Who doesn’t love a good laugh or an epic conversation starter? Combine that with the diverse underwater world, and you’ve got yourself an endless source of entertainment. So, if you’re looking for something fun to share with your friends or brighten your day, look no further than our list of funny-looking fish!
We’ve handpicked 13 incredible creatures for you – from goofy faces to silly body shapes, it’s hard to believe they actually exist! You’ll recognize some of them immediately, while others will come as a total surprise. But there’s no doubt that you’re in for a treat. Are you ready to see what we prepared for you? Scroll down and enjoy.
Pufferfish
There isn’t a better way to open our funny-looking fish lineup than with the Pufferfish. With their tiny mouths, wide-eyed stares, and party balloon-like bodies, Pufferfish will most certainly make you chuckle.
But there’s a plot twist! Those “aww” traits are actually defense mechanisms. When they feel threatened, Pufferfish blow themselves up to several times their normal size. While this is adorable to us, their enemies aren’t quite as amused. Some species also have deadly toxins that can kill humans – yes, we’re talking about the Fugu!
Pufferfish and their relatives make up a large and widespread family of almost 450 species. What may seem like a foolish group of beach balls at first sight is, in fact, an admirable army. Don’t be fooled by these cartoonish characters – they mean business.
Ocean Sunfish (aka Mola Mola)
Speaking of Pufferfish relatives, meet their sun-loving cousins – Ocean Sunfish, better known as Mola Mola. These leviathans rank high on our list due to their distinctly unusual features and even more unusual habits.
Flat, round, and tailless, Mola Mola look like they forgot half of their body. And here’s the funny thing – they kind of do. It’s not uncommon for sea lions to bite off a part of Mola Mola’s body, and the fish just keeps on swimming as if nothing happened. Add their impressive size to the mix, and they suddenly resemble a giant bitten pancake. Pretty funny, isn’t it?
And what about their habits? Well, they love a good spa day and lots of snacks. Mola Mola frequent the ocean’s surface to bask in the sun. As for treats, Mola Mola can’t resist a hearty portion of jellyfish. They can eat up to 3% their body weight every day, and, as the heaviest recorded specimen weighed a whopping 6,049 pounds, 3% turns out as a lot of jellyfish.
Alligator Gar
If you thought Mola Mola were hilarious, imagine a half-fish-half-alligator reaching biblical proportions. Meet Alligator Gar, a freshwater behemoth looking like they ran straight out of a kid’s drawing.
These beasts are the second-largest freshwater fish in North America and the largest species of the Gar family. They can reach 10 feet in size and weigh up to 300 pounds! But they’re harmless to humans and are gentle giants, such as Mola Mola.
With long bodies, sharp teeth, snouts, and earthy tones, they resemble alligators but aren’t related to them. In fact, their lineage dates back to the late Jurassic period, and they’re closer to dinosaurs than alligators. These living fossils are literally something a wild child’s imagination would come up with!
Flying Fish
“Look at the water! It’s a bird! It’s a plane! It’s a Flying Fish!” That Superman reference is perfect for introducing our next funny-looking superfish. Their powers include a bird-like appearance, speed, and the ability to travel above water – but not to fly. That’s right, the Flying Fish can’t fly. Sorry for ruining the superhero image!
Despite their wing-resembling fins and the name that suggests airborne abilities, Flying Fish simply leap out of the water and propel themselves with their tails, thus gliding on the surface. Some stay above the water up to 45 seconds – which is nearly four times longer than the flight of the first ever plane, to be fair. And with a travelling speed of 37 miles per hour, they’re also faster than the Wright brothers’ aircraft!
Even if they don’t fly, these acrobats still put on quite a wacky show. Just picture a school (or should we say a flock?) of Flying Fish spreading their wings, wagging their tails, and dancing their way across the ocean. A funny sight to behold, wouldn’t you agree?
Barreleye Fish
Speaking of superpowers, here’s a fish that resembles a submarine radar and somewhat behaves like one. We introduce you the Barreleye Fish, a small deep-sea resident with glowing green barrels for eyes and a transparent windshield for a forehead. Funny-looking fellas, don’t you think?
Barreleye Fish live at depths up to 2,600 feet, where the sunlight barely reaches. Luckily, their bodies have developed special features that help them navigate these twilight zones. Yes, we’re talking about those built-in night vision goggles of theirs!
Their upward-facing eyes are filled with vivid green fluid that, along with a see-through shield, helps Barreleye Fish find their way around in the dark. But it also detects potential prey swimming above them – just like a submarine radar.
Flower Horn Fish
Let’s dwell on the theme of weird-shaped heads a bit more and talk about Flower Horn Fish. And let’s also forget about superheroes this time because these wierdos give off Megamind villain energy! Flower Horn Fish have prominent humps on their foreheads that look like their brains are about to explode.
Interestingly, these forehead decorations – or “flower horns” – are the result of selective breeding. Flower Horn Fish are man-made aquarium species believed to bring good luck to their owners. There are several Flower Horn Fish in the market, but almost all share exotic looks and vibrant colors. And mature males always have the largest horns to show off.
