In the waters off the Galapagos Islands in Ecuador, South America, there is a very strange fish that grows, it is famous for its "flaming red lips", which is a local endemic marine life, and its name is red-lipped batfish.
The red-lipped batfish is one of about 60 species of batfish and is very photogenic when walking on the ocean floor. It can reach a length of up to 25 cm, has a flattened body, and a short tail. The head is flat, broad and flattened. And the snout is short, red, and has snout spines. Big eyes.
Like other anglerfish, batfish also use a built-in fishing rod nose with retractable features to lure prey closer to their lips, and because they have extremely poor swimming ability, they can't even move by crawling.
The red-lipped batfish is a species of fish that inhabits the seafloor. To get anywhere else, you can only get there through the two pectoral fins that grow underneath them. Therefore, the red-lipped batfish we often see are as if they are supported under the water. This is due to the gradual evolution of its living habits.
In addition to having flaming red lips, the facial expressions of these guys are also very serious. However, it is a very shy fish, and it is difficult to find them. When a diver encounters it, it will take the initiative to slowly leave their sight and will not adversely affect the local fishing industry.
They are carnivores and feed mainly on crustaceans such as mobile benths, shrimp or crabs, and gastropods or bivalves. They are accustomed to staying in sand beds and can blend well with the sandy ocean floor, that is, to disguise themselves from being preyed.
The batfish's peculiar appearance and red lips have made people very confused about it, and some people think that their strange shape may be for hunting or courtship, but it has attracted many people to study it. Their reproduction is concentrated in the pelagic environment, which also means that they reproduce and spawn in open waters.
Batfish is one of many fish that effectively inhibit the growth of seaweed, and its ability to eat seaweed is no less than that of parrotfish and spiny tailfish, and even larger seaweeds can be removed. Although its shape is relatively strange, it still plays a great role in the normal operation of the local marine environment.