There are so many animals in this world that come in different shapes and sizes. Surprisingly, many species, particularly in the ocean, have no neck whatsoever.
A strange way to live, but let us learn more about these species with no neck.
Wild Animals With No Neck:
Devil’s Hole Pupfish
There are only a known 180 of these fishes in the world. Where can they be found? The Devil’s Hole of Death Valley National Park in the United States. They inhabit the smallest area of land or water inhabited by any invertebrate in the entire world. The Devil’s Hole is a water-filled cavern that has taken root in the side of a hill some several thousand years.
What is most interesting about these animals, besides the fact that they have no necks, is that scientists believe they have lived in the Devil’s Hole for over 10,000 to 20,000 years.
Sakhalin Sturgeon
This sturgeon inhabits the area around the Sakhalin islands, Japanese territories under occupation by Russia. But they can also be found in the Bering Sea and around Korea. Only around 10 to 30 Japanese Sakhalin Sturgeons spawn each year in the River of Tumnin. These fishes have been sold in Japanese markets as long ago as the 1950s. It is believed that these fish will go extinct within the next 15 years. This is unfortunate and a big part of why this particular animal is on this list.
Believed to go extinct in the next 15 years.
Red Handfish
Only a known 20 to 40 members of this species are left in the world. That means this animal is borderline extinct, and not much can be done to save them.
Though conservationists have tried and fallen in the line of battle, all in the name of Red Handfish conservation. These fish were first discovered off the coast of Tasmania in the 1800s. Even back then, their numbers were quite limited because of their eggs’ vulnerability.
Their eggs are planted underneath the seaweed. What a “bright idea” that this species came up with.
Adriatic Sturgeon
The Adriatic Sturgeon, as the name would suggest, can be found in the great Adriatic Sea. These sturgeon can also be located off the coast of northern Italy.
There are fewer than 250 members of this animal species left, and due to NATO activity in the waters of northern Italy, they are expected to go extinct. Before this, what brought their numbers to such an astonishingly low count, was overfishing. Overfishing is a major reason why most fish go extinct in time.
Adriatic Sturgeon are bred in captivity and set free off the coast of Italy, but there is no evidence to suggest that they reproduce once released.
Tequila Splitfin
The Tequila Splitfin is an animal that has no neck, but scientists say that this is why it has developed such great taste. The fish doesn’t generate as much mucus within its chambers due to the lack of a neck. It is this mucus that generally makes a fish taste terrible or bogs down the overall taste of the fish.
With each bite of fish, there is a healthy dose of mucus that you are ingesting.
Fewer than 500 of these fish live in Rio Teuchitlan, which is found in Mexico.
Unique Animals With No Neck:
Giant Sea Bass
The Giant Sea Bass can be found in a high number of areas. These areas include Humboldt Bay in California and Baja, Mexico. All of the territories in between belong to the Giant Sea Bass. They once were thriving in all of the surrounding waters. Still, intense overfishing by American settlers and companies led to only 500 or so individual members of their species left. The Giant Sea Bass reproduce by swimming in groups and releasing their seed all around; any female fish in the area will get covered, resulting in a pregnancy.
Once the female sea bass is ready to lay their eggs, they find a spot in the eastern Pacific and begin to lay their eggs in large patches throughout different burrows on the sea floor.
They tend to live and move around in large groups. Unfortunately, this leads to easy mass catches, making them profitable.
Kissing Loach
This loach has no reproach, which is why it has been given the name “kissing loach”. The Kissing Loach lives close to Kameoka City and Okayama City, Japan, in the waters of said territories. There are fewer than 800 of these fish left in the entire world. Still, thanks to great conservation efforts, this fish is expected to grow in population and eventually crawl out of the near extinction category.
Volunteers set up groups to ensure that this fish’s eggs hatch yearly. What a fantastic effort by them!
Archer Fish
The archer fish is undoubtedly the most extraordinary animal with no neck in the world. This is because this fish loves to snack on insects and other small critters that roost near or above water, but how does the archer fish get to them?
By shooting water at them, of course. The archer fish can expel the water within its mouth at rapid speeds that are both precise and deadly.
These incredible fish are true sharpshooters; they can aim at and hit insects up to five feet above water or away from them. Targeted!
Why do some animals have no neck?
It is quite simple, but perhaps you have not figured it out, and that is why you are asking why exactly some animals do not have necks. The answer is that some animals don’t need necks, so they have evolved not to be born with them. Truly a fascinating topic.