Five ugly sea creatures that deserve some love

14 Oct 2025

4 minute read

Beauty may be in the eye of the beholder, but some sea creatures have it more difficult than others.

The ocean is full of breathtakingly beautiful creatures but not every underwater resident is ready for its close-up. There are some sea animals that go against all beauty standards and challenge our idea of what nature is supposed to look like. Check out five sea creatures we think deserve their moment in the limelight.

Blobfish

Often voted as the world’s ugliest animal, the blobfish looks like a sad squashed-up pile of pink goo when seen out of the water. This is because it does not have any muscle or bones; instead, it has a gelatinous jelly-like body which can withstand the intense atmospheric pressure of the deep sea, where it lives. This squishy fish looks much more normal there, but when brought to the surface, it almost seems to deflate, causing its strange appearance.

The blobfish lovingly named 'Mr Blobby', how it looked when it was first affected by the sharp change in pressure

Credit: Kerryn Parkinson/NORFANZ

Due to the depth they live at, there’s still a lot we do not know about blobfish, but it is known that they’re not very active swimmers and spend their time drifting in the sea waiting for organic debris to pass by that it can feed on. They have very few natural predators because they live in the deep sea; in fact, the biggest threat to blobfish is deep sea trawling, where they’re caught as bycatch.

The blobfish is less odd when it is seen as it looks in the deep ocean, however it is still unlikely to win a beauty contest.

Credit: Dean Sewell

Atlantic wolffish

The Atlantic wolffish often looks it has just been woken up from a nap. Its bulging eyes and six-mile stare give it a look of permanent confusion, and its protruding teeth give it a goofy overbite. With a body similar to blennies’, the wolffish looks like a cross between a fish and an eel, adding to its disconcerting appearance. What makes the Atlantic species interesting is its ability to produce a natural anti-freeze that prevents its blood from freezing in the cold water it inhabits.

Atlantic wolffish have several names including ocean catfish and even devil fish but despite these somewhat threatening names, they are not very aggressive. They are actually rather skittish and will more likely hide if disturbed. Though you may expect the wolffish to eat other fish because of its large teeth, it mainly feeds on slow moving creatures like sea urchins and large snails that come too close to its hiding place, making it a key species for controlling predator populations.

An Atlantic wolffish spotted around Saint Abbs, Scotland

Credit: Mark Kirkland/MCS

Galápagos batfish

This bottom-dwelling fish, also named the red-lipped batfish, looks like a child who has found their mum’s lipstick. Although it can swim small distances, its pectoral fins have evolved into legs, making it known for walking rather than swimming along the ocean floor.

The Galápagos batfish also has a large lump on its forehead called an ‘illicium’ which it wiggles to lure prey, much like the way female anglerfish hunt. It also has whisker-like skin all along its chin that makes it look like it’s rocking a scruffy beard. This is extremely sensitive and helps the batfish detect and hunt prey in the sandy seafloor and along coral reefs.

A Galápagos batfish walking along the seafloor

Credit: Joe Dordo Brnobic/Shutterstock

Elephant seal

Elephant seals are among the most bizarre-looking marine mammals, thanks to the males’ oversized, trunk-like nose which gives off serious Squidward vibes. This inflatable snout, called a ’proboscis’, isn’t just for show though; it amplifies deep, guttural roars which are used to intimidate rival males and impress females. In the world of elephant seals, a bigger schnozz means more status, and dominant males with the most booming bellows often secure harems of females during breeding season.

But the oddities don’t stop at their looks. When thousands of elephant seals haul out onto beaches to mate, they bring with them an unforgettable stench: a pungent cocktail of dead skin, bacteria, and communal excrement. On land, they may resemble flopping duffel bags with a bad attitude, but in the water, they transform into sleek, powerful swimmers.

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An elephant seal at Drakes Beach, California

Credit: santonii/Unsplash

In fact, elephant seals hold the record for the deepest dives of any seal species, plunging to depths of up to 1,550 metres in search of squid and fish.

Sea cucumber

With their soft, tube-like bodies and leathery skin, it’s easy to see how sea cucumbers got their name, and why they’re not winning any beauty contests next to their echinoderm cousin, the starfish. These squishy creatures resemble the fruit and veg you forgot existed in the back of your cupboards. They use feathery tentacles around their mouths to scoop up dead plant and animal material in the water while others crawl about the seabed eating it from the floor.

Although they don’t have eyes, sea cucumbers can still sense changes in light and darkness, helping them detect threats. Some species have evolved a bizarre defence: ejecting sticky threads from their rear ends to entangle or confuse predators. The black sea cucumber takes it to the next level; when seriously threatened, it can eject its internal organs in a dramatic display of self-sacrifice. Amazingly, it regenerates these lost body parts over time, though full recovery can take months.

A sea cucumber found along the seabed at Loch Duich, Scotland

Credit: Dan Bolt

If that weren’t strange enough, many sea cucumbers breathe through their bottoms. It’s a trait that firmly places them among the ocean’s ugliest and most fascinating inhabitants.

Ugly doesn’t mean unloved

They may not be as photogenic as dolphins or seal pups, but weird-looking marine creatures are just as important. From cleaning the ocean floor to regulating food chains, these underappreciated species play vital roles in keeping marine ecosystems healthy.

What makes them strange is exactly what makes them special; every bizarre trait, from inflatable noses to a gelatinous body, is the result of millions of years of evolution. These adaptations help them survive, thrive, and support the ocean’s delicate balance. The fact that they exist shows the splendour of life under our seas. Bit this is being threatened from rising ocean temperatures, pollution, and unregulated fishing.

Protecting them isn’t just about saving the weird and wonderful, it’s about safeguarding biodiversity and the balance of life beneath the waves. That’s why we’re working to restore and protect our blue spaces for wildlife, for people, and for the planet. Because even the ugliest sea creatures deserve a safe place to call home.

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