Four of the monstrous creatures, named ribbon worms, have been reared behind closed doors at the Port of Nagoya public Aquarium, Japan, since 1991.
Authorities believed they were too ugly to be shown to the public, but that has now changed after an unexpected craze swept the country.
Footage of the nude-coloured, faceless animals reveals how it swallows whole fish.
The 27inch-long worm forces its bulging meal down as it coils up.
Aquarium spokeswoman Chizuru Sato said they had shot the clip in a recent competition to find strange creatures.
The wrinkle ribbon worm made it into the semi-finals.
Chizuru said: “Recently these weird creatures are becoming popular in Japan.
“Most people did not know this creature before, but thanks to the competition, many people observed them with interest.
“Their popularity has been increased by being reported in the news.”
And though the creatures mostly lie still in their tanks, they consume fish carcasses that fall to the bottom.
“How long they live is unknown,” Chizuru added.
“They are thought to be scavengers. They eat any marine products. We mostly feed them on horse mackerel fillets.
“These were collected in the sea around King George Island.”
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