This lionfish is not only weird, but also dangerous. There are stingers on its tentacles. Click on image for full size (40K JPG) Windows Original, adapted from Corel Photography

One of the reasons there are so many divers is the number of strange animals there are to observe. There are thousands of species of fish in the sea, and several of them are very peculiar. Many of them had to adapt to survive, and so they are very unconventional.

The Tasmanian Blenny has an unusual set of 'horns' on its head! This fish is usually 5 inches in length, so it needs to protect itself from predators. The two pieces of tissue protruding from its head gives the look of a fighter.

The strange-looking Globefish fills itself with water and air when threatened. It turns into an oversized golf ball, with long sharp needles sticking out all around. It is just shy of 1 foot in length, and feeds on molluscs and echinoderms.

The strong and fierce sailfish roams the open ocean searching for prey. The sailfish uses its long bill to injure smaller fish before scooping them up in its mouth. Sailfish reach about 10 feet in length, and are very popular with fishermen.

There are many more 'weird' fish in the sea, including some that have light bulbs that light the way, and others that have tentacles filled with poison. The image shows a lionfish, which has many tentacles for protection.

This lionfish is not only weird, but also dangerous. There are stingers on its tentacles. Click on image for full size (40K JPG) Windows Original, adapted from Corel Photography

One of the reasons there are so many divers is the number of strange animals there are to observe. There are thousands of species of fish in the sea, and several of them are unique.

The Tasmanian Blenny has an unusual set of 'horns' on its head! This fish is usually 5 inches in length, so it needs to protect itself from predators. The two pieces of tissue sticking out from its head gives the look of a fighter.

The strange-looking Globefish fills itself with water and air when threatened. It turns into an oversized golf ball, with long sharp needles sticking out all around. It is just shy of 1 foot in length, and feeds on molluscs and echinoderms.

The strong and fierce sailfish roams the open ocean searching for prey. The sailfish uses its long bill to injure smaller fish before scooping them up in its mouth. Sailfish reach about 10 feet in length, and are very popular with fishermen.

There are many more 'weird' fish in the sea, including some that have light bulbs that light the way, and others that have tentacles filled with poison.

This lionfish is not only weird, but also dangerous. There are stingers on its tentacles. Click on image for full size (40K JPG) Windows Original, adapted from Corel Photography

You might think that butterflyfish and eels are weird. But they are normal compared to these fish! Those that live in deep waters have small light bulbs to help them see. Others have tentacles with sharp tips that can stab.

Why are these fish so strange? They have to adapt, or change, because their environment changes. If they didn't have light bulbs, how could they see where they are going?

There are thousands of funny-looking fish in the oceans. Some of them, like this lionfish, are kept as pets. Others are never seen by people because they live so far down!