Under the Sea! (It's not half as lovely as Ariel had you believe...)

This undulating fish of terror, dating back as far as 80 million years ago, possesses a gaping mouth containing up to 300 three-pointed teeth. It is capable of swallowing prey whole as big as 60% of it's own size (which can exceed two meters). It swims like a snake, strikes like a snake, and it's also really, really creepy.

The word "sarcastic" originates from a Greek term to mean "flesh cutting" and this rambunctious fish certainly lives up to its name. Residing in burrows formed from holes in rocks, shells or even trash, these fish will aggressively defend their territory against any trespassers regardless of their size. In parts of America they have been known to bully divers, and with a face like that I'd give it my lunch money.

Don't be fooled, this snazzy creature might look like a fun guy on the surface, but it's a proven killer. Found in Australia (as if they didn't have enough to worry about) this small octopus displays electric blue rings when distressed, and produces a venom to which there is currently no antivenom. The venom is commonly transmitted through a bite but simply being in a close proximity can put you at risk, so don't hang around to admire its sweet threads.

This fish might not have a scary name or sexy colours but beware, it's dangerous. The Sturgeon, which moves between marine and freshwater environments, can be as big as 20 ft long and weigh over 800 kg. Sturgeons are infamous for leaping out of the water and onto fishing boats, and have killed many people in the past.

Spiders? Scary. Crabs? Mean. Giant Spider Crabs? Terrifying. This beast of a crustacean can have a claw to claw length of 12ft, making it the Slender Man of the deep ocean. As the name would suggest it is found mostly in the waters of Japan and is believed to be of a gentle disposition, despite looking like Mr Tickle on acid.

SWEET MARY MOTHER OF JESUS


Enough said.

No, it's not a rock. This grumpy lump is in fact one of the most venomous fish in the world, and impossibly hard to spot. Their venom causes agonizing pain and is potentially lethal, while their faces have obviously been beaten repeatedly by the ugly stick . Mother Nature could be forgiven for not loving this particular child of hers.

This underwater kite of death is in fact a colony of four different types of organism living and working together. It consists of a sail (the top floaty bit) and tentactles (the scary bottom bit), and these tentacles can reach 70ft in length. As fish swim too close to the tentacles a barb is fired out at immense speed, impaling the prey before poisoning it. The corpses are then reeled up to tiny 2mm wide mouths which can stretch tenfold to ingest the victims. More than 10,000 stings are reported each summer in Australia, but thankfully they rarely prove to be fatal.

For many fish on the sea floor, this fugly mug will be the last thing they see. The Stargazer Fish, despite what the name suggests, doesn't like to chill under the night sky but instead prefers to bury itself in the mud, lunging out periodically to kill passers by. Whether or not it is aware of how ugly it is I cannot comment, but it would certainly explain its constant look of despair.

AND THE AWARD GOES TO... This horrific joke of nature. It's been around for 125 million years, and it's still the ugliest thing on earth. It ambushes its prey by slowly drifting towards the victim and then catapulting its jaws out of its face, like some sick kind of Jack-in-the-box. Nope.

Whilst they may look evil, dangerous or just down right disgusting, each of these creatures are beautiful in their own right. They might not fit the conventional definition of beauty but each has adapted to be the master of its environment, and that in itself is beautiful. So remember, however gooey, squishy or repulsive, every creature is special. Even the Blobfish.