Spooky Seas is in full swing at Bristol Aquarium this October Half Term. If you swim on down to the aquarium, you’ll get to come fin to fin with some of the creepiest creatures around.
Even though we shouldn’t have favourites, here are some of our best creepy creatures!
Piranha
These little creatures are perhaps more scary than creepy, with their teeth-filled mouths perfectly primed for ripping apart prey in a matter of moments. Piranhas feast regularly on other fish – although they will also eat plant materials too. Scientists have just discovered that piranhas have a set of spare teeth waiting in a ‘crypt’ below their current ones.
Fun fact: A juvenile piranha can bite through a 50 pence piece, and an adult can bite it’s way through a pound coin!
Thanks to Hollywood, people seem to believe that piranhas have a diet for blood, but as it turns out, they are actually omnivores – they eat animals and plants. Some species are also thought to be vegetarian.
Here are three Piranha facts to send a chill down your spine!
- They have razor sharp teeth, with tooth enamel structure like sharks.
- The word ‘piranha’ means “fish tooth” in Amazonian indigenous languages.
- Fossils have indicated that piranhas have been around for about 25 million years.
Moray Eel
The fish that inspired Ursula’s sidekicks in Disney’s The Little Mermaid are certainly odd and dangerous.
Like something out of a horror film, the Moray Eels start feeding by seizing their prey in the jaws of their oral cavity. The jaws are armed with sharp, piercing teeth that curve backward, pointing toward the eel’s throat. So structured, these teeth are specially designed to help prevent prey from backing out of the eel’s mouth!
Poison Dart Frog
Blue poison dart frogs are poisonous due to their diet. They eat ants and other small insects that have toxins chemicals in their bodies. The frogs can eat these insects without being harmed. Poison dart frogs are small, colorful frogs found in the tropical forests of Central and South America.
Blind Cave Fish
These fascinating fish have evolved in complete darkness inside caves, and their eyes have been absorbed into their body! They can find their way around due to their lateral line sense organ.
These omnivorous fish compensate for lack of vision by eating just about anything they can find, including scavenging dead animals and plants.
Come face-to-face with our creepiest creatures as you delve into the deep dark depths of the ocean this Halloween at Bristol Spooky Seas!