour or more.
This fish looks like a tadpole Exotic sea creatures
The depths of the sea are extremely rich in various exotic and rare species of fish. To date, no more than 20% of the World Ocean has been studied, so new deep-sea species are constantly being discovered, which amaze with their appearance, ability to live in complete darkness and under conditions of enormous pressure.
Ambona scorpion
This fish was discovered more than a century ago, but until now scientists have come across only a few specimens, on the basis of which this species was described.
Scorpionfish are excellent at camouflage TO characteristic features scorpionfish include:
- frequent shedding of the keratinized body;
- ability to change color;
- the presence of specific growths above the eyes;
- excellent camouflage abilities.
The Ambona scorpionfish prefers shallow depths and is found near southern coral reefs. Scorpionfish likes to hunt at the very bottom, burrowing into fine sand, luring prey with flexible appendages near the mouth. Ambona scorpionfish prefers exclusively clean warm water, so in last years With the pollution of the World Ocean, the population of this fish has decreased significantly.
Sea sticktail
This is a rare deep-sea fish that has a unique body structure. The stick-tail has a huge mouth in the form of a tubular opening, and its jaws extend into an expanding leather pouch. Such a bag works on the principle of a blacksmith's bellows and is capable of expanding several times, which allows the sticktail to catch and digest prey that is several times its size.
The length of the deep-sea sticktail can reach 10 meters. Moreover, the length of the tail of this fish is 5-6 meters. The tail is extremely hard and long, and its structure has not yet been studied by scientists. This fish was discovered about 20 years ago, and during this time scientists came across only three specimens, which were already dead and in poor condition. But it has still not been possible to capture the behavior of a living sticktail on camera.
The tail can reach 6 meters Psychedelic frog
This species of marine fish was discovered in 2009. The frogfish prefers great depths and has an unusual appearance that allows it to camouflage itself against the background of the bottom and corals. The head is large in size, with wide-set eyes. The coloring of the psychedelic frog is extremely interesting- with reddish and yellowish sinuous lines and stripes that diverge from the eyes in different directions. The fins of the frog fish are modified and vaguely resemble the paws of land animals. Ichthyologists claim that this species is transitional between aquatic aquatic organisms and terrestrial animals.
Today, several color variations of this rare sea fish are known:
- Yellow uniform with turquoise eyes and white lines.
- Red variety with yellow stripes.
- A dark form that can change color to almost black.
Body color largely depends on the general color range environment. On dark soil and at great depths, black forms are found, but in shallow water in coral reefs you can simultaneously see yellow and red colors.
The frogfish prefers a bottom lifestyle and is found at depths of about 200−500 meters. Young specimens often stay in shallow water near coral reefs, however, as they mature, they move to greater depths and lead a pronounced predatory lifestyle. It has been established that the habitat of the frogfish is the waters of Australia, as well as the tropical region of the Indian Ocean.
This kind of fish lives in the depths Fish rag picker
This species was discovered in 1865, but until now scientists have come across only a few dozen specimens of these fish, which is explained by their secretive lifestyle and strictly limited habitat. This species is notable for the fact that its entire body, fins, tail and head are covered with processes that imitate various algae. Such processes perfectly camouflage ragpickers during their hunt for shrimp and other crustaceans.
The rag picker's habitat is the Indian Ocean and the southeast coast of Australia. The fish leads hidden image life, prefers clean and warm coastal waters, hiding in corals during the day and going hunting for small plankton and crustaceans at night.
There are branches all over the body Moonfish
This species was discovered back in the 18th century, when this fish was found everywhere. Today, with the pollution of the World Ocean and active fishing, sunfish are becoming less and less common. This species is large in size and laterally compressed, tall. short body. The sunfish can reach gigantic sizes with a body diameter of tens of meters and a weight of up to one and a half tons. Adults feed on jellyfish, eels, squid and various plankton. The moonfish is a poor swimmer, so it does not like strong currents, and often simply lies on the very surface of the water surface.
