Walking Batfish, Ogcocephalus nasutus
Seen on the reef off of Caye Caulker. Also called short nose batfish, they like to hang out around piers.
The walking batfish can grow to be up to 15 inches. Though batfish do not have scales, their skin is rough with bony tubercles. These tubercles are located on both surfaces of the tail and the upper surface of the body. To hide from predators, batfish will scurry away like a crab across the ocean bottom or bury themselves into the sand with their pectoral fins.
It is related to some deep sea fishes, but this one is deep only in meanings and ability to provoke curiosity. Related to sargassum fish, and other anglerfishes including deep and shallow monstrosities. They are super chill and can stay in one place for days. Head and snout on the right.
Photograph by Dan Moors
Range: Western Atlantic Ocean: Southern Florida, Gulf of Mexico, Bahamas and to northern Brazil.
Size: 15 inches (38 cm)
Natural Environment: Inhabits sandy, muddy, rubble, and seagrass bed areas in lagoons and fore-reefs between a depth of 3 – 900 feet (1 – 275 m) and feeds mostly at night on crabs, worms, snails, bivalves and small fishes.
General Husbandry: Has a greyish brownish body and fins along with an extended snout. It’s a bottom dweller and feeder, often covering its self in substrate.
Walking Batfish
A bizzare fish that can walk! This is a Caribean species (probably Ogcocephalus radiatus) from a group distantly related to frog fishes. It uses a tiny pom pom lure to attract prey then strikes with lightening speed.
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