South Park and The Simpsons are among countless nostalgic cartoons that many have grown up watching.
But it seems these may go beyond our screens, with an array of deep-sea creatures bearing an uncanny resemblance to their characters.
Whether it’s a Pikachu sea slug or the real-life Squidward, the bulging features of many fish are almost too bizarre to be true.
And it doesn’t stop with characters, as one particularly creepy creature may even remind you of an incredibly gone-off Krabby Patty.
So, brace yourselves, as MailOnline delves into all things fishy with a list of some eerily familiar swimmers.
South Park and The Simpsons are among countless nostalgic cartoons that many have grown up watching. But it seems these may go beyond our screens, with an array of deep-sea creatures bearing an uncanny resemblance to their characters
1. Homer Simpson
With bulging eyes and a miserable expression, this Atlantic Stargazer fish looks the spitting image of The Simpsons’ iconic character Homer
With bulging eyes and a miserable expression, this creature is the spitting image of The Simpsons’ iconic character.
Known as the Atlantic Stargazer, the fish buries and hides beneath the sand, with its face just visible through the grains.
Wildlife Photographer nominee: Death in waiting by Pietro Formis
But don’t be fooled – this Stargazer isn’t lazing about like his cartoon counterpart might.
Instead, it’s actually likely to be staking out small fish, crabs and crustaceans for dinner.
Unfortunately for them, the Stargazer often uses poison to finish the job, which it ejects in its vicious bite.
This poison isn’t likely to kill a human, but will cause swelling that’s probably just as painful as Homer’s strangle.
Another creepy Atlantic Stargazer was also captured by a nominee for this year’s Wildlife Photographer of the Year Award.
2. South Park’s Kenny McCormick
Deep sea fisherman, Roman Fedorsov, shared photographs of this uncanny creature in the belief that it looked just like Kenny McCormick
South Park’s notorious introvert seems to work quite well as an invertebrate.
Deep sea fisherman, Roman Fedorsov, shared photographs of the uncanny creature in the belief that it looked just like Kenny peeping out from his orange jacket.
‘Lord, they killed Kenny! Oh my God! They killed Kenny,’ he joked on Instagram.
Despite its cartoon appearance, Mr Fedorsov’s find is actually an anemone – a close relative of jellyfish and coral.
These carnivorous, aquatic animals spend most of their lives in one place, waiting for plankton, fish and even crabs to cross their paths.
When the opportunity arises, anemones shoot out filaments known as ‘nematocysts’, which completely paralyse their unsuspecting prey.
Tentacles are then used to guide any victims towards their impending doom inside the anemone’s mouth.
3. Squidward Tentacles
With a slimy blue coat and an exceptionally large nose, this octopus looks strikingly similar to SpongeBob’s infamously miserable Squidward
Spot this in the ocean and you’d be forgiven for thinking you’re in Bikini Bottom.
With a slimy blue coat and an exceptionally large nose, this octopus looks strikingly similar to SpongeBob’s infamously miserable Squidward.
Unbelievable footage of the cephalopod was shot by photographer, Jonathon Gordon in the Caribbean back in 2015.
Within seconds, the eight-legged creature is seen to shift from its camouflaged state to a vibrant shade of turquoise as it moves slowly across the sea bed.
Octopuses achieve this disguise by tactfully squeezing and contracting sacs of pigment beneath their skin, which can intensify certain colours while muting others.
Some species can also alter their skin texture to blend in with their surroundings, ranging from smooth to a bizarrely spiky surface.
4. Krabby Patty
Whether it’s a mutated Big Mac or a rather dodgy Krabby Patty, there’s no doubt this strange specimen looks like a burger
Whether it’s a mutated Big Mac or a rather dodgy Krabby Patty, there’s no doubt this strange specimen looks like a burger.
Once again, this was shared by Mr Fedorsov who also commented on its not-so-appetising appearance.
‘Is it a sea cheeseburger with teeth? Or Krabby Patty?’ he wrote.
‘Or the dented face of a ninja turtle?…Or McDonald’s new McRib sandwich? Or just another unknown animal from the bottom of the sea?’
Krabby Patties are fictional burgers from SpongeBob SquarePants, served by the main character at the Krusty Krab fast food restaurant.
While it’s currently unclear what this species is, some commenters speculate that it may be two sea anemones stuck together.
But this is not something that’s readily seen in our oceans, as anemones generally stay in one place for most of their lives.
They also mate both asexually and sexually by blasting sperm and eggs through their mouths and into the sea.
MailOnline has approached experts for further clarification.
5. Pikachu
The mysterious Thecacera pacifica bears a strange resemblance to Pikachu, the world-famous Pokémon character
Believe it or not, this sea slug hasn’t just shot out of a Poké Ball.
But the mysterious Thecacera pacifica does bear a strange resemblance to Pikachu, the world-famous Pokémon character.
While these creatures are found across the Indian Ocean and western Pacific, they are very rarely spotted thanks to their diminutive size of just one to two centimetres.
Albeit tiny, these slugs still shouldn’t be underestimated, as they hold numerous abilities like their fictional TV twin.
While Pikachu ejects electric shocks when stressed, this species exudes toxins to defend itself.
Jellyfish, plankton and algae make up most of their diet, but the slug currently remains very illusive to marine biologists.
6. Three-eyed fish
Just like The Simpsons’ creature, this catfish was caught from waters that were brimming with so much pollution that its genetics had completely shifted
The Simpsons has built a reputation for unknowingly predicting the future – from Trump’s presidency to the underwater submersible tragedy in June.
And now, the hit Fox series has struck again, with an episode from the 1990s mirroring the discovery of a mutated three-eyed fish in real life.
Just like The Simpsons’ creature, this catfish was caught from waters that were brimming with so much pollution that its genetics had completely shifted.
Heavy metals, coal tar waste and volatile organics were found in the water in Gowanus Canal, Brooklyn – and eating the fish would pose a great threat to human health.
Fears of similarly mutated fish have arisen once more in Japan, as it was decided that waste from the Fukushima nuclear powerplant would be released into the Pacific Ocean.
While authorities claim it poses no threat to humans, activists are outraged by the sheer risk of treated waste.
Amid the controversy, the Prime Minister of Japan, Fumio Kishida, ate a sashimi fish on camera to prove it was safe to eat.
This again mirrors The Simpsons, with Mr Burns eating a fish exposed to nuclear waste in a previous episode.
The Simpsons appeared to predict the future again when the Prime Minister of Japan, Fumio Kishida, ate a sashimi fish on camera to prove it was safe to eat. This mirrored a previous episode in which Mr Burns (pictured) eats a fish exposed to nuclear waste
