You talkin' t' meee???

[Rick Murchison]

I'd seen this type of batfish: http://www.seaworld.org/wild-world/safari/virtual-aquarium/batfish.htm but never heard of the one in your photo. Where do they hang out? When I first saw it I thought it as a doctored photo with the little "feet" sticking out. (and the Uncle Ricky smile on its face)

The fish with the common name "Batfish" in the Pacific and the fish with the common name "Batfish" in the Atlantic aren't even remotely related...

Atlantic:
... Family Ogcocephalidae (Batfishes)
... Order Lophiiformes (Anglerfishes)
... Class Actinopterygii (ray-finned fishes)

Pacific:
... Family Ephippidae (Spadefish (Bat fish))
... Order Perciformes (perch-like fishes)
... Class Actinopterygii

Rick

 

[archman]

Well, there are some pacific ogcocephalids referred to as "batfish". There's one in the Galapagos, for example. Some of the aussie types also get tagged as "batfish" in lieu of the older "moonfish" or "handfish" names.

Other families besides the ephippids and ogcocephalids also get the tag. Common names suck.

 

[Rick Murchison]

Common names suck.

Yeah, but they're easier to spel.
Rick

 

[Hank49]

The fish with the common name "Batfish" in the Pacific and the fish with the common name "Batfish" in the Atlantic aren't even remotely related...


Rick

That's a great photo Rick. Those look to be in the "difficult to spot" magnitude of frogfish or ghost pipe fish.

 

[Rick Murchison]

That's a great photo Rick. Those look to be in the "difficult to spot" magnitude of frogfish or ghost pipe fish.

These are not usually too hard to spot as they transit the sandy flats, but getting a face-shot is hard because they're very shy of the camera and will turn away nearly every time you try to get into position. I was lucky to have daughter Cary along on this dive to help get him to face the camera. They are indeed anglerfishes - like frogfish.
Rick