Habitat: found on the continental shelves of the Indo-Pacific oceans
Status: Not Evaluated

Look! Look! It’s a walking pancake!! Well, that’s not this creature’s actual name… but it very well should be! In reality, this is the Starry Seabat (Halieutaea stellata) otherwise known as the Starry Handfish, Starry Batfish, or Red Batfish. Whatever you want to call it, this is one strange fish.

These Starry Seabats are found widespread throughout the Indo-Pacific oceans at depths between 50 – 400 m. They can be found standing on their fins (which actually resemble feet more than fins, if you ask me!), just staring at you. When it’s time to swim away, they kick with their back fins which makes it look like they’re wearing scuba flippers. They have flattened bodies with squiggly little “hairs” coming out in all directions which aid it in camouflaging against the seafloor.

Watch its little ‘leggies’ kick, kick, kick, when it swims away!!

aaaand here’s it straight chillin’: