The existence of aliens may be an ongoing debate, but observing the eerie life beneath the water's surface definitely raises some mask-covered eyebrows. Here are some of our favourite creepy creatures to get you pondering on the relatives of extraterrestrial life…
The frogfish family
This family is full of interesting looking creatures, but we don't have time to cover all 49 species (and there is more being added) so let's just highlight the ones that have us creeped out the most.
From the giant to the hairy to the warty to the painted, frogfish come in all shapes and sizes (from 1/8 of an inch to 22 inches to be exact). They have a pretty unique skillset as well. They're able to camouflage themselves and while they might appear slow moving, they have the fastest strike speed of any other animal (Mike Tyson, meet your match). You'll often see them chilling with their mouth relaxed and open, waiting for their prey to approach as they bait them in with their illicium (lure-like appendage attached to their forehead). And don't be fooled by their small appearance; these guys have been known to feast on prey twice their size.
Our favourite spots to find these creatures include Northern Sulawesi and Raja Ampat in Indonesia, Anilao in the Philippines, Vanua Levu in Fiji and Laamu Atoll in the Maldives.
Epaulette shark
Some creepy creatures are taking their hunting from the sea to the land like the Epaulette shark. This shark is only nine million years old (a baby really....) and has evolved some special skills that make it the ultimate creep. With its thick, round, muscular fins, this shark can actually walk on land to hunt its prey. Because of this, we think they deserve the title of ultimate 'creep' creature.
Take a walk with these guys off the northwest corner of Australia at Ningaloo Reef.
Wobbegong shark
Don't trip over the rug on the seafloor. Oh, wait no it's a wobbegong shark. You'll be forgiven for not noticing him, though; he is a master of camouflage after all. With a broad and flat head and branched dermal lobes, this creature has a sort of shaggy fringe around its body. Unlike many other sharks, the wobbegong is a lazy predator and will spring out of the sand to catch its prey after chilling out and waiting for something tasty to swim by.
Laze around with the wobbegong in Manggis and Padang Bai, east coast Bali and Blue Magic in Raja Ampat (although they lay about all over).
The splendid toadfish
Behold, the splendid toadfish. Found in the waters around Cozumel, Mexico. With eyes on top of its head, fins bordered with a bright yellow band and whisker-like appendages, - this creature wouldn't be out of place sitting alongside the characters in a Dr Suess book.
Become a little more splendid when you spot these creatures in Cozumel, Mexico.
Dumbo octopus
Octopi are animals that have inspired monsters in movies and while they are unbelievably alien-like, some octopus species have a cuteness factor that you wouldn't expect, especially in deeper depths. Welcome the adorable dumbo octopus. Found in waters around Australia, California, the Philippines and New Guinea, these podgy little friends live as deep as 4,000m below the surface. They're affectionately named 'dumbo' octopus due to the two large fins that protrude like ears from their mantle (and also look like stubby little arms). These deep-water creatures are translucent in colour, come in a variety of shades from blue, to red, to orange and have the ability to 'flush' or change colour in order to hide.
Now, most of us aren't diving to 4,000m, but luckily you can still enjoy sights of these animals' relatives such as the deadly beauty of the blue-ringed octopus which can be found in location such as Indonesia, the Philippines and Papua New Guinea or the even more elusive (and creepy) mimic octopus found in Sulawesi, Indonesia.
Red-lipped batfish
Found in the waters around the Galapagos Islands, off the coast of Ecuador, these creatures always look like they have been rifling around inside grandma's makeup bag with their bright red lips. The red-lipped batfish is part of a family of 60 species of batfish that have been 'flattened' due to living on the seafloor. As a result, these funky-looking animals are awful swimmers. In fact, you'll notice when you see them that they actually walk along the sea floor. Adding to their unique appearance, they have an out-of-place 'nose', which is actually a lure to help them attract their prey. =Currently they don't have any known predators, so that lipstick must be working for them in one way.
Enjoy these little creatures on a dive in Camaño Islet, Galapagos.
Flamboyant cuttlefish
As the name suggests, the flamboyant cuttlefish is more dramatic in appearance than its cousins in the cuttlefish family. When walking along the sea floor, these guys resemble a tiny triceratops dinosaur and - to add to the creepiness - they seem as though colours are rippling through them in waves. These small creatures can be tricky to find among the muck as not only are they able to colour camouflage, but they can also texture camouflage. While they're small and beautiful, they're also efficient hunters. With lightning-quick precision, these fascinating creatures snatch their prey using two translucent tentacles that shoot out of their mouth in the blink of an eye. Equipped with powerful suckers, they effortlessly bring their catch into their formidable beak-like mouths before tearing apart their prey.
These tiny but vicious predators can be found on the Northern Australian coast, the southern coast of New Guinea and scattered across the Philippines and Indonesia.
