In a unique little fishing game called Dredge, there’s always this uneasy sense that something is not right.  And one of the most obvious examples of this are the aberrations, bizarre and sometimes outright grotesque mutations of normally mundane fish.  Having now gotten 100% of the trophies in the main game, I was required to catch a specimen of every single one of the 151 creatures listed in the encyclopedia.  And in the process, I found some pretty creepy abominations.  Not one to spare the world my grief, I’ve decided to share with you all the top 10 worst aberrations based on both appearance and description.  Prepare yourself, and if you’re eating fish for dinner today, I hope this doesn’t ruin your appetite. 

10: Cyclopean Flounder – While certainly not the worst thing on this list, I am deeply disturbed by the fact that its eye is, in fact, a large egg!  Worse yet is the mystery of what might hatch from it…

9: Host Eel – One of the very first aberrations that I ever caught, this poor creature has become an unwilling home for…something living within.  Had we not caught this eel when we did, would the parasitic guests inside…burst forth eventually? Best not to think too much about it…

8: Enthralled Stonefish – Similar to the Host Eel, apparently something else is living inside the remains of this fish, the eyes that stare through its sockets belonging to a being that doesn’t belong here.  I’d rather its true identity remain a mystery.

7: Consumed Grouper – Unlike the others on this list, this fish just makes me sad as I remember what once was.  Bones peer through torn skin that used to be bright in color, even its face showing the despair of a fish that decayed too early.  Catching this one is a mercy for the fish, but not for me.

6: Crown of Nadir – This one was a nightmare to catch and required far too many visits to the many crab pots I had strewn about Stellar Basin.  And now…I wish I hadn’t.  Not only was I not too excited to find myself with a creature that’s all mouth, but the description doesn’t help, either.  Just where does this “fractal gateway” lead and what exactly is it saying?  Then again, do I want to know?

5: Bursting Anglerfish – Bringing to mind a certain unstoppable alien from cinema, this anglerfish has a mouth within a mouth.  As if these guys weren’t scary enough before corruption…

4: Cleft-mouth Shark – Sharks have enough teeth as it is, but this one is nearly split in two by a massive maw.  Don’t worry about being bitten by this frightening creature because it’ll probably just swallow you whole….

3: Grinning Gar – This is the one that compelled me to write this post.  The black, soulless eyes that stare into your soul.  And the way the human teeth jut out, supposedly pressed against each other with such force that they’re cracking from the strain.  This fish is nightmare fuel, and after gazing into its dark eyes, I don’t think I’ll ever be the same again.

2: Umbral Puppet – The aberration of the spider crab, this one makes me literally nauseous to behold.  It’s not even a crustacean anymore, but rather, a massive water-dwelling spider that would make me scream if I found its legs on my plate at my local seafood restaurant.

1: Defaced Skate – I didn’t think much about this one until I looked closer.  And what did I find?  Why, a hideous humanoid face is apparently emerging from within this creature’s flesh!  And let me tell you, I’m not sticking around to find out what this “frightening new form” is going to be!