Who Knew a Sea Robin Could be So Freaking Strange-looking?

Habitat: Eastern Pacific; Costa Rica to northern Peru; vagrant in the Galapagos.

Status: Not Listed

This almost scorpion-looking fish is called the Bearded Armored Sea Robin (Peristedion barbiger). It’s found in depths of 50-295 m and reaches lengths of 15.5 cm in length. Not a very big creature by any means but that doesn’t make it any less intimidating. 

They ‘walk’ along the sea floor with their makeshift legs, otherwise known as specialized pectoral fins, and dig in the sand to find prey with their shovel-like nose. They’re not insanely interesting fish… just insanely weird-looking.