Strange fish have eyes like us

Most fish have eyes on either side of the head, but one scientist has confirmed that a predatory species of finfish has two eyes facing forward, just like us. This animal has a fleshy cheek and cheek in addition to its strange appearance.

This bizarre animal, called Histiophryne psychedelica, appeared a year ago when the dive athletes were at a depth of 30 minutes off Ambon Island, Indonesia, capturing the image of a never-discovered shallow water fish. here.

The fisherman Ted Pietsch of the University of Washington's Burke Natural and Cultural History received his photographs and guessed that it belonged to the Histiophryne family. He has now confirmed this by using genetic and morphological data, and recognizes this exotic fish as a new species.

The main view of Histiophryne psychedelica, a new species of pompano, taken by David Hall on Ambon Island, Indonesia.(Photo: David Hall / seaphotos.com)

Pietsch told LiveScience: 'This is a great example of what natural selection can create. This is a very strange creature, and that is enough to make it important. '

Pietsch's description of animals, supported by the National Science Foundation, is published in detail in the Copeia magazine.

Other strange things about fish

Its skin is viscous, fat, thick and flabby, the entire skin is covered by white stripes emanating from the eyes to the back of the body . This skin color can help animals slip into colorful coral reefs at the bottom of the sea.

Leo Smith, head of fish at the Reality Museum in Chicago, said: 'Psychedelic finfish is on the long list of harmless animals that evolved to mimic the beauty of venomous animals. . Pietsch and colleagues also share this view and they think it looks exactly like poisonous corals found in their habitats. '

The view from the side of Histiophryne psychedelica, the new finfish near the coast of Ambon Island, Indonesia.(Photo: David Hall / seaphotos.com)

This fish also has some flexibility. Pietsch explained: 'It seems to be able to push the face out and then retract, so when it passes through a small crack, the eyes are on both sides and it pushes its face out. It may also be hostile - when it shows an oval face with stripes, you might think that it wants to scare something away. '

The pelvic Histiophryne psychedelica may have a sensory structure on the outer part of the face that has a beard-like protective function , allowing it to feel the inner wall of a small cave or space between corals. Other fish species also have forward-facing eyes including the grouper and goose fish.

This animal's jaw contains 2 to 4 rows of irregular small teeth , which it uses to eat smaller fish, shrimp and other marine animals.

The new finfish, Histiophryne psychedelica, has a forward-looking eye like a primate, as well as a fat chin and cheek.(Photo: David Hall / seaphotos.com)

Histiophryne psychedelica tends to double, often hiding very well, and they are only discovered when divers search underneath debris on the seabed. When detected, it immediately tries to escape into small cracks or holes by contracting and rotating vigorously and using pelvic fins to control its position , the same way we use our hands. . However, they did not show any signs of injury afterwards.

This animal swims by jet, or pushes water through holes in the body. The specimen Pietsch studied by graduate student Rachel Arnold and photographed by David Hall.