Authors: Anna Eaton, Syringa Barenti, and Dan Distel
October is the time of year for colorful leaves, warm drinks, cozy nights, and candy corn. It’s also the month of spooky stories, goblins, and witches—and when all your worst fears come to life! But did you know the ocean holds some terrifying creatures all year long?
In honor of the scary season, we present some of the most horrifying organisms in the Ocean Genome Legacy (OGL) collection!
Anglerfish: Oneirodes thompsoni
(Image credit: E. A. Widder via tolweb.org)
When you think about scary fish, this might not be the first that comes to mind—unless you live in the deep sea. Anglerfish live in the deepest parts of the ocean where no light can reach. They use bioluminescent lures on their heads to attract prey and capture their victims using long, sharp teeth like an aquatic Pennywise. This lure is an organ that only female anglerfish have, and it glows with millions of bioluminescent bacteria that have a symbiotic relationship with the fish. This fish also has attachment issues: The males latch onto the females with their teeth for the rest of their lives, becoming nothing more than parasites. Couples counseling anyone?
Red Tooth Triggerfish: Odonus niger
(Image credit: SeraphP via Shutterstock)
The red tooth triggerfish is always ready for Halloween with its orange vampire teeth! Despite their spooky fangs, these fish native to the Indo-Pacific eat zooplankton and sponges, not blood. Nonetheless, red tooth triggerfish are aggressive, especially toward their own kind. So, these ultimate loners might have something in common with vampires after all!
Barreleye: Macropinna microstoma
(Image credit: 3dsam79/iStock)
After watching a scary movie, have you ever wished you could see in the dark? Well, this fish can! The barreleye has many adaptations to allow for sight in the twilight zone, at the edge of the ocean’s darkest depths. Their green eyes help them spot bioluminescent creatures by looking straight up through their dome-like transparent heads! Not only can they peer out through their clear craniums, but we can look in and see their brains. Pretty creepy! Like so many deep-sea fish, the barreleye is extremely rare, and there is still so much unknown about it and its predators!
Stargazers: Uranoscopidae
(Image credit: Alex Ribeiro via iStock by Getty Images)
Stargazers have been called the meanest things in creation! Known as ambush predators, they bury themselves on the sea floor and launch themselves at passing prey. When a stargazer is buried, you can spot its eyes and large mouth peeking up out of the sand (hence its name), making for a horrifying sight!
Some stargazers even shock their prey via an electric organ that sits behind their eyes. If you’re not scared yet, they also have venomous spines, and some have a worm-shaped lure growing out of their mouths that they can wiggle to attract their next meal!
Arctic Lamprey: Lethenteron camtschaticum
(Image credit: Sean Connolly)
Meet your newest fear: the aquatic vampire. The Arctic lamprey is a freshwater worm-like fish from the Arctic and Pacific regions. They have no bones, poor vision, a great sense of smell, and are covered in slime—perfect features for horror movie creatures! These fish are filter feeders as juveniles, but as adults, they become parasites that feed on the blood and fluids of other fish. The Arctic lamprey has no jaws, but instead uses its 150 razor-sharp teeth to drill into its hosts and suck their blood. These are truly the vampires of the water.