They can generate electric shocks

Many stargazers are able to give a nasty electric shock when needed for defence, or to confuse prey. They do this using specialised organs, which are either derived from modified eye muscles or sonic muscles. Depending upon the temperature of the water at the time, stargazers can deliver a jolt of up to 50 volts.

They have confusing common names

Despite their rather grand name, reticulate stargazers are a relatively plain brown colour with net-like (reticulated) markings on their scales. Many stargazers look similar, and so several different species have ended up with the same common name.

They expertly ambush their prey

The position of their eyes allows stargazers to partly bury themselves under the sand and still watch for prey. When a fish unwittingly swims overhead, the stargazer lurches up to catch it. Some stargazers even have a worm-shaped lure hanging from the roof of their mouth.

They’re a family of sky-watchers

There are around 50 species of stargazer, grouped into the Uranoscopidae family. The name stargazer comes from its Greek family name, as ourannos means ‘sky’ and skopein means ‘to watch’. True to their name, ail the fish in this family have top-mounted eyes.