283 Items Tagged

Fish

Oarfish sport red spine-like fins on their head and a long dorsal fin running the length of their body, as well as two oar-like pelvic fins, giving them their name.

The Legend of Japan's 'Earthquake Fish'

The serpent-like oarfish has long been considered an omen of natural disaster. Scientists are shaking up that old superstition.

Roxanne Hoorn October 3, 2023

Wonder Is Everywhere: A Message in an Egg Carton, Millions of Confused Bees, and More From Around the Web

Get a peek into what we’re obsessed with right now.

April White September 15, 2023

Giant fish sculpture

Trent Hills, Ontario

Hastings Pisces Pete

This enormous ode to sport fishing overlooks the region.

The eruption of a volcano on Spain’s La Palma island took a toll on nearby fish.

Volcanoes Kill Fish In Many Gruesome Ways

From bubbly eyeballs to internal bleeding, eruptions can have deadly consequences for marine animals.

Chris Baraniuk August 28, 2023

Spotted skunks perform impressive handstands to appear twice their size and ward off would-be predators.

10 Tales of the World’s Quirkiest Animals

A celebration of curious, overlooked, and misunderstood creatures.

April White August 25, 2023

Mui Kee

Soul-soothing fish congee awaits at one of Hong Kong’s remaining dai pai dongs.

Alligator gar can grow to gargantuan sizes.

world's largest

The World's Largest Freshwater Fish Are Weird and Wonderful

From 600-pound catfish to ancient sturgeon, these giants could be lurking in a river near you.

Stefan Lovgren July 31, 2023

Taipei City, Taiwan

Emmanuel Fresh Fish Soup

This third-generation shop has been doling out bowls of tilapia soup since 1977.

Serve your fish with potatoes "roasted in the ashes" and eat off the plank.

The 19th-Century Recipe That Created a Fish-Cookout Craze

Recreate the heyday of shad bakes with this plank-roasting technique.

Paula Marcoux July 10, 2023

All illustrations: John Mata for Atlas Obscura

Puzzle Monday: Go Fish Crossword

AO Puzzles July 3, 2023

Video • Let Your Florida Adventure Begin

Atlas Obscura Tries: Tarpon Fishing

Sponsored by VISIT FLORIDA

Webster, Florida

Florida Bass Conservation Center

Florida’s largest fish hatchery features aquariums, fishing ponds, and local taxidermy.

The common rudd is a freshwater fish that can often be spotted waiting on the Fish Doorbell's video live stream.

Ring the ‘Fish Doorbell’ To Help Fish Migrate in the Netherlands

Utrecht’s Fish Doorbell has helped thousands of fish swim upstream to reproduce.

Jennifer Byrne June 8, 2023

Ningaloo George

Exmouth, Australia

Ningaloo George

A fibreglass sculpture of a whale shark on the grounds of a petrol station.

This New Species Is a Fish out of Water by Choice

The Juan Deriba killifish, found in a tiny area of Bolivia, jumps out of water to evade threats.

James Hall May 23, 2023

In 11th-century England, people used more than half a million eels in rental payments.

To Pay Rent in Medieval England, Catch Some Eels

The “Surprised Eel Historian” has mapped every eel rent recorded in medieval England.

Leah Hudson Leva May 18, 2023

A sea lamprey that's clearly ready for its close-up—and for a new appreciation of its role in its native ecosystems.

Sea Lampreys, Long Reviled, Are Finally Getting Some Respect

Once dismissed as "ugly," this sucker-mouthed fish plays an important role in its native ecosystem.

Ted Williams May 15, 2023

Wally the Walleye

Garrison, North Dakota

Wally The Walleye

Wally is the 26-foot-long fiberglass emissary for Garrison, North Dakota, one of the self-proclaimed (and hotly contested) Walleye Capitals of the World.