Expedition boats capture rare fish 'walking' with their fins

The pompano is immobile on a rock to catch its prey and has a specially modified fin that looks like an elephant's foot, allowing it to walk on the bottom of the sea.

Researchers in the Okeanos SE Deep-sea Exploration project, coordinated by the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), came across a Schaefer-finned fish (Sladenia shaefersi) , also known as a goose . It was very rare, in November. NOAA's Ocean Research and Discovery Department shared a video of the fish on December 19.

"Although we often encounter fins in deep-sea expeditions, this species is not well known. It is great that we have the opportunity to observe it and the modified fins to function like feet, for allow it to 'walk' at the bottom of the sea, " NOAA said. The November 19 diving is the last of the Okeanos Explorer this year, taking place about 93 km southwest of Dry Tortugas National Park in Florida.

This fish can eat prey nearly twice as large and has a special modified fin that looks like an elephant's foot.

At first glance, the team mistook the fish for a stone. They said the fish can eat prey nearly twice as large and have a specially modified fin that looks like an elephant's foot. In the video, the fish stands still on the rock in a prey position, ready to attack any animal that passes by. In addition to Schaefer's pompano, the team also encountered rat tails, squid, starfish, snake-tailed starfish, crabs, lobsters and sponges at 928 - 973 meters above the water.

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