Description

Also known as Deep-sea Batfish, Handfish, Sea Bat, Spotted Batfish, Walking Batfish.

Found singly, either walking with their pelvic fins, resting, or partially buried, wiggling their modified Dorsal Fin to attract their prey, on mud, rubble and sandy bottoms close to reef edges.
They feed on bivalves, small crustaceans, fish and worms.
Length - 38cm
Depth - 0-70m
Widespread Western Atlantic, Caribbean


These batfishes with their depressed circular/triangular bodies are poor swimmers and have adapted for a life style of crawling about on the sea floor using their pelvic fins and arm like Pectoral fins. They have a small lure on their snout to attract their prey, the lure becomes shorter with age. Ref: https://www.fishbase.se/summary/Ogcocephalus-radiatus