Fish
Red-lipped Batfish
Ogcocephalus darwini · also called Darwin's batfish
Sporting a pair of strikingly bright red lips and a stubborn refusal to swim, a red-lipped batfish walks across the seafloor around the Galapagos Islands on modified fin rays, pausing occasionally to flash a small lure and draw prey within reach.
Overview
The red-lipped batfish, Ogcocephalus darwini, is a walking fish native to ocean habitat recorded around the Galapagos Islands and nearby coastal waters of South America. Its unmistakable bright red lips, unusual walking locomotion, and small retractable lure related in concept to its anglerfish relatives make it one of the most visually distinctive and instantly recognisable fish species found anywhere in the ocean.
A fish that would rather walk than swim
Where most fish rely on swimming as their primary mode of movement, the red-lipped batfish has instead adapted its fins into leg-like structures suited to walking across the seafloor, only occasionally resorting to swimming when walking alone will not get the job done.
Status
Least Concern, though population trends remain largely unknown given the difficulty of surveying its seafloor habitat.
Red-lipped Batfish: common questions
Why does the red-lipped batfish have such bright red lips?
This species has strikingly bright red lips, a distinctive feature that stands out against its otherwise dull, mottled body colouration, though the exact evolutionary purpose of the colouring is still debated among researchers.
Does the red-lipped batfish swim like most fish?
Not usually, this species uses modified, leg-like pectoral and pelvic fins to walk across the seafloor rather than swimming for most of its movement, an unusual mode of locomotion among fish generally.
Does the red-lipped batfish have a lure like an anglerfish?
Yes, this species carries a small, retractable lure on its head, similar in concept to the lure of its anglerfish relatives, used to attract curious prey within striking range.
Where is the red-lipped batfish found?
This species is native to ocean habitat recorded around the Galapagos Islands and nearby coastal waters of South America, a relatively limited and well-known range for the species.