The fish mouth is a bizarre expression that a narcissist cannot hide. I have seen it on the faces of almost every narcissist I have dealt with. It shows up the moment this narcissist realizes you have seen something they never wanted you to see or when they want to punish you.
Physical Characteristics of the Fish Mouth
When a narcissist pushes their lips forward and tightens them, as if holding something in or preparing to spit something out, that is when they make this fish-like face. Unlike a typical pout, the corners of the mouth usually turn downward dramatically. The muscles around the chin and jawline are visibly tense. Often, this expression is accompanied by a flat, emotionless, or coldly staring gaze, which we call “shark eyes”—eyes that create a jarring contrast between the expressive mouth and the empty eyes. It may look something like this.
If you look closely, this expression has a disturbing physical quality that you cannot ignore. The lips do not just tighten; they look strangely swollen or pushed out, almost as if the mouth is trying to distance itself from the rest of the face. The downward pull makes the whole mouth look as though it is sagging under invisible weight, giving the face an odd, lopsided collapse, the kind you only see when someone desperately tries to hold back emotion but fails miserably. The jaw becomes unnaturally sharp, and the chin sticks out slightly. You’ll notice little tremors around the mouth area as well—tiny twitches that reveal how hard they’re clenching. The entire lower face appears stiff, frozen, and almost artificial, like a mask made of skin that has stopped cooperating with the muscles underneath.
Emotional and Psychological Implications
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