Keeping fish in your home is one of the easier ways to bring a little bit of the outdoors inside. Not only do they make a great addition to any room, but they also have an amazing ability to keep your aquarium clean.
But with so many fish breeds available, it can be hard to choose which type is right for your needs without visiting your local fish store and spending hours trying out different species.
So for those stuck in this situation, here are some of the most popular type of fish that looks like a dragon.
Fish That Looks Like A Dragon
There are many species of unusual sea creatures or fish that looks like a dragon and we have shared all of them below.
1. Weedy Seadragon / Common Seadragon
This dragon fish is generally found in the waters of Australia, although they also live in Indonesia, Tasmania, and New Zealand.
They are one of the most colorful creatures in the world, and their physical appearance comes from the fact that they snorkel when they swim, which allows them to move through their environment without having to swim and use energy.
They are fairly large by fish standards and can get up to 16 inches long.
These deep-sea dragonfish have long snouts that they use to catch prey and do not have teeth on their lower jaw. They also have a complete skeleton that allows them to move through the water at high speeds.
2. Dragon Moray Eel (Enchelycore Pardalis)
This dragonfish has a long and narrow body divided into two distinct sections. It is known for its large, sharp teeth and for the fact that it doesn’t have any eyes.
The lack of eyes, which also includes no eyes on the back of its head, combined with its poisonous poison, makes it one of the most dangerous fish in the world.
The eels are ambush predators and can be quite territorial. Unlike most other species of moray eel, this one has a triangular head that resembles those of dragons.
They commonly live in shallow reefs where they eat fish, smaller eels, and invertebrates that live around their coastal home.
3. Dragon Face Pipefish
You may have to dig seriously to find this fish, but it’s well worth it.
The name of the species comes from the fact that they have a circular head that looks like a dragon’s face.
They are carnivorous and called “vampire pipefish” because of their habit of biting the fins off other fishes to suck out their blood.
The dragon face pipefish lives in mangrove swamps, coastal streams, and estuaries throughout parts of Australia, Africa, and the Indian Ocean.
It is one of the most beautiful pipefish species in the world and can grow up to four inches.
4. Asian Arowana
This fish is commonly referred to as the “Dragon Fish” and can be traced back to ancient times when it was believed to symbolize good luck.
Its true beauty doesn’t come from colors or patterns but rather the very strange shape of its mouth and head. Its eyes are also said to resemble a dragon’s, although they are never open simultaneously.
These Asian Arowana are submerged in freshwater and prefer to live alone, although it’s not uncommon for them to share space with hundreds of other fish.
In terms of food, they are classified as carnivores and eat just about anything smaller than them. They can also be aggressive when kept in groups but tend to be less hostile towards people.
5. Leafy Seadragon (Phycodurus Eques)
This deep-sea dragonfish is one of the most amazing creatures in the ocean. Its name was inspired by its radially symmetrical body, physical appearance, and the leafy appendages used to camouflage and attract prey.
They are found in the deep sea throughout Australia and Tasmania and are popular among children because of their odd appearance and behavior.
They have a long snout filled with teeth, which they use to catch fish, crustaceans, and other small creatures in their environment. They are considered to be an omnivore, which means that they will eat both plants and animals.
6. Teugelsi Bichir / Polypterus Teugelsi
This fish is an anomaly to most people because it looks like a dragon.
It is the smallest of all dragons but can be found in small ponds and lakes throughout Africa and Asia.
They are also called “mud dragons” because they generally live in shallow waters and prefer living next to the banks of rivers.
The name of the genus, Polypterus, refers to its long dorsal fin.
The fish are carnivores and will only eat insects and small fishes that they can swallow whole, and they also have highly mobile spines that help them attack their prey from above or below.
Also Read: Electric Blue Cichlid – Care, Habitat, Diet & More!
7. Barbeled Dragonfish (Stomiidae)
This deep-sea dragonfish is the only species in its entire family from the Nemateleotinae family.
It is a carnivore that has large teeth on both its upper and lower jaw, as well as on its throat.
These sharp teeth are used to catch smaller fish and have a strong jaw power that allows them to consume prey twice their size.
These deep-sea fish have long bodies, and they swim using their pectoral and pelvic fins, while all of their other fins help them detect prey underwater.
They are generally found in shallow waters around coral reefs and are considered one of the most aggressive species in the world.
8. Mottled Bichir 0r Polypterus Weeksii
This dragon fish is one of the world’s most aggressive and well-known types of bichir.
It is a carnivore that mostly shares its habitat with Nile crocodiles.
They are usually found living in shallow waters, and their looks are derived from the fact that they have small, white spots on their heads, which they use to make themselves look larger.
The species name, Polypterus, comes from its elongated tail fin, and they are also known as “strangled eels“.
These elongated fish are considered one of the most poisonous fish in the world because they secrete a highly toxic substance inside their intestines that can easily kill an animal several times larger than them.
They will attack prey by wrapping themselves around it, suffocating it, and swallowing them whole.
9. Gray Bichir / Polypterus Senegalus / Senegal Fish
These dragon fish appear very similar to the dwarf seahorse and are considered part of the same genus.
They are often found in shallow water, not far from the shoreline, and tend to live alone, and the name of the species comes from the fact that they originate from Senegal, Africa.
They can be easily identified because their long snout allows them to hunt through their environment while they hide their bodies with their tiny heads, which gives them an extremely camouflaged look when they swim.
These deep-sea fish are considered one of the most peaceful species in the world and like having other fish around them since it helps them avoid predators.
10. Violet Goby (Dragon Goby)
Violet Goby is one of the world’s most exotic and colorful fish.
This fish can be found anywhere since it is considered one of the most adaptable species in the world. They can live in clear streams, murky waters, coastal areas, and even in extreme habitats like caves.
They have a long mouth for catching prey and an extremely powerful jaw that allows them to eat prey bigger than their head.
Their diet consists of small insects, crustaceans, fish, and even Goby.
The Violet Goby is also one of the most beautiful species in the world, and they often have green, black, and silver body that is dotted with patterns.
11. Dragonet
Dragonet is one of the most well-known fish species in the world as they are extremely small and have long tails and four fins on their body.
Their appearance has a lot to do with their behavior since they are usually curious creatures that swim around other fishes to get close to them.
They usually live in very shallow waters, and their diet consists of crustaceans, mollusks, and fish larvae, but sometimes they will even feed on the stomachs of other fishes if food is scarce.
They are considered one of the most peaceful species in the world and do not start fights, although they have no problem becoming aggressive if they feel threatened.
12. Axolotl (Ambystoma Mexicanum)
This dragon fish is perhaps one of the most mysterious species of amphibians.
Although it looks like a fish, it functions as the missing link between a fish and a human as it is one of the few animals that can regenerate its body if it goes through a fatal injury.
There are two reasons axolotls have been so popular with people over the years: their ability to regenerate and their tendency to “bleed” blood when injured.
These Mexican walking fish usually live in lakes and rivers but can also be found in marshes, flooded fields, and other sub-surface aquatic environments.
Conclusion
Dragon Fish are a popular symbol of the deep sea and are known to have a strong presence in mythology and stories, being portrayed as both good and bad characters.
They can be found living in almost every water habitat on our planet, showing their remarkable adaptability.
There’s no question that the deep sea wouldn’t be the same without them.
Some people believe they come from another world, while others claim they represent something else entirely; this is because so many aspects of fish are still not well-known by humans.
These were the fish that looks like a dragon if you are looking to add them to your aquarium.
