Waterfall Climbing Cave Fish (Cryptotora thamicola)


The Waterfall Climbing Cave Fish or Cryptotora thamicola is one of the rarest, and most elusive fish in the world! This species is native only to two caves in Thailand! This freshwater fish has specially developed fins with microscopic hooks that allows it to climb up waterfalls and attach itself to the rock in the fast moving waters! It goes by a couple different names including the Cave Angelfish and the Eyeless Cave Fish. Since this Angelfish spends its entire life in darkness, it has lost its pigmentation, as well as its eyes! You can check out this amazing fish in the videos below...

If you have any additional information about this rare species of fish please leave us a comment below.


California Sheephead (Semicossyphus pulcher)

The California Sheephead or Semicossyphus pulcher is just one of the over 600 different species of Wrasse. This saltwater fish is found in the eastern Pacific Ocean, often in kelp forests or around rocky reefs. The male California Sheephead is black, with a white jaw and red body.  The female is pink in coloration. Juveniles are bright red with a white stripe down its body, and a black spot on the caudal fin. All California Sheepheads start out their lives as females, but then some change to males when they are about half grown. As you can imagine with their great variation in color between the sexes this is quite the transformation to be seen.
These fish can reach lengths of 36" (92cm) and weigh in at 35lbs (16kg). California Sheephead feed on sea urchins, molluscs, lobsters, and crabs. As you can see in the picture below these fish have an impressive set of chompers which allows them to eat such hard shelled crustaceans. 
You can check out the California Sheephead in action along with a bunch of other species in the video below.


If you have any additional information about the California Sheephead please leave us a comment below.




Deepest Living Fish The Hadal Snailfish (Pseudoliparis amblystomopsis)


The Hadal Snailfish or Pseudoliparis amblystomopsis is the deepest living fish known in the world, able to survive at depths exceeding 4.8 miles (7.7 kilometers)! Living so far underwater, these species of Snailfish can withstand pressures equal to 1,600 elephants standing on the roof of a Mini Cooper!  These fish spend their lives in complete darkness and rely on their bodies to sense food that falls from the ocean above.

This species is just one of the over 360 different kinds of Snailfish on our planet.  In 2008 a group in Japan was able to capture these deep sea fish on camera.  Here is their amazing footage...


As you can imagine little is known about this saltwater fish due to its nature habitat.  If you have any additional information about the deepest living fish please leave us a comment below.

Image courtesy Oceanlab, University of Aberdeen