5 Animal Photos From NOAA Explorations That Are Totally Bananas To Me

Yesterday, I stumbled on NOAA's Ocean Exploration website, where they publish all of the interesting things they find in the water. Some of these ocean animals are so sci-fi looking, I have a hard time believing they're real.

1. Like this chimaera, aka a ghost shark, which looks like Zero from The Nightmare Before Christmas if Zero was a fish. Chimaeras are related to sharks , they live in all oceans except the Antarctic, and they like eating crabs and octopuses.

2. This cookie star that I think was inspired by ravioli??? Ravioli starfish were first discovered in the 1800s so I find it shameful that I'm only finding out about them now.

3. This eerie-looking ghostfish. The photo below from 2016 was first time anyone has ever seen a ghostfish alive. It is part of the eel family, has colorless eyes, and lives in the Mariana Trench.

4. This deep-sea lizardfish that looks both terrifying and friendly at the same time. Truly, I don't know if it wants to eat me or tell me everything is going to be OK. The lizardfish is a scavenger and eats anything it can get its hands on, including other lizardfish, and lives in deep depths and cold climates.

5. Finally, this armored sea robin, which I am undoubtedly scared of. The way it looks in this photo, though, I'm kind of wondering how it feels. Is it smooth? Spiny? Gooey? I honestly can't tell. In any case, here's a fun fact : they "walk" along the sea floor using stiff, thickened fin rays. It has taste buds on the bottom of its head to sense food.

OK, what's a novelty ocean creature you love? Tell me all about it in the comments below!