This fish does not like current
Broad-nosed chimera
The broad-nosed chimera prefers the depths of the Atlantic Ocean, where it feeds on a variety of mollusks. To date, scientists have come across only a few specimens of this extremely rare fish. Its peculiarity is its jelly-like body, which, when raised to the surface, quickly dissolves into the chimera's bony skeleton.
The difficulty of studying this species is explained by its way of life, when the chimera practically does not appear at depths less than 1000 meters. Only with the development of special technology were scientists able to see it in its natural environment at depths of more than one and a half thousand meters.
Chimera does not appear below 1000 meters Frilled shark
This species of deep-sea shark was discovered in 1884. In appearance, adult individuals more closely resemble an eel or a strange sea snake. The gill openings, of which there are 6 on each side of the body, are covered with skin folds. Membranes and gill slits are also found in the shark's throat, connecting into a wide leathery blade. This is one of the rarest species of sharks, found only at great depths. To date, the frilled shark has been poorly studied, and in total, scientists have come across about 100 specimens of this rare species of predator.
This is a type of shark Indonesian coelacanth
The Indonesian coelacanth was discovered in 1999. This fish belongs to the coelant family and is the oldest described aquatic organism on earth. Previously, it was believed that all representatives of the coelant order became extinct before the appearance of dinosaurs. Studies have shown that this species appeared approximately 40 million years ago.
To date, no more than a dozen specimens of Indonesian coelacanth have been caught. Coelacanth has a strange body shape with modified lower fins that vaguely resemble the limbs of ancient fossils. Internal structure Coelacanth has an extremely unusual structure - something between the structure of land animals and classic fish.
One of the oldest types Hairy monkfish
These fish, scary and strange in their behavior, were discovered in 1930. The hairy sea devil prefers great depths of over 1 kilometer. In such water there is pitch darkness, which is what the devil, who has a luminous appendage on his forehead, takes advantage of. With the help of such a device, the hairy devil attracts crustaceans and other fish, which become victims of this predator.
The method of reproduction of this fish is extremely interesting. Female monkfish measure about a meter and weigh 15-20 kilograms. The male is usually ten times smaller than the females; he simply attaches himself to the body of his chosen one, after which sperm constantly enter the female’s body through the blood. For the rest of his life, the male receives all the nutrients he needs from the huge predator. On one large female you can find several males attached to her at once, which can live like this until their death.
Among the variety of fish living in the oceans, seas, rivers and lakes, as well as in aquariums, there are very expensive and rare species that cost a lot of money.
Fugu fish (price 100-500$)
Fugu, also called ball fish, is considered by culinary experts to be one of the most dangerous fish to eat. Only trained culinary masters are allowed to cut it using a special technology, only then does it become available to fans of extreme restaurant food and exotic dishes. Due to the complexity of preparation, a small portion of this fish can cost up to $500. It’s no wonder that the Japanese consider this delicacy the most expensive in their country.
Goldfish (price $1.5 thousand)
No one would refuse to own a goldfish, even if it costs a lot of money. In the reservoirs of the South Korean island of Cheyu there are fish with scales that have a stunning golden tint. But the price of this treasure reaches 1.5 thousand dollars. Quite cool! 
Albino Beluga (price: $2.5 thousand)
The beautiful caviar of the albino beluga fish is appreciated everywhere. Speaking about the most expensive fish in the world, it is worth noting what makes them highly valued. One can say about the albino beluga due to the fact that it spawns only once a century. Its weight can reach one ton. And for 100 grams of her caviar you will have to pay 2.5 thousand dollars. A luxurious delicacy! 
Arowana (price 80$ thousand)
The beautiful arowana fish, also called the dragon fish, is highly prized by fish collectors and admirers of unique sea inhabitants. According to legend, the owner of such a fish is guaranteed happiness. These fish, classified as the oldest species, can be seen in aquariums decorating the offices of the world's largest corporations. 
