In Medieval folklore, the Ziphius was a creature which was a combination of an owl and a fish. It had an owl's head, a giant mouth, and a very ugly body. It had a fin on its back shaped like a sword. They bore holes into ships, causing them to sink. It was said to reside in the North Sea. Ziphius is the name of a Genus of beaked whales too. Ziphius is a Latin word meaning "sword-like".