Michigan’s 3 Ugliest Fish, and Other Strange Lake Monsters

Did you know that The Great Lakes, and some of Michigan's inland lakes have Jellyfish in them? I know, it's weird, but there is an itty bitty species of freshwater jellyfish that can survive in fresh water, and we have them here. And while that might seem strange, the jellyfish are actually kind of cute looking.

But "cute" is not a word I would use to describe three of Michigan's ugliest fish, and sea creatures that lurk in the waters of the Great Lakes, and within the hundreds of inland lakes of Michigan.

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Michigan DNR keeps a pretty good record of all of the animals, and sea creatures that fall within our state's borders, and that includes many species that live in the Great Lakes. Of course, we know about the living fossils - the Lake Sturgeon - that can literally grow to 8 feet long, and weight 300 pounds.

Again, though, I'm not sure if you'd call them ugly, but they certainly don't have the "cute" appeal of the little freshwater jellyfish.

No, the Great Lakes, and Michigan's waterways are full of some very odd creatures, and three of the ugliest are as follows:

1. The Sea Lamprey
2. Hydroid
3. The Pink Salmon

The Pink Salmon only makes the list because of the way it looks with its mouth wide open, and (in the males specifically) that massive "hunch" on their back. There's even little things that look like teeth up on the tip of their jaws, and it is unsettling if you pull one of these guys out on a hook.

The Hydroid is literally just living lake scum. It's a colony of polyps that grow together in colonies, and what's worse is, they're not native to the Lakes, So if you see these ugly things, that look like a moldy wig in the water... get rid of them.

And then, of course, there's the sea lamprey, also not native to Michigan, but very much a par of the ecosystem now. They are long like a snake, swim like an eel, but have a mouth like those sandworms from the movie "Dune," but worse.

And that's just THREE of them. Check out some of the OTHER strange creatures we have living in our lakes below.