27 of the Weirdest and Ugliest Animals in the World

Some of these animals may look like they were made up by a kid with access to an AI tool and too much spare time - but they are all 100% real.

We searched high and low across planet Earth for the strangest faces, noses, mouths and moustaches out there. Then we ranked our 27 favorites, saving the weirdest for last.

What Is the Weirdest Animal in the World?

Scientists don’t have an official answer to this one, but our pick is the barreleye fish.

It lives in the dark Pacific Ocean, around 2,000 feet (600 m) down. Its see-through head lets its eyes look straight up, spotting the shadows of food above it. Then the eyes roll forward so it can see what it’s eating.

Scientists first described it in 1939, but its see-through head and moving eyes were only explained much later, in research MBARI shared in 2009.

What Is the Ugliest Animal in the World?

In 2013, the blobfish was voted the world’s ugliest animal in a public vote run by the Ugly Animal Preservation Society.

But here’s the twist. That famous blobby face isn’t what it looks like at home. Blobfish live deep in the ocean, where the water pressure is enormous. Their bodies are soft and jelly-like, which helps them float just above the seafloor. When they’re caught and brought up from the cold deep sea, their soft bodies can be damaged, and they sag and droop.

So the ugliest animal in the world might just be having a really bad day.

Why Do So Many Weird Animals Live in the Deep Sea?

Several of our 27 animals live in the deep sea, and that’s no accident.

Down there, it’s dark, freezing cold, and the water pressure is crushing. Food is hard to find. So animals have evolved see-through bodies, giant mouths, light-producing organs and soft, squishy shapes to survive.

Explore what lives at every depth of the ocean, or browse more water cams.

Can You See Weird Animals Live?

You won’t find a blobfish on a webcam, but you can watch some other strange creatures live.

Deep-sea robot dives: When the robot sub is diving, you can explore the deep seafloor live.

Japanese spider crabs: These crabs can measure over 12 feet (3.7 m) from claw to claw.

Bats at Bracken Cave: Home to millions of bats, it’s one of the largest bat colonies on Earth.

Kelp forest: Explore a California kelp-forest habitat at Monterey Bay Aquarium.

Explore more wildlife cams, zoos and aquariums and the Live Webcam Map. And if you like animals with a flair for drama, meet the fainting goats.

Fancy a surprise?

Jump to a random live webcam.

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