They say that the sea is a mysterious place, but one can’t help but think that if they named things less enigmatically, it might be a bit easier to understand! Sometimes it is easy to see why things got their names, and sometimes, it boggles the mind. Check out these five sea creatures with misleading names and see if you can come to the same conclusions as those who described them!
Spiny Dogfish
Despite its cute sounding name, it is not possible to play fetch with the spiny dogfish. It has nothing to do with man’s best friend, but everything to do with being a medium-sized shark that is found off the coast of six continents. They are actually commonly eaten, though when they are sold, they tend to be called huss or rock salmon instead.
Jellyfish
A jellyfish is neither made of jelly nor is it a fish — it is an invertebrate from the phylum Cnidaria, and there are more than 10,000 different kinds of animals that are often called jellyfish. Perhaps the most infamous kind of jellyfish is the sea nettle, which has bell-shaped body and long trailing tentacles.
Sea Gooseberry
While gooseberries are a sumptuous and exotic sweet treat native to Asia, Africa, and Europe, you should not try to eat a sea gooseberry. These tiny animals are from a group of sea creatures known as comb jellies. Unlike their distant relatives, the jellyfish, comb jellies are mostly comprised of water held in place by a membrane, which navigate the sea through the motions of very thin, fine hairs.
Starfish
Like jellyfish, starfish are not actually fish, but whomever gave these echinoderms their common name at least got the star part right. One of the oldest forms of life on the planet, the first starfish skeletons came from the Cambrian period, placing them in the sea before dinosaurs walked the Earth. Fun fact: these spiky animals can regenerate from as little as a single severed leg.
Sea Pineapple
The sea pineapple is not a pineapple at all; in fact, it is not even a plant. It hails from a group of animals that are known collectively as tunicates, or sea squirts, and though incredibly rubbery and acrid to the taste (nothing like real pineapple), they are a delicacy in some parts of Asia. We can only assume that their weird name comes from their thorny skin that somewhat resembles that of a pineapple.