Tuna weighing 108 kilograms (price $178 thousand)
The tuna, unique in size, is called a record holder - because of its price paid by the buyer. Large tuna are not a rare catch for fishermen. Soon a new record was set at an auction in Tokyo. 
Tuna weighing 200 kilograms (price $230 thousand)
Another record holder was also sold in Tokyo. The tuna, which weighs almost twice as much, was valued at $230,000. This became a record for the year 2000 of this auction. 
Russian sturgeon (price: $289 thousand)
The most expensive of the Russian sturgeons is recognized to be a specimen caught back in 1924 by local fishermen in the Tikhaya Sosna River. The sturgeon “pulled” 1.227 tons, while it produced 245 kilograms of caviar. It is for this excellent quality caviar that sturgeon is considered one of the world's most valuable fish. At today's auction, that sturgeon would fetch no less than $289,000. 
Platinum Arowana (price: $400 thousand)
The unique mutant fish, called the platinum arowana, stands out from the dragon fish family with its unique coloring. The owner of this phenomenon, living in Singapore, categorically does not agree to part with his pet, despite the big money offered. 
Tuna weighing 269 kilograms (price $730 thousand)
The record holder for tuna is a specimen that was caught and sold in 2012. Because of its weight and its price—it sold for $730,000—it is considered the largest and most expensive tuna in history. And it was also sold at the Tokyo market. 
Bluefin tuna weighing 222 kilograms (price: $1.76 million)
The champion's podium among the most expensive fish is occupied by bluefin tuna, which weighed 222 kilograms, for which the buyer paid over $1.5 million. He also broke his own earlier record for purchasing heavyweight tuna. A small piece of this record-breaking tuna costs 20 euros. 
All the waters of our planet are densely populated by various inhabitants. Sometimes in the depths of the seas and oceans, rivers and lakes there are such amazing fish that people have never even heard of. Read the article below for all the most interesting things about strange (and sometimes scary) fish.
Shelled pike
Armored pikes are the largest fish that live in fresh water ah North and Central America, as well as the island of Cuba. Their body is covered with a shell of surprisingly strong scales (hence the name). The second name for these terrifying creatures is alligator fish.
The heads of these two aquatic inhabitants are very similar in shape. The weight of the pike reaches 120 kg, and the body length is up to 300 cm. The heavy body of the fish prevents it from making deft maneuvers in the water, so the alligator fish, like an ordinary pike, waits for its prey in ambush when hunting. It feeds on smaller fish and does not disdain ducks and small waterfowl. In addition, these amazing fish often eat waste, thereby cleaning the pond.
Due to its appearance and size, the armored pike is considered an enviable catch for a fisherman. But you should know that its meat is rarely eaten, it is tasteless and tough. Caviar is completely poisonous to humans.
frilled shark
Japanese fishermen know exactly what the most amazing fish look like, because they once managed to catch a female frilled shark in a net. This oldest one is also the most unexplored and mysterious. Very rarely, such fish float to the surface, preferring depths from 500 to 1000 meters.
The appearance of the frilled mantle differs from sharks; it more closely resembles an eel or sea snake. And the creature hunts, almost like a snake, bending its body and making a sharp jerk forward. The frilled shark is of no commercial importance, as it is rarely caught in nets, because its length is about 2 meters. Japanese fishermen even call it a pest, as it happens that the shark spoils the nets.
The fish is interesting because among all vertebrates it has the longest gestation period - 3.5 years. There can be up to 15 cubs in a litter. The frilled shark is a viviparous fish.
Moonfish - a harmless giant
The moonfish has impressive dimensions: length - up to 3 m, weight - about 1400 kg. Its huge body has a round (like the disk of the moon) shape and is strongly flattened on the sides. These amazing fish swim like others when they are young, but then everything changes.
Adults swim near the surface of the water, occasionally moving their fins lazily. It practically does not react to approach. They do not harm humans. However, South African fishermen experience superstitious fear when they see this fish, and even cancel fishing, turning their boats towards home. This can be explained simply - the approach of an individual is associated with approaching bad weather at sea, since the moonfish often appears close to the shore just before a storm. She simply cannot cope with the increasing current.
