Tattooed Parrot Fish and other species of ornamental fish are becoming quite popular at a pet-shop in Chengdu, China.

Known as Fortune Fish, these tattooed swimmers bear patterns, such as flowers and rainbows, and characters that are said to bring good fortune and happiness to their owners. The tattoos were apparently done with lasers and made the common Parrot Fish quite popular.

A normal Parrot Fish sells for 10 yuan, while a tattooed Fortune Fish sells for 25 yuan.

via ImagineChina

I’m sure that’s what Patit Paban Halder thought to himself when he decided to open up a fish hospital in the comfort of his own home, in India.

The Fish Hospital of Chandannagore, India, is the only one of its kind. Halder, together with his wife and son, has set up a 32-aquarium facility where they observe and treat sick ornamental fish. The fish doctor does rounds, takes blood sample, checks them for fungus and bacteria and even gives the tiny fish injections.

I don’t know how many of his patience actually make it out of the hospital, but the mere effort of trying to save them is worth my respect.

Photos by DESHAKALYAN CHOWDHURY/AFP/Getty Images

via LIFE

Actually, I’m not just talking about one, but hundreds of small “doctor fish” treating serious skin conditions like psoriasis.

Garra Rufa Obtusa, also referred to as Doctor Fish, is a special species of fish, found in northern and central parts of the Middle East. In countries like Turkey, people have started breading them artificially, in giant basins, and use them to treat severe skin diseases.

The small fish can survive in waters as hot as 43 degrees Celsius and love to fed on dead tissue. The little miracle workers aren’t fed, so when patients dip their sick limbs into the water, they act like a pack of gentle piranhas, nibbling with their gummy mouths.

Doctor Fish aren’t recognized as a cure for Psoriasis, although there have been cases of complete healing following a treatment at a Doctor Fish Spa, but they do help improve the condition of the patients, at least temporarily. The fish eat away the red, scaly spots on the patients’ bodies and the mineral water helps the healing process. Thousands of patients travel to Doctor Fish Spas, like the one in Kangal, Turkey, and spend 21 days being eaten alive by the Garra Rufa Obtusa, in two daily four-hour sessions.

Doctor Fish cosmetic facilities have become very popular recently, and you can find them in countries like Japan, Malaysia or China.  After all, Doctor Fish are a lot healthier than a chemical exfoliation.

Photos by Xianhua/Reuters, via People.com.cn

After the photos I’ve seen so far, I can truly say there’s art in everything, even fish heads.

Anne-Catherine Becker-Echivard loves is a very original Berlin-based artist who uses fish heads to create regular works of art. It might be bizarre or funny, but it certainly isn’t easy. The artists uses negative-film cameras and photographs to create the photos you see below, and each of them can take up to three months to complete.

via CCTV.com

Arowana is a tropical fish, living in the quiet waters of lakes and rivers. It varies from 60 to 120cm in length, and still manages to leap up to 3 meters above the water. The most fascinating thing about the Arowana is that it is a mouth brooder, it is capable of carrying hundreds of eggs in its mouth and, even after they hatch, the little fish live in the mother’s mouth for a considerable time before they venture out on their own.

]]> http://www.odditycentral.com/pics/arowana-the-mouth-brooder.html/feed 4 http://www.odditycentral.com/pics/odd-fishes-you-didnt-know-about.html http://www.odditycentral.com/pics/odd-fishes-you-didnt-know-about.html#comments Mon, 11 Feb 2008 14:46:43 +0000 Spooky http://www.odditycentral.com/?p=47

Many of you might find all fish to be disgusting, but I for one never had a problem with how they look, I even found some of them to be really interesting. But I have to say everything changed as soon as I saw these pictures, these things look like monsters out of my worst nightmares!

Goliath Tigerfish

Frilled Shark

Blob Fish

Wolf Fish

Rat-tails or Grenadiers

Lamprey

Basking Shark

Goblin Shark