The real-life sea monsters we've been spotlighting lately all seem to come out of that one nightmare you had after eating day-old sushi – from the alien-like goblin shark to the face-eating sarcastic fringehead to the grumpy, lipstick-wearing batfish. But today's specimen looks like it might be just as terrified of you.
Found in the depths of nearly every major ocean, the marine hatchetfish (not to be confused with the cute freshwater variety, which a lot of folks stock in their aquariums) evolved those big, freaky eyes to maximize the tiniest bit of light that reaches their domain. It might be a useful trait for a deep-sea predator, but it makes looking directly at them kinda difficult... it's almost as if they might steal your soul if you stare at them too long.
If you're a fan of H.P. Lovecraft, these creatures might call to mind the slithering fish/human hybrids from his tale The Shadow Over Innsmouth. Imagine these somber, desperate (and hungry) faces staring into your window at night, and you can easily imagine where Lovecraft got his well-known fear of seafood.