Red-Lipped Batfish
| RED-LIPPED BATFISH (Ogcocephalus darwini) |
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| Pronounced: | Og-sow-sef-a-lis dar-win-ee | Order: | Lophiiformes | ||||||||
| Kingdom: | Animalia | Family: | Ogcocephalidae | ||||||||
| Phylum: | Chordata | Genus: | Ogcocephalus | ||||||||
| Class: | Actinopterygii | Species: | Darwini | ||||||||
Red-Lipped Batfish look like fish who want to be human. Their bright red lips look like they were painted on by a 3 year old child. Their fins have adapted to life at the bottom of the sea with a structure that lets them stand, hop and even walk on the sand. While this adaptation helps them stabilize themselves in the currents and stay upright, it also means that they aren’t very good swimmers at all – and walking serves them just fine.
They live in the sand and rocky substrate near coral reefs, 10 to 120 m deep, in the waters off the Galapagos Islands.
These carnivorous fish eat other fish, crustaceans, and molluscs. To attract prey, the Batfish has a protrusion above its eyes, similar to the one employed by anglerfishes. This “lure” brings interested animals closer, and the Batfish stays absolutely still, using its modified fins to balance itself. When the prey is close enough, the Batfish snaps them up in its mouth.
These carnivorous fish eat other fish, crustaceans, and molluscs. To attract prey, the Batfish has a protrusion above its eyes, similar to the one employed by anglerfishes. This “lure” brings interested animals closer, and the Batfish stays absolutely still, using its modified fins to balance itself. When the prey is close enough, the Batfish snaps them up in its mouth.
As a defense, the Batfish is covered by a spiny armour that helps repel predators. These Batfish can grow to about 40 cm long.
