Red-lipped Batfish

ocean · Galápagos · weird fish · walking

Bright red lips. This fish is famous for its striking red lips that look almost like they've been painted on. No other fish in the ocean has lips quite like these.

Walks, doesn't swim. Red-lipped batfish are terrible swimmers, so they use their special fins like legs to walk along the ocean bottom. Their pectoral, pelvic, and anal fins are shaped perfectly for this unusual way of moving.

Deep Galápagos waters. These strange fish live around the Galápagos Islands and off Ecuador, hanging out at depths between 3 and 76 meters below the surface. They're perfectly adapted to their dark, deep home.

Adult spine weapon. When a red-lipped batfish grows up, its dorsal fin transforms into a single spike-like projection sticking out from its body. Scientists aren't sure exactly what this spine is used for.

Rosy-lipped cousins. Red-lipped batfish are closely related to rosy-lipped batfish, which live near Cocos Island off Costa Rica's Pacific coast. These cousins share the same weird body shape and walking lifestyle.