Oh flat and shocking face,
Grimly divided from the breast below!
Thou that on dry land horribly dost go
With a split body and most ridiculous pace,
Prong after prong, disgracer of all grace

This, the English poet Leigh Hunt, would have us believe, is how man is perceived by fish. Not the kindest words, but far nicer than anything that comes to mind when one looks upon “Bombil”, undoubtedly one of the ugliest fish to ever navigate the briny blue expanse between Mumbai and Kutch. In other parts of the world, it’s known by a name that better reflects its ghastly appearance — Lizardfish (Harpadon Nehereus) — but here, we fondly refer to it as Bombil, Bumla, Bummalo or Bombay Duck. And, while opinions differ, with regards to the etymology of these names, what there’s no dispute about, is the fact that it’s downright delicious. Here’s the native fish in some of its lip-smacking avatars.