Goliath Tigerfish
The goliath tigerfish (or Hydrocynus goliath) is a truly scary fish native to the Congo River in Africa. It is the largest species in the tigerfish family and has 32 sharp teeth that are almost the same size as the ones found in a great white shark. These teeth interlock into grooves in the lower jaw, these are freshwater predators and strong swimmers able to capture any prey it sees in fast flowing oxygenated water.
- Weight: Up to 50 kg (110 lbs)
- Height (Length): Up to 1.5 m (5 ft)
- Deadly: Potentially dangerous to humans
- Skin/Fur: Scaled, silver with a golden sheen
- Eye Color: Yellow or reddish
- Scary Feature: Razor-sharp, dagger-like teeth.
See also Prehistoric Marine Reptiles for scary marine creatures.
Anglerfish
- Weight: 0.5–2 kg (males are much smaller)
- Height (Length): 0.2–1 metre
- Deadly: Not deadly to humans
- Skin/Fur: Slimy, dark brown or black skin
- Eye Color: Pale or glowing
Anglerfish have a modified luminescent fin ray (the esca or illicium) acts as a lure for other fish. The luminescence comes from symbiotic bacteria, which are thought to be acquired from seawater. They eat shrimp, bony fish and other crustaceans.
Fangtooth Fish
- Weight: 2–3 kg
- Height (Length): 0.2–0.5 metres
- Deadly: Not dangerous to humans
- Skin/Fur: Rough, dark brown or black skin
- Eye Color: Small and black
The common fangtooth fish is more closely related to shallow-water squirrelfishes than to other deep-sea fishes. These fish look menacing and have the largest teeth in relation to their bodies of any fish. Being voracious predators, they are actually harmless to humans. They inhabit the deep sea and only grow to about 7 inches (18 cm) long.
Viperfish
- Weight: ~2 kg
- Height (Length): 0.3–0.6 metres
- Deadly: Not deadly to humans
- Skin/Fur: Shiny, silvery blue or green skin
- Eye Color: Large, metallic blue or green
The Pacific viperfish, Chauliodus macouni, has teeth so large that they don’t fit in its mouth. Its huge jaw allows its mouth to open very wide to engulf prey, like shrimp and fish, while the teeth trap prey in the mouth. These fish live below 200 meters (655 feet) in the deep sea and are only about 30 centimeters (one foot) long at most.
Stonefish
- Weight: Up to 2.5 kg (5.5 lbs)
- Height (Length): Up to 0.4 m (1.3 ft)
- Deadly: Highly venomous, fatal if untreated
- Skin/Fur: Rough, lumpy, stone-like skin
- Eye Color: Yellow to greenish
- Scary Feature: Camouflages perfectly in reefs, with venomous spines.
The stonefish has 13 spies on its back and look like a stone or rock, the venom is the same colour as the spines to enhance the camouflage. They sit perfectly still, on the sea floor, coral and rocky reefs, the primary reason for the camouflage is to allow them to ambush their prey. Eating other reef fishes and invertebrates, they wait for their prey to come to them. and strike when their food is less than their body length away. They have powerful jaws and large mouths and create so much pressure they are easily suck down their food and swallow it whole.
Pacific Black Dragon
- Weight: ~1 kg
- Height (Length): 0.3–0.5 metres
- Deadly: Not dangerous to humans
- Skin/Fur: Glossy, jet-black skin
- Eye Color: Large, pale green or yellow
Ambush predators, so they are black to hide the bioluminescent animals that they eat in their stomachs. Living in the Pacific Ocean blackdragons have rows of specialised light cells, called photophores to attract mates. They have a separate light organ at the end of the long barbel that hangs down from the chin. This organ is used as a lure to attract prey toward their teeth-filled mouths.
Payara (Vampire Fish) – Scary Fish
- Weight: 10–18 kg
- Height (Length): 1–1.2 metres
- Deadly: Not deadly to humans but can inflict injury
- Skin/Fur: Silvery, smooth skin
- Eye Colour: Black
One of the few places in Colombia anglers can count on finding payara, a jungle creature that looks like a monster from a flick and is nicknamed “Vampire Fish.”
Sarcastic Fringehead
- Weight: ~1 kg
- Height (Length): 0.2–0.3 metres
- Deadly: Not dangerous to humans
- Skin/Fur: Brownish with speckled patterns
- Eye Color: Bright green or yellow
These fish with a strange name are highly aggressive and territorial, They are found in the Pacific waters from San Francisco to central Baja California they live in water 10 – 250 feet in depth. This scary fish is a species of blenny and can be found throughout the world in marine, brackish and freshwater habitats. The sarcastic fringehead is the largest member, is a group of scaleless, elongated blennies most of which are relatively small, benthic (sea bottom) dwellers.
- Weight: Up to 20 kg (44 lbs)
- Height (Length): Up to 1.5 m (5 ft)
- Deadly: Not to humans but strong bite
- Skin/Fur: Smooth, slimy skin (blue-gray to purplish)
- Eye Color: Yellowish-green
- Scary Feature: Fearsome teeth used to crush prey.
Living across the Atlantic they prefer fairly deep water, 30m favour rocky and broken ground which provides them with cracks and crevices to hide inside. Increasingly scarce they have several wolf like teeth with the back teeth being powerful crushers.They feed on crabs, lobsters, starfish, sea urchins, prawns and shellfish. Usually solitary fish although scary they are not aggressive.
Scorpionfish
- Weight: Up to 3 kg (6.6 lbs)
- Height (Length): Up to 0.5 m (1.6 ft)
- Deadly: Highly venomous
- Skin/Fur: Rough, textured skin with spines (reddish, brown, or orange)
- Eye Color: Black or reddish
- Scary Feature: Venomous spines and excellent camouflage.
As their name implies one to be avoided! They are mostly marine fish and one of the world’s most venomous species. Scorpionfish have a type of “sting” in the form of sharp spines coated with venomous mucus. Commonly found in the Indian and South Pacific Oceans where water temperatures are warm and coral reefs are plentiful. The sting is fatal to other animals and extremely painful to humans. Found on the sea bed where they hid amongst rocks and corals.
