Nature
16:35, 11-Oct-2018
The walking fish: Flatfish use their fins to move around the seafloor
Updated
15:37, 14-Oct-2018
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The flatfish family provides seafood lovers with a large selection on their menus such as halibuts, flounders, soles, and turbot. The most notable characteristic of a flatfish is its asymmetry, with both eyes lying on the same side of its head. Some flatfish are experts in camouflaging themselves on the seafloor.
The flatfish is unique for having both eyes on the same side of its head. /VCG Photo
The flatfish is unique for having both eyes on the same side of its head. /VCG Photo
As one of the weirdest-looking creatures on the planet, they can also do the weirdest thing fish could do – walk with their fins!
A flatfish on the seafloor. /VCG Photo
A flatfish on the seafloor. /VCG Photo
New video analysis uncovers the way flatfish move around the seafloor is similar to that of a millipede.
In order to "walk", the flatfish simply bunch up their fin rays and form a "fin-foot" so that they can use them as contact points to push against the seafloor.
A flounder (Bothus mancus) over a coral reef. /VCG Photo
A flounder (Bothus mancus) over a coral reef. /VCG Photo
This is similar to how millipedes walk, by sequentially lifting pairs of legs to create a wave that travels backwards along the body, and pushes them forward.
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