The “sea-monk”
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sea_monk
A fish that looked
like a human monk wearing a habit was allegedly found off the coast of Zealand,
Denmark in 1546 (or 1549) and variously described at that time as:
monachus, -ī [2/m]
maris; piscis, -is maris [3/m]
piscis monachī
habitū, a “fish dressed in the habit of a monk”
image #1:
illustration of a sea-monk (1572)
Image #2: There
are several views as to what this creature actually was including a seal, a
walrus, a “merman”, and a hoax. Despite its name, it was highly unlikely to
have been the monkfish to which we refer now since it bears no resemblance to
those early descriptions. In the mid 19th century, the Danish
zoologist Steenstrup suggested that the sea-monk was a giant squid, and
his illustration compared it with two contemporary 16th century
images.
Further images show some examples of Mediaeval and early Renaissance depictions of less than friendly sea-creatures although the Middle Ages did see a use for flying fish.
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