Pacific barreleye fish
Looking more like a marine submersible than a fish, the Pacific barreleye fish (also known as spook fish) has ultra-sensitive eyes that are, no surprises here, shaped like a barrel – tubular structures that are generally directed upwards. Looking upwards in this way, allows this weird animal to see through the top of its head to detect the silhouettes of overhead prey.
apanese spider crab
There are around 60,000 species of crustaceans, and of these, the Japanese Spider Crab is the largest. With a whopping 3.7m (12 feet) leg span, they are considerably larger than a human. But despite their large size, they start life as microscopic planktonic larva, one of millions that the mother lays. These weird animals are mostly found off the coast of Honshū, a Japanese island.
Mantis shrimp
These powerful little creatures have spring-loaded punches, allowing them to attack with the force of a .22 calibre bullet, reaching speeds of 23m per second. It’s the strongest known strike of any animal, with a force around 100 times that of its weight! If that’s not enough for you, these weird animals are even older than the dinosaurs.
Naked mole rat
The naked mole rat can live up to 32 years old, that’s the longest of any rodent. These remarkable rodents are also largely resistant to conditions that affect humans, from neurodegeneration to cancer, so these weird animals could offer valuable insights into our own biology.
Sarcastic fringehead
When this fish attacks, it looks like the Demogorgan from Stranger Things. With its enormous head, the sarcastic fringehead flares open its mouth, aggressively kissing the other to defend its territory.
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