First Footage Shows Shrimp-Like Fish Walking Backward and Sideways
Researchers from Sun Yat-sen University teamed up with the Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory to film Scalicus engyceros, an armored searobin, for the first time. This footage shows the fish skillfully moving backward and sideways in the South China Sea, at depths ranging from 1,148 to 1,640 feet, using the Shenhaiyongsi and Haiqin vehicles. Its backward movement is even compared to 'moonwalking,' similar to how crabs move. The findings, detailed in a study called 'Walking Fish' published in Ocean-Land-Atmosphere Research, highlight how searobins use their free pectoral-fin rays for movement. Han Tian, the lead author, stresses the significance of ongoing deep-sea research.
Key facts
- First-ever footage of a fish walking backward and sideways.
- Species: Scalicus engyceros, an armored searobin.
- Filmed in the South China Sea at depths of 1,148 and 1,640 feet.
- Used submersibles: Shenhaiyongsi (HOV) and Haiqin (ROV).
- Research published in Ocean-Land-Atmosphere Research, paper titled 'Walking Fish'.
- Team from Sun Yat-sen University and Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory.
- Fish uses free pectoral-fin rays to move, resembling shrimp locomotion.
- Eyes respond to light beam, indicating light sensitivity.
- First described by Albert Günther in 1872.
- Lead author: Han Tian, doctoral researcher at Sun Yat-sen University.
Entities
Artists
- Han Tian
- Albert Günther
Institutions
- Sun Yat-sen University
- Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory
- Ocean-Land-Atmosphere Research
- ScienceAlert
Locations
- South China Sea
- Western Pacific Ocean