They say the truth is often stranger than fiction, and I believe it. Just look at all the incredibly weird stuff that you can apparently find across the earth and under the sea. Honestly, if aliens landed in the ocean, we’d probably never even know because they’d barely stand out.
There’s just so much weird stuff out there that I personally think Mother Nature must get drunk a lot. Don’t believe me? Check these out:
1. Purple goop
Photo Credit: Reddit, рosierahraaa
The tunicate is a marine animal found in waters all over the world. Its name comes from its jellylike outer covering which resembles a tunic.
2. Dragon eggs
Photo Credit: Reddit, H.G. Bells
While this definitely looks like it’ll hatch something that Khaleesi is going to fly on later, it’s actually the cone of the Bunya pine. This coniferous evergreen can grow up to 148 feet (45 m).
3. So cute!
Photo Credit: Instagram, timflachphotography
The axolotl is a Mexican amphibian that is famous for being able to regenerate virtually any lost body part.
4. Clear blob
Photo Credit: Reddit, atreldes
This watery-looking blob is a member of the Pterotracheoidea family of marine sea slugs, but it’s also sometimes known as a “sea elephant.”
5. Creepy crawlies
Photo Credit: Reddit, Lydi-ahaha
These scale insects are often considered a pest, but some species of them secrete waxes that have been used commercially.
6. Orange of the Sea?
Photo Credit: Instagram, rfedorstov_official_account
This almost looks like some kind of undersea fruit, but it’s actually a variety of sea anemone.
7. Concrete jungle
Photo Credit: Pikabu, Polyglot
The polypore fungi looks like a chunk of broken pavement, and grows in a wide variety of conditions.
8. This is my nightmare
Photo Credit: Instagram, rfedorstov_official_account
The brittle star is a type of deep-sea starfish. This particular specimen has thousands of tentacles.
9. …WTF
Photo Credit: Instagram, rfedorstov_official_account
These fish look like a cartoon of a bunch of angry old men with big mustaches. They’re actually Lycodes reticulatus, a rare deep-sea fish
10. Cotton ball?
Photo Credit: Reddit, UniqueUsername171
Nope! It’s a formation known as gall, which is created by insects on top of plants for a variety of reasons, from feeding to laying eggs.
11. Beautifully gross
Photo Credit: Instagram, freymanbg
This strangely beautiful looking formation is a fungus known as an anemone stinkhorn (Aseroe rubra). It gets its name due to how it exudes a smell of rotten meat.
12. Awwww!
Photo Credit: Instagram, dianawpicasso
The Dumbo octopus gets its name from those adorable little flaps that make it resemble Disney’s most famous elephant.
13. Yum?
Photo Credit: Instagram, raffaeldiazzi
Jabuticaba (Brazilian grapetree) is an evergreen Brazilian fruit tree whose berries actually grow on the trunk of the tree rather than the branches. The berries are edible, and often used to make jellies, juices, and even wine.
14. Mind out of the gutter
Photo Credit: Instagram, rfedorstov_official_account
Yes, I know what these look like. But they’re actually sea cucumbers, so stop being so juvenile.
15. It’s got people teeth!
Photo Credit: Instagram, rfedorstov_official_account
The Promachoteuthis sulcus is a member of the squid family, distinguished most prominently by what looks like a set of human teeth.