This giant bony fish feeds on small and easy prey: small fish, jellyfish, plankton and small crustaceans.
Amazing fish of the world: stone fish
This ugly and scary creature that lives in the ocean is very poisonous. The small fish (no more than 20 cm in length) has a very large head, small eyes and a huge mouth. The naked body is brownish in color, sometimes with spots or stripes. There are bumps and warts on the body, which is why the creature is sometimes also called a warthog. Poisonous spines protrude from the dorsal fin of the stonefish.
With any touch, the fish plunges its spines into the victim and releases a very dangerous poison. A person without an antidote can die within a few hours after meeting a dangerous inhabitant of the seabed.
Most often, stone fish live in thickets of algae or corals. She buries herself in silt or sand, camouflaging herself with mud. This is not just a lazy lifestyle - it is hunting in ambush. Predators feed on small fish, shrimp and crustaceans.
The fish is also interesting because it can survive without water for quite a long time. A case was recorded when a stone fish lived on land for 20 hours!
The saddest fish in the world
The blobfish is known for its unpleasant appearance, which distinguishes it from other species. The deep-sea inhabitant of the Pacific, Atlantic and Indian oceans is most often found off the coast of Australia and Tasmania.
Why are these amazing fish so unpleasant? The body, up to 70 cm long, is completely naked and has no scales. Fins are also missing. The body of a drop fish is very reminiscent of a shapeless gelatinous mass with sad eyes. Her nose vaguely resembles a human one. Individuals of this species do not have a swim bladder - at great depths it is not needed. The drop fish does not have muscles; it simply swims with the flow with its mouth open, into which food falls. Most often this food is plankton.
What can make a blob fish attractive in the eyes of people? Her concern for offspring. She carefully hatches her eggs and does not leave the younger generation unattended.
Lamprey fishing is common. It is believed that its meat is very tasty, but not every gourmet will risk trying it.
The most amazing fish in the world: deep sea tripod
There are quite a lot of inhabitants on the seabed, and most of them have a terrifying appearance: anglerfish, macrusus, bigheads and others. The tripod fish, famous for its three legs, as its name suggests, also lives here. In fact, of course, these are not legs, but bony rays that extend almost a meter from the body. Sinking closer to the bottom, a tripod rests on them. When it stands, the rays are hard, as soon as the fish swims, the rays immediately soften. The tripod itself regulates their rigidity.
Another difference from fish that live at great depths is the well-developed eyes located on the sides of the body. This is one of the survival methods for tripods. The fish is a hermaphrodite, since at great depths it is rare to find an individual of the desired sex.
The amazing fish, photos of which you see in this article, live all over the world. Their great amount on our planet, and it is simply impossible to talk about them all in one article. Here are some of the most interesting representatives of salt and fresh waters in the world.
The oceans are considered the last great and unexplored regions on Earth...
Today I decided to tell you about ten of the rarest fish that you are unlikely to ever see.
1. One-eyed shark
The name speaks for itself. A very rare albino shark was caught in Mexico, but it was already dead. Scientists believe that this type of shark with birth defects cannot exist in the wild for a long time, as it is very attractive to stronger predators.
2 Frilled Shark
A very rare deep-sea shark that lives at a depth of 1000 meters. It was last caught in 2007 in the shallow waters of Japan, but the shark died a few hours after it was transported to the marine park.
3. Coelacanth
The oldest species of fish, considered a living fossil. It is believed that coelacanth acquired its current appearance about 400 million years ago. Fish can weigh up to 80 kg and grow up to 2 meters. During the daytime they live at a depth of 100-400 meters, and at night they rise to a depth of 60 meters.
