We have some fairly recent proof that Japanese mascots sometimes step out of the box to gain attention--such as Tokyo's newest mascot, the pink poop of the famous dog Hachiko--but it's the newest mascot for Chiba Lotte Marines in Nippon Professional Baseball that has people turning their heads and watching in slightly disgusted awe. While it's not quite Mr. Met giving disgruntled fans the finger, the team's new mascot Nazo no Sakana (Mysterious Fish) finally revealed its "third form", and uh...well...

While the Marines have a trio of feathered mascots in Cool, Rine, and Zu-chan, the Mysterious Fish was recently introduced as an addition to the baseball team's mascot ranks. The fishy mascot would dance around and try to keep fan morale up, as most mascots do, but at a recent game, Mysterious Fish "evolved" into its third form--revealing what many Japanese baseball fans took to social media to call "creepy" and "gross". The fish has returned to the sea, and will return by the end of the month--perhaps with an even wilder form.