25 Creepiest Creatures Caught While Fishing

Posted by , Updated on March 23, 2024

The enormous and profound ocean is a grand enigma, brimming with uninvestigated areas and yet-to-be-discovered species. Throughout the years, fishermen have ensnared the most unnerving creatures, evoking chills down our spine, providing us with a glimpse of what lurks beneath. Here, we present the top 25 Strangest Creatures Caught During Fishing.

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25

Largest Thresher Shark

ThresherSource: http://www.telegraph.co.uk

Thresher sharks average about 700 lbs, but a fisherman out in Cornwall, England caught a 32 ft, 1,250 lb thresher shark, the largest ever caught. We’ll stay clear of that one, thank you very much!

24

Monstrous Ocean Sunfish

Enormous_SunfishSource: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Enormous_Sunfish.jpg

Considered a delicacy around the world, ocean sunfish usually swim in tropical or temperate waters and can get up to 2,000 pounds. This sunfish was caught by W. N. McMillan in 1910, and the weight was estimated to be 3,500 pounds.

23

Massive Mantis Shrimp

Mantis_Shrimp_(11670919523)Source: https://twitter.com/stevebargeron/status/506841970283905024

These alien-looking creatures are called Mantis Shrimp. Most only grow to about 3 inches, but Steve Bargeron caught a massive 18 inch long mantis shrimp.

22

680 Pound Tuna Caught by JKL Ross

JKL_Ross_with_680lb_tunaSource: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:JKL_Ross_with_680lb_tuna.jpg

In 1913, JKL Ross caught a 680-pound tuna with just a rod and a line in Nova Scotia.

21

Humongous Manta Ray

Manta_birostris-ThailandSource: https://www.earthtouchnews.com/conservation/human-impact/massive-oceanic-manta-ray-accidentally-caught-in-peru/

Accidently caught off the coast of Caleta la Cruz in Peru, fisherman reeled in a massive 2,200-pound manta ray in April 2015.

20

Largest Seahorse

Hippocampus_hystrix_(Spiny_seahorse)_yellowSource: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3252289/Did-eat-seabiscuits-World-s-biggest-seahorse-caught-fisherman-s-net-south-coast-England-THIRTEEN-inches-snout-tail.html

Seahorses are generally tiny, measuring on average around 0.6 inches long. Now, imagine the surprise of the British fishermen that caught a 14-inch seahorse near Poole Harbour, Dorset.

19

23-Foot-Long Oarfish Caught by U.S. Navy

Giant_OarfishSource: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Giant_Oarfish.jpg

Oarfish are incredibly rare sea creatures. By the look of it, we’d imagine it would be a deadly sea monster, but it’s mostly harmless. Off the coast of San Diego, California, Navy Seals found a 300 pound, 23-foot Oarfish.

18

Ocellated Icefish

Chionodraco_rastrospinosusSource: http://www.livescience.com/28504-ocellated-icefish-clear-blood.html

Living about 3,200 feet down in the Antarctic ocean, the Ocellated Icefish is a weird fish, primarily because it’s the only known creature in the world to have clear blood.

17

Spikey Blue Fish

Spikey Blue FishSource: https://twitter.com/rfedortsov/status/810712663101767680

This beautiful bluefish was caught by Roman Fedorstov out on a fishing boat in northwest Russia. It’s similarities to a dinosaur are striking.

16

Alien Sea Creature Caught Alive in Singapore

GorgonocephalidaeSource: http://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/singapore-angler-clarifies-that-he-was-the-one-who-caught-the-basket-star

Like something straight out of the movie Alien, a Singaporean fisherman found a live creature with dozens of arms wiggling and squirming on his boat, easily giving anyone the chills. What the fisherman caught is called a Basket Star, a close relative to the starfish. Its arms continue to grow, expand, and replicate, helping it catch prey.

15

Goliath Tigerfish Caught in the Congo

Hydrocynus_goliath_-_Poisson-chien_-_Aqua_porte_Dorée_04Source: https://www.wereblog.com/jeremy-wade-caught-50kg-giant-piranha-in-congo-river

A giant fish with razor sharp teeth that’s known to eat crocodiles and humans is the Goliath Tigerfish. Fisherman Jeremy Wade spent eight days trying to snag one. He finally caught one in the Congo; it came in at 5 ft long and 100-pounds.

14

Giant Isopod

Giant_isopodSource: http://mentalfloss.com/article/56278/18-awesome-facts-about-giant-isopods

These creepy bottom dwellers are called Giant Isopods and can get up to 14 inches in length. Though they mostly eat whatever falls to the ocean floor, they are also carnivorous and eat slower ocean creatures.

