Father Lasher, or Sea Scorpion, Cottus Scorpius
1803
Meet the Father Lasher, a fish that looks like it crawled out of a fantasy novel. Edward Donovan's 1803 illustration captures this 'Sea Scorpion' with a vibrant blue body, jagged dark stripes, and flamboyant red fins that fan out like peacock feathers. Its large, wide-set yellow eyes give it a permanently grumpy expression as it rests on a dark, craggy rock. This hand-colored print comes from Donovan's 'The Natural History of British Fishes,' a book series that brought the strange and wonderful creatures of the British coast to life for the public.