World's weirdest animals

A look at some of nature's strangest species, including the Dracula-fish of northern Burma.

It is just 17 millimetres-long, transparent and has hook-shaped extensions that look like teeth protruding through the skin above its mouth. Zoologists called it one of the most "extraordinary vertebrates discovered in the last few decades".

"The teeth it has are very surprising because none of the other 3,700 species in its species group have teeth in their jaws," said Dr Ralf Britz, zoologist at the Natural History Museum. "It evolved its own tooth-like structures by growing them from the jaw bones rather than re-evolving jaw teeth," he added.

But if you think the dracula-fish is weird wait till you catch a glimpse of the blobfish. No-one who has seen it can deny that natural selection doesn't always pick the path marked 'pretty'. In the case of the hagfish, in fact, it picked the path marked 'revolting'.

Just for fun, here's a look at some of the strangest examples of nature's wonderful variety - in all their spiny, goggle-eyed, big-nosed glory.