4. Snakehead
Channa amphibeus is a very rare species and can only be seen in northern Bengal, India. It grows to a maximum of 25 cm (usually 10-15 cm) and is found in waters with a temperature of 25 degrees. During rainy periods, snakeheads can move to flooded rice fields surrounded by forest. Aggressive predators.
5. Pelagic megamouth shark
The largemouth shark feeds on plankton and is distributed throughout the world, but to date only 54 individuals have been discovered. Almost nothing is known about the anatomy and behavior of this shark species.
6. Goblin Shark
This deep-sea creature lives on the coasts of Japan, Australia, the USA and South Africa. They usually live at a depth of 200-500 meters, but some individuals have been caught at a depth of 1300 meters. Favorite foods are squid, fish and crabs. A distinctive feature, as you have probably already noticed, is a long nose.
7. Colossal squid
Looking at photographs of a colossal squid, Japanese horror films come to mind, it looks so infernal. The length of a giant squid can exceed 10 meters and its weight can reach 500 kg. The lifestyle is little studied, since cases of capture are very rare.
We are not talking about those types of animals that consist of the head and neck of a lion, the body of a goat and the tail of a snake. Chimeras are cartilaginous fish that live at a depth of 2500 meters and grow up to 1.5 meters in length.
9. Black Crookshanks
The Crookshanks became famous not only for its rarity, but also for its unique ability to swallow fish larger than itself. Its highly elastic stomach allows it to swallow prey 10 times its own weight. It lives at a depth of about 1500 meters and reaches 25 cm in length.
10. Black Lizardfish
This type of fish is really very difficult to find. They live at depths of 1500 to 3000 meters, with a maximum size of 30 cm. Distinctive features include a purple-black color and a very sharp set of teeth.
1. Ambon Scorpionfish (Latin: Pteroidichthys amboinensis).
Opened in 1856. Easily identified by its huge “eyebrows” - specific growths above the eyes. Able to change color and shed. Conducts a “guerrilla” hunt - camouflaging at the bottom and waiting for the victim. It is not uncommon and has been quite well studied, but its extravagant appearance simply cannot be ignored! (Roger Steene/Conservation International)
2. Psychedelic frogfish (English: Psychedelic Frogfish, Latin: Histiophryne psychedelica).
Opened in 2009. A very unusual fish - the tail fin is curved to the side, the pectoral fins are modified and look like the paws of land animals. The head is large, the widely spaced eyes are directed forward, like in vertebrates, due to which the fish has a peculiar “facial expression”. The color of the fish is yellow or reddish with sinuous white-blue stripes diverging in different directions from the eyes blue color. Unlike other fish that swim, this species moves as if jumping, pushing off the bottom with its pectoral fins and pushing water out of the gill slits, creating jet thrust. The tail of the fish is curved to the side and cannot directly direct the movement of the body, so it oscillates from side to side. The fish can also crawl along the bottom using its pectoral fins, moving them like legs. (David Hall/EOL Rapid Response Team)
3. Rag picker (English: Leafy Seadragon, Latin: Phycodurus eques).
Opened in 1865. Representatives of this type of fish are notable for the fact that their entire body and head are covered with processes that imitate algae thalli. Although these processes are similar to fins, they do not take part in swimming and serve for camouflage (both when hunting shrimp and for protection from enemies). It lives in the waters of the Indian Ocean, washing southern, south-eastern and south-western Australia, as well as northern and eastern Tasmania. It feeds on plankton, small shrimp, and algae. Having no teeth, the rag picker swallows its food whole. (lecates/Flickr)
4. Moonfish (English: Ocean Sunfish, Latin: Mola mola).
Opened in 1758. The laterally compressed body is extremely high and short, which gives the fish an extremely strange appearance: it resembles a disk in shape. The tail is very short, wide and truncated; the dorsal, caudal and anal fins are interconnected. The skin of the moonfish is thick and elastic, covered with small bony tubercles. The sunfish can often be seen lying on its side on the surface of the water. The adult sunfish is a very poor swimmer, unable to overcome strong currents. It feeds on plankton, as well as squid, eel larvae, salps, ctenophores and jellyfish. It can reach gigantic sizes of several tens of meters and weigh 1.5 tons. (Franco Banfi)
