"It is an ugly fish. That's why I like it."

January 15, 2016 9:52 AM

The Royal B.C. Museum is putting their bony-eared assfish on display.

The bony-eared assfish, Acanthonus armatus is notable for its rarity:

[T]his is the first to be caught off the shores of North America. They typically live up to 4,400 metres below the ocean surface and holds the record for the smallest brain-to-body ratio of all vertebrates. This particular one was caught in 2006 in the Queen Charlotte Sound.

CBC interview about the assfish with the museum's Curator of Vertebrate Zoology, starting at 16:35.

posted by mandolin conspiracy (29 comments total)

And here's a story that was linked from that page

The fuck is going on with your wildlife Canada
posted by prize bull octorok at 9:55 AM on January 15, 2016 [4 favorites]

someone needs to put a donald trump toupee on that fish immediately
posted by poffin boffin at 10:01 AM on January 15, 2016 [10 favorites]

I'm hoping whoever named "Bony-eared assfish" cribbed it from Chris Kluwe.
posted by a snickering nuthatch at 10:03 AM on January 15, 2016 [2 favorites]

"Bony-eared assfish" is a magnificent new insult. Thanks!
posted by mermayd at 10:03 AM on January 15, 2016 [5 favorites]

Two comments:

1. For $5 and a few minutes time, "Bony-eared assfish" can be YOUR new MeFi moniker!
2. Excellent use of the "assfish" tag.
posted by mosk at 10:09 AM on January 15, 2016 [7 favorites]

There is absolutely nothing to not like about this.
posted by nickmark at 10:10 AM on January 15, 2016 [3 favorites]

There are some funny names out there for species, but that one takes the cake.

I beg your pardon, good sir. The funny species name that takes the cake is Pieza kake, a fly.
posted by barchan at 10:15 AM on January 15, 2016 [4 favorites]

Hanke is unsure how the fish got its "ridiculous'' moniker.

My theory involves someone mis-parsing the sentence That's one ugly ass fish.
posted by zamboni at 10:16 AM on January 15, 2016 [9 favorites]

CBC interview about the assfish with the museum's Curator of Vertebrate Zoology, starting at 16:35.

Caught this on the radio last night. Fun interview.
posted by a lungful of dragon at 10:19 AM on January 15, 2016

Obligatory XKCD.
posted by tobascodagama at 10:21 AM on January 15, 2016 [3 favorites]

The fuck is going on with your wildlife Canada

The mutant cougar appears to be Idahoan.
posted by mandolin conspiracy at 10:24 AM on January 15, 2016

Not to be confused with the bony-assed earfish or the assy-eared bonefish
posted by Atom Eyes at 10:27 AM on January 15, 2016 [9 favorites]

MetaFilter: putting their bony-eared assfish on display.
posted by Splunge at 10:27 AM on January 15, 2016 [1 favorite]

Obligatory XKCD.

Obligatory For Lack of a Better Comic.
posted by Ufez Jones at 10:36 AM on January 15, 2016 [10 favorites]

Ugh, I can't believe I had to read the whole article before learning that nobody knows why it's called an assfish. We were all wondering the same thing; just tell us up front!
posted by redsparkler at 10:44 AM on January 15, 2016

Bony-Eared Assfish?

That's not a species, that's a playground insult.
posted by Cool Papa Bell at 10:44 AM on January 15, 2016

I just Googled it and, to my amazement, there is NOT a band named "Assfish". In a perfect world there would be.
posted by TDavis at 11:01 AM on January 15, 2016

It's mean giving him a name like that. They're just setting him up for bullying by the other exhibits.
posted by Omnomnom at 11:08 AM on January 15, 2016 [4 favorites]

This fish may get mocked by the Sarcastic Fringehead.
posted by Rumple at 11:53 AM on January 15, 2016 [3 favorites]

This fish may get mocked by the Sarcastic Fringehead.

"Oh, no, that's a perfectly good name!"
posted by Faint of Butt at 12:18 PM on January 15, 2016 [3 favorites]

"It's pronounced ACE-fish, blub blub."
posted by Capt. Renault at 12:36 PM on January 15, 2016 [3 favorites]

Obligatory For Lack of a Better Comic.

I have a tight-assed sexparrot at home. Birds do not understand basic biology very well.
posted by tobascodagama at 12:50 PM on January 15, 2016 [1 favorite]

My band's new name.
posted by mule98J at 1:03 PM on January 15, 2016

New on the menu at Per Se.
posted by moonlily at 12:11 AM on January 16, 2016 [2 favorites]

The marine biologist who named this fish refuses to discuss their reasons, but still blanches white as a sheet whenever the phrase 'backward facing spines' is mentioned.
posted by Devonian at 8:06 AM on January 16, 2016 [2 favorites]

Seems fitting that they'd choose Victoria as the place to put it on display.
posted by squeak at 8:42 AM on January 16, 2016 [1 favorite]

New on the menu at Per Se.

Assfish in aspic.
posted by mandolin conspiracy at 10:40 AM on January 16, 2016 [2 favorites]

That fish looks like a carrot drowned in bleach.
posted by oceanjesse at 10:51 AM on January 16, 2016

My spouse and I like to come up with ridiculous names to call each other when someone hasn't taken out the garbage, etc. "Bony eared assfish" has now entered the game.
posted by nakedmolerats at 11:14 AM on January 16, 2016 [1 favorite]