Reader beware: The longnosed stargazer fish’s stare is about to live rent-free in your head forever. The Untamed Paths, which offers ecological excursions in Singapore, recently posted a video of a rare find from an intertidal exploration. The “uncommon and fascinating sight” of a longnosed stargazer staring up from the sand is downright bizarre.
According to Wild Singapore, longnosed stargazers are a type of “pop-eyed fish” that bury themselves in sandy shores with only their bulbous eyes and gaping mouth sticking out. These ambush predators position themselves like this so that when unsuspecting prey passes overhead, they can leap and gobble it up using the element of surprise.
And now imagine beachgoers’ surprise when they came across this rare sight.
In The Untamed Paths’ Instagram video, you can see the unsettling stare of the stargazer, its eyes unblinking. Also in the video, you can see it leap, then rebury itself in the sand.
Stargazers aren’t just creepy; they’re also venomous. They have two large spines that can inject a painful toxin into their victims. Some species even have an electric organ that can electrify their prey.
In other words, next time you’re at a beach in Singapore, don’t forget to look down.