He's a Strange Fish Trivia Quiz

Answer: It is the largest bony fish species.

The odd looking sunfish is the largest bony fish species. The largest sunfish measured was over ten feet (3m) across and weighed almost 5,000 lbs. (2,300kg). The sunfish appears to have lost its tail fin, but in reality, it has an appendage called a clavus.

This is the result of fusion of the anal and dorsal fins. Even though they do not have a powerful tail, the sunfish moves very quickly. While there are a variety of subspecies which all vary slightly, most sunfish are found in temperate or tropical waters.

They can be found in the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans. They love to feast on jellyfish, mollusks and brittle stars. They are not dangerous to man and are usually not caught as a food fish.

Answer: Oarfish

The silver-colored oarfish is the longest bony fish in the ocean. It can grow to 36 ft. (11m) long. It is a slender, flat fish with a red frill on top of its body that runs the length of the creature. It usually feeds on zooplankton and is thought to live a solitary existence except when mating.

The oarfish is rarely seen alive and when seen, it usually after beaching itself when sick or dying. It was not until 2001 that the first oarfish was filmed alive and in the wild. Usually found in deeper waters, it has been known to swim at the surface when it is sick or dying.

It has been postulated that the oarfish may be the origin of the legend of the sea serpent.

Answer: Scales

The obese dragonfish has a mouthful of long teeth that look like fangs. Some sub-species have photophores which allow them to emit light. They are usually found at great depths, around 16,000 ft. (5,000m), and are found in all three major oceans. It has dark skin, no scales, and sports a long barbel hanging from its lower jaw.

As with most deep water species, very little about its daily habits is known.

Answer: Pacific Ocean

The Asian sheepshead wrasse is native to China, Korea and Japan, and some of the other Pacific Islands close to these countries. This fish has bulging protrusions on its head and jaw, and is usually a combination of pink and gray in color. This is a shallow water fish that likes to hide in rocky outcrops while it waits for smaller fish to go by.

Answer: False

The oranda goldfish is a popular aquarium fish that comes in many different color combinations. It has a bulbous growth on the top of its head known as a wen. The purpose of this growth is not known but is thought to be decorative and helps with getting a mate. Sometimes the wen will grow so large that it obstructs the vision of the fish.

At one time it was thought that these were fish eggs on the top of the head, but we now know that is completely wrong. In the wild the oranda dines on krill and brine shrimp and usually swims near the top of the water where temperatures are higher.

Answer: Blobfish

The blobfish is one of the strangest fish in the sea. The fish in the photo will turn into a blob with no shape as soon as it is removed from the water. The blobfish basically floats in the deep water waiting for deep-ocean crustaceans to float by. The blobfish is the mascot for the "Ugly Animal Preservation Society" and is often depicted as an example of an animal that is strange, weird and ugly.

Answer: True

The fangtooth is a small deep-water fish that varies from three to seven inches in length. Proportionate to their body size, they have the largest teeth of any fish in the sea. These teeth keep them from completely closing their mouths. The fangtooth is one of the deepest living fish in the sea.

It can be found as deep as 16,000 ft. (5,000m) and they are basically blind. They feast on the zooplankton that floats around in the abyssal plain.

Answer: Toxic spines

The pufferfish has the ability to swallow water or air to inflate itself so that it is too big for predators to swallow. It also sports spines that are extremely toxic. One average pufferfish has enough toxin to kill over 25 adult men or almost any sea predator that attempts to eat it.

In spite of this, the meat of the pufferfish is considered a delicacy in many Far Eastern countries. Many customers die every year from eating this fish when it is not prepared correctly. The diet of the pufferfish includes small invertebrates and algae which they use to produce their deadly toxin.

Answer: The barbel attached to its head.

All anglerfish have a barbel that grows out of the top of its head. It is used as bait, just like an angler/fisherman uses bait. The barbel floats around in the water until prey gets close enough to snap at it, by which time the anglerfish has turned the predator into prey. Anglerfish are a deep-water fish and come in many shapes and sizes.

Some have the ability to change color while others use algae as a form of camouflage.

Answer: Lizardfish

The lizardfish is usually found lying very still on the bottom of the shallower areas of the ocean. It is an ambush predator that attacks any smaller prey that swims by. They are long, slender fish that usually do not grow over two ft. (60cm)long. They are known for having no scales to cover their transparent skin. In many sub-species, the inner organs are clearly visible.