Besides being lucky charms and unusual ornaments, Flower Horn Fish are also a status symbol. Some varieties, such as Golden Monkey, sell at prices of $1,000 ore more!
Longhorn Cowfish
Yes, we’ve started a new theme now – horns. But unlike Flower Horn Fish, the forehead protrusions of Longhorn Cowfish actually look like horns. They resemble cows’ horns so much that they inspired the species’s name. And once you notice those funny little mouths, you can’t help but smile at these little oddballs.
As is usually the case, with a strange name and shape come even stranger abilities. Longhorn Cowfish may seem cute and helpless, but these bright warriors come with armor and weapons. We aren’t exaggerating – their bodies are hard and shell-like, while their flesh is poisonous.
Add hovering movement and special uncovering skills to the mix, and you’ll want to watch from a safe distance as they slowly patrol the underwater world. Rather than swimming like other fish, Longhorns slowly hover through the water using gentle fin motions. And when they blow into the sand, they disclose hidden worms. Trust us, Longhorns may look funny, but they aren’t joking around!
Porcupinefish
What happens when you add not one, not two, but hundreds of spines to a fish? Well, you get funny-looking Porcupinefish, of course! Bad jokes aside, these fish got their name based on those striking similarities with their land-based dopplegagners. So, in a sense, Porcupinefish are just underwater porkies!
Porcupinefish are often compared to Pufferfish, too. Sure, they both can inflate and look like little angry prickly pears, but unlike Porcupinefish, Pufferfish rarely have spikes, and even when they do, they’re usually much softer. Porcupinefish can have up to 600 sharp spines, and they’re so intimidating that their skin was used on some Pacific islands as a headpiece in battles.
Leafy Sea Dragon
The more we go down the list, the less these creatures look like fish. But that’s exactly what makes them hilarious! Take Leafy Sea Dragons, for example. They remind you of kelp at best. Yet, they’re actually fish. They’re closely related to Seahorses and Pipefish, which may explain their magical but funny existence.
Their leaf-like appearance serves the purpose, of course. If you thought of camouflage, you guessed correctly! Thanks to their seaweed extensions, Leafy Sea Dragons actually fit in the kelp environments of Australia seamlessly. They stay protected, all while looking gorgeous at the same time. A win-win if you ask us.
Pinecone Fish
The following funny-looking fish goes by many names – Pineapple Fish, Soldierfish, Knightfish, Lighthouse Fish, and Pinecone Fish. Whatever name you choose to call them, there’s no denying that they’re mind-blowing.
They’re best known as Pinecone Fish due to their astonishing resemblance to pinecones. But their shape and scutes (bony plates instead of usual flexible scales) aren’t the most astonishing things about them. Their glowing organs are! These beacons probably earned them the “Lighthouse Fish” nickname.
Their organs produce light and most likely allow Pinecone Fish to communicate with each other and attract their food. And that’s not all. As they grow older, the greenish hues they radiate gradually change to reddish tones. How amazing is that?
Handfish
So far, you’ve seen funny-looking fish imitating birds, dragons, cows, alligators, and even prickly pears. But are you ready for a fish that resembles a human? While some underwater residents from this list have wings, horns, and spines, Handfish has… well, hands! And it gets funnier.
Not only do their fins look like human hands, but Handfish use them to walk! So, instead of swimming, these bottom dwellers stroll along the seafloor.
Sadly, there’s a less entertaining side to the story as well. Several Handfish species, such as Spotted and Red Handfish, are critically endangered. In fact, Spotted Handfish were the first marine fish to be listed as “endangered” in Australia back in 1996. Unfortunately, they remain on the list to this day. Use those hands and hang in there, Red and Spotted Handfish – we’re rooting for you!
Flying Gurnard
Beautiful, quirky, and strange, our last fish on this list won’t disappoint. Flying Gurnard are fish of many talents – they can swim, walk, and “fly.” In other words, they’re the perfect hybrid of many species you encountered on this list.
Flying Gurnard’s most breathtaking features are their intricately patterned wings. These wings are usually folded, but they spread dramatically when the fish feel threatened. Such a fascinating display of beauty and intimidation! That being said, Flying Gurnard can’t actually fly or glide above the water like Flying Fish, for example.
Now, since they’re bottom feeders, they’ve developed another remarkable skill set – walking and digging! Their wings are divided into sections, and the front parts are used for moving along the seafloor and uncovering potential food hidden in the sand. Pretty cool, eh?
Funny Looking Fish: A Never-Ending List
When we started writing this article, we were certain we knew exactly which species to include. But this task was actually much harder than we imagined – as all underwater species are peculiar and funny-looking in their own way.
We hope we’ve given you at least a couple of conversation starters, and now we’d love you to pitch in and help us expand the list. Don’t be shy, hit the button below, and tell us all about your favorite funny-looking fish!
What species from our funny-looking fish list do you like the most? Why? Do you know any other oddballs? Share those gems with us in the comment section below.
For more unusual species, check out our articles on 9 Scary Fish to Haunt Your Dreams or 12 Funny Fish Names to Make You Smile.
