Astronomer Fish: Ugly, Venomous, and Sometimes Electric

Earth’s oceans teem with genuinely strange creatures. Among them are the Stargazers, notable for their nightmare-inducing appearance as well as their distinctive arsenal.

Not Exactly a Good Luck Charm

There are roughly fifty species within the Uranoscopidae family, found in tropical and temperate waters around the world. Reaching up to 59 centimeters in length and weighing up to 9 kilograms, Astroscopus guttatus is their largest known representative.

Morphologically, these fish share a massive mouth lined with numerous teeth, as well as upward-facing eyes that look toward the surface (and the sky), which has earned them the common name of the stargazers. Their dorsal coloration is dark, their flanks and belly are lighter and speckled, and their caudal fin is striped with clearly defined white bands.

Buried on sandy or rocky seabed for most of the time along coastlines, they wait patiently for prey (comprising small fish, crustaceans, and marine invertebrates) to drift nearby, and they suck it in in the blink of an eye, creating a powerful suction when they open their mouths.

Secret Weapons

When prey becomes scarcer, Stargazers can rely on spectacular adaptations, including a mouth appendage resembling a hairy tongue, which they wiggle and use as bait.

Their arsenal also includes four or five venomous spines located just ahead of their dorsal fin. Capable of inflicting intense pain on anyone unlucky enough to brush against them, their venom is nonetheless not powerful enough to cause death in humans.

Another notable asset: some Astroscopus species possess cells known as ‘electroplates’, capable of generating discharges reaching up to around fifty volts. These discharges are mainly meant to deter potential predators.

To stay within the realm of unsettling-looking fish, discover the anglerfish, the abyssal creature that seems to belong in science fiction.