What do scientific researchers do when they lack inspiration and seriousness? They turn their job into something fun, and this is the result: a list of the 25 silliest, strangest, and weirdest animal names.
25. Parastratiosphecomyia stratiosphecomyioides
(It’s the longest scientific name after Gammaracanthuskytodermogammarus loricatobaicalensis, which was proposed by B. Dybowski in 1927, but was not accepted). Cookies to whoever manages to pronounce this right.
Parastratiosphecomyia sphecomyioides (Photograph by Wikispecies and ZooKeys/Wikimedia)
24. Hooded seal
The name might not sound so funny at first... but the hood in question is actually their bladder.
Hooded Seal (Photograph by Marchantia/Wikimedia)
23. Blob sculpin
A close relative of the beautiful and famous blob fish.
Psychrolutes phrictus (Photograph by Haplochromis/Wikimedia)
22. Leafy sea dragon
Sea dragons? What’s next, pink unicorns...?
Leafy Sea Dragon (Photograph by Derek Ramsey/Wikimedia)
21. Pink fairy armadillo
...close enough. At least it’s pink.
Pink Fairy Armadillo (Photograph by Cliff/Wikimedia)
20. Monkfish (also called Fishing-frogs, Frog-fish, and Sea-devils)
In a beauty contest, the blob fish and blob sculpin might soon have a viable competitor.
Lophius piscatorius (Photograph by Emoke Denes/Wikimedia)
19. Chinstrap penguin
The new trend in Antartica: chinstraps!
Chinstrap penguin (Photograph by Liam Quinn/Wikimedia)
18. Sea pig
Alien pigs...or pig pigs?
Lophius piscatorius (Photograph by FredD/Wikimedia)
17. Chicken turtle
Does it taste like chicken or just look like one?
Chicken Turtle (Photograph by Glenn Bartolotti/Wikimedia)
16. Hellbender
After waterbenders and firebenders...
Hellbender (Photograph by Brian Gratwicke/Wikimedia)
15. Red-lipped batfish
Natural makeup at its best.
Red lipped batfish (Photograph by Barry Peters/Wikimedia)
14. Ice cream cone worm
Freeze it before you eat it!
Lagis koreni (Photograph by Lycaon/Wikimedia)
13. Strange-tailed tyrant
Their tail is actually longer than their body. They are also an endangered species. Find a picture here.
Alectrurus risora male (Image by Nicolas Huet le Jeune/Wikimedia)
12. Cow killer (also called Velvet ants)
They are known for their intensely painful bites. Do not underestimate the agony these little killers inflict.
Velvet ant (Photograph by Craig Pemberton/Wikimedia)
11. Oedipus complex (recently renamed as Oedipina gephyra)
Why? WHY?!
Oedipina gephyra (Photograph by Poleta33/Wikimedia)
10. Pieza kake
Their name might be easy, but finding a photo of them is definitely not a “pieza kake”. They are an extinct species. But others seem to have more luck finding pictures. See for yourself here.
9. Fried egg jellyfish
Originality at its best.
Phacellophoracamtschatica (Photograph by Ww2censor/Wikimedia)
8. Christmas tree worm
You can now celebrate Christmas under the sea.
Christmas tree worm (Photograph by Nhobgood/Wikimedia)
7. Agra vation
It has relatives with weird names too (like Agra cadabra and Agra phobia). Perhaps it runs in the family. And it was so aggra-vating to find a photo that we gave up... just kidding, agracadabra, it’s here.
6. Mustached puffbird
Perpetually preparing for Movember.
Moustached puffbird (Photograph by Snowmanradio/Wikimedia)
5. Bone-eating snot-flower worm
What did they do to deserve that name?
Osedax rubiplumus (Photograph by Robert C. Vrijenhoek, Shannon B. Johnson & Greg W. Rouse/Wikimedia)
4. Monkeyface prickleback
(This really sounds like an insult, for some reason. “You are such a monkeyface prickleback!”)
Monkeyface Prickleback (Photograph by Haplochromis/Wikimedia)
3. Han solo
Also called trilobite. Part of the genus “Han”, but since it’s the only one found so far, it’s “solo”. (Sadly, it doesn’t belong in Star Wars).
Trilobit Arctinurus via (Shutterstock)
2. Pigbutt worm (also called Flying buttocks)
This one seriously deserves its name. Here. (Please refrain from searching for “flying buttocks” on Google. Try its scientific name instead: Chaetopterus pugaporcinus).
1. Aha ha
No photos could be found of the Aha ha. The image below is a wasp of the Pison genus, which is from the same family as the Aha ha. At least it looks kinda funny.
Pison wasp (Image by Mark Marathon/Wikimedia)
*Image of “Funny animal“ via Shutterstock
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