Red-Lipped Batfish

Two of the challenges of life for a fish, or any other life form, are to find food and, once in a while, find a mate. The fins of the red-lipped batfish, which is found only in the Galapagos Islands, are not best adapted to swimming, so swimming after its food is difficult. What the fins do allow the fish to do is “walk” over the bottom of the reef where it lives. Moreover, the fish is a member of the anglerfish order and has a lure to bring prey to it if it can’t move fast enough.

Five Amazing Facts About the Red-lipped Batfish

• The fish can swim, but it prefers to “walk” along the ocean floor.
• It’s only found around the Galapagos Islands, hence its other name of Galapagos batfish.
• As the fish matures, its dorsal spine turns into a projection called an illicium that sticks out of the top of its head. At the end of the illicium is a structure called an esca, which gives off a bright light. This serves as a lure for prey.
• The batfish belongs to the Lophiiformes order. This order is the home of the deep-sea anglerfish, which also uses bioluminescent esca to lure its prey.
• The red-lipped batfish (Ogcocephalus darwini) belongs to the family Ogcocephalidae, which is distinct from the ‘batfish’ of the genus Platax in the family Ephippidae. Both are commonly called batfish, but they are not closely related.

Classification and Scientific Name

The scientific name of the red-lipped batfish is Ogcocephalus darwini. It comes from the Greek words for “hook”, which is ogkos, and “head”, which is kephalḗ, so it means a fish with a hooked head or a hook on its head. Darwini comes from the famed naturalist Charles Darwin. There are no subspecies.

Appearance

The look of the red-lipped batfish makes it hard to mistake it for any other type of fish, with the possible exception of the rosy-lipped batfish. These fish have disc-shaped, flattened bodies and pectoral, anal, and pelvic fins that behave like limbs. The mouth is small and found ventrally, and the head is adorned with an illicium and an esca.

The batfish’s gills are simply tiny holes behind the fish’s pectoral fins. It has scales, but they are modified to form structures called bucklers. They are especially noticeable on the back, which is brownish or grayish with a darker stripe from head to tail. The fish is about 8 inches long, has a weight of fewer than 2.2 pounds, and usually has about 19 or 20 vertebrae. Of course, its lips are a deep, vivid red as if it had put on too much lipstick.

Why do batfish have red lips?

Scientists believe that the batfish’s florid red lips help it identify and attract members of the same species during the spawning season.

Distribution, Population, and Habitat

The red-lipped batfish is only found in the Galapagos Islands, but though this makes it rare, it is not endangered. Its conservation status is least concern. It is most often found “walking” over the soft bottom near reefs or hiding under rocks at depths that are usually between 10 and 249 feet.

Predators and Prey

Ogcocephalus darwini does not appear to have any serious predators in its habitat, and it seems to have no fear of being seen out in the open because of it. It preys on a variety of marine animal life, including shrimp, crabs, smaller fish, and marine worms.

Reproduction and Lifespan

Not much is known about the reproduction of the Ogcocephalus species. These fish release eggs and sperm into the water, where the eggs are fertilized. The larvae are then dispersed throughout the ocean. The fish can live about 12 years in the wild.

Fishing and Cooking

Fishermen are not particularly interested in landing this odd little fish, and it’s not used much in cooking. It does seem to be somewhat at risk of being bycatch even as the area around the Galapagos Islands is protected from overfishing.

Population

Biologists don’t know the exact population of the red-lipped batfish, but they do know it is endemic to the Galapagos Islands.