13

327 Pound Alligator Gar Caught in Mississppi

Gar_head-1Source: http://www.foxnews.com/tech/2011/02/21/327-pound-dinosaur-fish-caught-swimming-mississippi.html

In 2011, a man caught a record breaking 327-pound alligator gar in Vicksburg, Miss., measuring at 8 feet, 5 inches long, looking more like an ancient dinosaur than an alligator or a fish. We may think twice before going near the Mississippi River!

12

Knifenose Chimaera

Harriotta_raleighana._Golfo_de_México_2012Source: http://www.livescience.com/54096-bizarre-green-eyed-fish-caught.html

A fisherman out in Nova Scotia pulled out a green-eyed looking monster, unsure at first what it was at all. Little did he know, he caught a Knifenose Chimaera, a creature very similar to a shark.

11

Monster Wolffish Caught near Japan

Anarhichas_lupus_frontalSource: http://www.ibtimes.co.uk/monster-wolffish-caught-off-hokkaido-not-result-fukushima-radiation-1520138

Off the island of Hokkaido, a fisherman caught an extremely big wolffish. Most wolffish measure around 40 inches but this fisherman caught a whopping 70-inch wolffish. Some worried its size was a result of Fukushima’s radiation leak, but scientists assured everyone that the leak had nothing to do with the size. It’s just a really big fish.

10

Colossal Squid Caught in Antarctica

colossal squidSource: http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2008/08/080825-giant-squid.html

Like something out of Twenty-Thousand Leagues Under the Sea, a group of fishermen found an extraordinary squid in Antarctica. Measuring at 30 feet, colossal squids are rare finds especially out in the wild. Usually, scientists or fishermen find them inside larger whales.

9

Huge Opah fish

Opah_6Source: https://swfsc.noaa.gov/ImageGallery/Default.aspx?moid=4724

Marine biologist Nick Wegner caught this massive orange Opah fish, also known as moonfish. We can’t decide whether a fish that size is cute or terrifying.

8

Sea Lamprey

Sea_LampreySource: http://eekwi.org/critter/invert/lamprey.htm

An ancient species of fish that once swam with the dinosaurs, the Sea Lamprey is a jawless fish and looks a lot like an eel. Technically, they’re parasites and feed on the blood of their victims. So, basically, our worst nightmare.

7

Remora

RemoraSource: http://animaldiversity.org/accounts/Remora_remora/

A Remora, also known as a Shark Sucker, looks like someone stomped a boot on its head. But, that groove on their head is actually their sucking disc that they use to attach to sharks and other sea creatures to gain rides.

6

Malacosteus Niger

Slimey deep water fishSource: https://twitter.com/rfedortsov/status/809598146271711232

Caught by Roman Fedorstov, this slimy and disgusting creature is called Malacosteus Niger, a fish that can be found all over the world from tropical locations to the subarctic.

5

Clear Abomination

Slimy abominationSource: https://twitter.com/rfedortsov/status/791643667601719298

We don’t know exactly what this thing is, but we’re calling it a clear abomination if we’ve ever seen one. It was also caught by Roman Fedorstov, but we’re kind of wishing he’d never found it at all. It’s definitely going to haunt us for some time.

4

In the Mouth of Madness

Evil TeethSource: https://twitter.com/rfedortsov/status/800224875839422464

Another creepy creature caught by Roman Fedorstov, we’re not sure what kind of fish it is, but we’re definitely not going anywhere near it.

3

Pacific Viperfish

Head_of_a_pacific_Viperfish_4037Source: http://www.strangeanimals.info/2010/10/viperfish.html

The Pacific Viperfish is one of those fish we wish we didn’t know existed. With massive teeth that they impale their victims with at high speeds, its not a fish to tangle with. Fortunately for humans, we rarely see these out in the wild as they swim deep in the ocean.

2

Chimaera Shark

ChimeraSource: https://twitter.com/rfedortsov/status/808018055905349637

This is a terrifying angle of a weird creature that some believe could be a Chimaera Shark, a deep sea creature rarely seen in the wild.

1

Frilled Shark

Frilled SharkSource: http://mentalfloss.com/article/60129/11-fascinating-facts-about-frilled-shark

An eel-like creature found scattered in the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans, the Frilled Shark is mostly terrifying for its many razor sharp teeth. It hovers in the ocean and strikes its prey like a snake. Fortunately, humans rarely see it in its natural habitat as it swims in incredibly deep waters.

 

Looking for more creepy things from the water? Check out 25 Most Terrifying Deep Sea Creatures 



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