5. Broadnose chimaera (lat. Rhinochimaera atlantica).
Opened in 1909. Absolutely disgusting looking jelly fish. It lives on the deep bottom of the Atlantic Ocean and feeds on mollusks. Extremely poorly studied. (Jay Burnett, NOAA/NMFS/NEFSC)
6. Frilled Shark (Latin: Chlamydoselachus anguineus).
Opened in 1884. These sharks look much more like a strange sea snake or eel than their closest relatives. In the frilled shark, the gill openings, of which there are six on each side, are covered with skin folds. In this case, the membranes of the first gill slit cross the throat of the fish and are connected to each other, forming a wide skin blade. Along with the goblin shark, it is one of the rarest sharks on the planet. No more than a hundred specimens of these fish are known. They have been studied extremely poorly. (Awashima Marine Park/Getty Images)
7. Indonesian coelacanth (English: Indonesian Coelacanth, Latin: Latimeria menadoensis).
Opened in 1999. Living fossil and probably oldest fish on the ground. Before the discovery of the first representative of the coelant order, which includes the coelacanth, it was considered completely extinct. Time of divergence of two modern species coelacanth is 30-40 million years old. No more than a dozen were caught alive. (Pearson - Benjamin Cummings)
8. Hairy Angler (lat. Caulophryne polynema).
Opened in 1930. Very strange and scary fish that live on the deep bottom, where there is no sunlight - from 1 km and deeper. To lure the inhabitants of the deep sea, it uses a special luminous growth on the forehead, characteristic of the entire order of anglerfish. Thanks to its special metabolism and extremely sharp teeth, it can eat anything it comes across, even if the prey is many times larger and is also a predator. It reproduces no less strangely than it looks and feeds - due to the unusually harsh conditions and rarity of fish, the male (ten times smaller than the female) attaches to the flesh of his chosen one and transmits everything necessary through the blood. (BBC)
9. Blobfish (Latin: Psychrolutes marcidus).
Opened in 1926. Often mistaken for a joke. In fact, this is a completely real species of deep-sea bottom-dwelling marine fish of the psycholute family, which on the surface takes on a “jelly” appearance with a “sad expression.” It has been poorly studied, but this is enough to recognize it as one of the most bizarre. The photo shows a copy of the Australian Museum. (Kerryn Parkinson/Australian Museum)
10. Smallmouth macropinna (English, Latin Macropinna microstoma) - winner for quirkiness.
Opened in 1939. It lives at very great depths, so it has been poorly studied. In particular, the principle of fish vision was not entirely clear. It was believed that she must experience very great difficulties due to the fact that she can only see up. Only in 2009 was the structure of the eye of this fish fully studied. Apparently, when trying to study it earlier, the fish simply could not tolerate the change in pressure. The most notable feature of this species is the transparent, dome-shaped shell that covers the top and sides of its head, and the large, usually upward-pointing, cylindrical eyes that lie underneath this shell. A dense and elastic covering shell is attached to the scales of the back at the back, and on the sides to the wide and transparent periocular bones, which provide protection for the organs of vision. This covering structure is usually lost (or at least very badly damaged) when fish are brought to the surface in trawls and nets, so its existence was not known until recently. Under the covering shell there is a chamber filled with a transparent liquid, in which, in fact, the eyes of the fish are located; The eyes of living fish are bright green and separated by a thin bony septum, which, extending backwards, expands to accommodate the brain. In front of each eye, but behind the mouth, is a large rounded pouch that contains an olfactory receptor rosette. That is, what at first glance appears to be eyes in photographs of live fish is actually an olfactory organ. The green color is caused by the presence of a specific yellow pigment in them. It is believed that this pigment provides special filtering of light coming from above and reduces its brightness, allowing the fish to discern the bioluminescence of potential prey. (Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute)