Walking Fish Has Been Impressing Scientists
While diving off of the coast of Bali, Indonesia, diver Emeric Benhalassa laid eyes on a weird sight. During his night dive, he managed to catch a fish we appeared to be walking on a pair of legs. According to National Geographic, the diver believes that it was “a type of sting fish, which are among the most venomous fish on Earth.”
Scientists confirmed that the walking fish was a member of the deadliest fish family. Jeff Williams, the manager and ichthyologist at the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History told National Geographic that “they have venom glands at the base of the Doral spines and when the spine is pushed into a person’s skin, the venom is essentially injected into the wound.” Um…no thanks!
Watch a Strange 'Walking Fish' That Has Experts Stumped https://t.co/UpxfxwdmSs pic.twitter.com/UW5jIHuXmR
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ouaAv5T3RYA
However, since there is no way to tell for sure, some other scientists are skeptical of the identity of the sea creature. An ichthyology research associate at the California Academy of Sciences, Stuart Poss, believes that the two-legged creature may actually be a whitetail goblinfish. There is also a possibility that the fish is an entirely new species of sea creature.
If the creature is a part of the stingfish family, then it is rare that it would be spotted by a diver. Most of the time, they live most of their daily lives embedded in the mud. In Japan, it is not uncommon for fishermen to catch these creatures. According to National Geographic, the animal is used often for dinner. Even though some receive the unlucky fate of ending up on a dinner plate, most are thrown back in the water “because they are believed to be devils”.
Regardless of what family the fish is from, it was an interesting science moment perfectly caught on camera.
Sarah is a Hufflepuff living in NYC. When she is not traveling or talking to random animals, she is working as a script writer. Tweet her at @lumpyspacederp.