This fish looks like a ghost buried at the bottom of the sea -.

Looking at this new photo taken by Peitro Formis, you might wonder if you are looking at a fish, or some kind of twisted face emerging from the bottom of the sea.

What the photo actually shows is a stargazer fish that has buried itself in the bottom of the Mediterranean Sea. It is a photo that has been highlighted by the Wildlife Photographer of the Year award and has been highly praised.

Formis told the BBC that he does not usually enter competitions, but really liked this photo and put it forward, not expecting any praise. The winner of the Wildlife Photographer of the Year award will be announced in October.

The stargazer fish is a predatory fish known for its eyes pointing upward, earning its name. To catch prey, it must bury itself in the sand so that only its eyes and mouth are visible. “To me it looks like a voodoo mask or a human face and those are species I like the most, the ones that have a human-like face, with big eyes and a big mouth. It’s a beautiful animal”, said Formis.