Top 10 Real Life Monsters

There are many species of anglerfish, but they all have one feature in common: a little fishing pole, complete with lure, growing out of their heads. To put it simply, an anglerfish is a fish that fishes for other fish. This may sound bizarre, but since they live deep in the ocean, where there’s almost no light, anglerfish can’t really look for food; so, they’ve evolved a method for getting food to come to them. While the “lure” may look different, depending on the species, it’s usually a small, bright fin ray or spine that moves with the current–something likely to attract smaller fish, and bring them within range of the anglerfish’s huge, waiting jaws.

Since the anglerfish inhabits a world completely different from ours, perhaps it isn’t too surprising that it looks strange. The star-nosed mole, however, is a small mammal, native to North America. What could make this little furry guy monstrous? Well, just the fact that it has tentacles. Sorry–if you thought the “star” part of its name meant something cute, you might not want to see the real thing. Star-nosed moles are pretty amazing, though. Those pink feelers are incredibly sensitive to touch, allowing the moles to examine their dark underground tunnels, locate food, and eat it with remarkable speed–in fact, they are widely considered the fastest eaters in the animal kingdom. They can even “smell” underwater using air bubbles!

If you thought the anglerfish was bizarre, hold onto your hat–we’re just getting started. The barreleye is another deep sea fish that has adapted to living in darkness. It looks up toward the surface almost all the time, watching for bits of sinking food. Nothing so unusual about that… except instead of having eyes on the top of its head, the barreleye looks right through its head, which is transparent. Its eyes aren’t those dark indentations, as you might expect; the green, glowing balls farther back are its eyes, and the rest are other organs. Not much is known about barreleye, which are sometimes called spookfish–possibly because everyone who sees them gets spooked and immediately swims away in terror.

Yes, this is the infamous “Murder Hornet,” formerly known as the Asian Giant Hornet. You may recall the scare these invasive insects caused when they appeared on the western coast of Canada and the US back in 2019. Fortunately, they seem to be disappearing from those areas, but there was a reason for the scare. Murder hornets are most dangerous to bees; however, as their name suggests, they have also killed humans. Some are allergic to hornet venom, while others are just overwhelmed. Unlike bees, hornets can sting multiple times, and giant hornets are aggressively territorial. They attack in swarms if they perceive a threat to the nest, and trust us–you don’t want to find out who’s a bigger threat.

This fish is actually a species of the anglerfish and more often found on the continental shelf as opposed to the deep sea. Monkfish spend most of their time sitting on the ocean floor, waiting for prey to pass by; their lower jaws jut out so their mouths always face upward, ready to go. They don’t just eat other fish, either–these hundred-pound couch potatoes have been known to chomp crustaceans, otters, and even seabirds. Their numerous spiny teeth point inward, making escape from that gullet nearly impossible, once you’re inside. Monkfish are sometimes called “the poor man’s lobster,” as they are apparently similar in taste and much cheaper–but does anyone really want to come face to face with that in a restaurant??

The huge, fire-breathing dragons of legend may not exist, but the komodo dragon does a pretty good job of living up to its title. These lizards, native to a few small islands in Indonesia, are the largest and most dangerous in the world; they can grow up to ten feet long and weigh over three hundred pounds. Komodo dragons are predators, able to smell potential prey from miles away with their long tongues. Once on the scene, they deliver a swift, devastating attack. Attacks on humans are rare, but they have occurred; and even if the person manages to escape, their troubles aren’t over. One bite from a komodo dragon can be fatal, as their jaws are believed to be able to inject a unique, deadly venom.

If you don’t like spiders, you probably won’t like this crab. Japanese spider crabs have relatively small bodies with long legs, which is where they get their name. Oh, and also, their legs span about twelve feet–these are the biggest crabs anyone’s ever seen! They are relatively harmless toward humans, though, and spend most of their time scuttling–in very large steps–over the sea floor, looking for scraps to eat. Japanese spider crabs themselves are considered fine dining to some people, but not many are willing to brave the depths and do battle with these huge crustaceans, no matter how tasty they are. Can’t say we blame them.

That’s a big name for a little squid! This species hasn’t been given a common name yet, because only one of them has ever been caught and studied - and that was in 2007. There’s still a lot we don’t know about it; for instance… Why does it have teeth?? Most squid and octopuses have beaks, like birds, hidden beneath their tentacles; as far as we know, this is the only squid in existence that appears to be wearing dentures. According to scientists, the “teeth” are actually small, folded lips and the beak is behind them –which really just brings up more questions. Anyway, since it’s so rare, lives thousands of feet under the sea, and is only an inch long, you’re unlikely to be troubled by this “toothy” squid… except maybe in nightmares.

You may have heard the term “cyclops” before; it refers to one-eyed monsters, which appear in Asian and Greek mythology. When pictures of a ghostly white shark with one big, black eye in the middle of its head first appeared in 2011, most people dismissed it as a hoax–but unfortunately, this particular monster is real. The albino cyclops shark is not an actual species of shark; it’s a rare, harmful mutation that affects shark fetuses, sometimes newborn pups, which usually don’t live long enough to be born. So the few specimens that have been studied were discovered by fishermen, who were probably a little alarmed when they cut into an ordinary female shark and found a mutant cyclops baby staring back at them.

Speaking of mythology, the word “goliath” is often used as a synonym for “giant.” The goliath birdeater lives up to that part of its name; however, it lives on the ground and rarely eats birds. It’s just your average enormous, hairy spider. These tarantulas are among the biggest in the world, with legs spanning nearly a foot. They live in South America, and spend most of their time hiding in burrows or beneath rocks, waiting for small animals to pass by. If one does, the goliath birdeater springs out and attacks it with inch-long, venomous fangs. Despite their fearsome appearance, birdeaters aren’t dangerous to people; or at least, their venom isn’t. You can decide whether the sight of an enormous tarantula might be hazardous in other ways.