How some fish use fins to mimic the gait of millipedes
Explore the bizarre world of flatfish, creatures that undergo a radical metamorphosis to live on the seafloor. This video features Natural History Museum scientist Hannah Teague as she examines specimens and investigates how these asymmetrical fish navigate the ocean floor.
New research published in the journal Zoology reveals that flatfish, such as the English sole, utilize a movement pattern strikingly similar to millipedes. By bunching their finger-like fin rays into a "fin-foot," these fish create a wave-like pulse that travels backward along their bodies to push them forward.
This evolutionary convergence allows the fish to move without dragging their bodies along the seabed. While experts like Brooke Flammang note that buoyancy means these fish aren't strictly "walking" by supporting their full weight, the mechanical benefit of lifting the body off the ground remains a key advantage for both terrestrial and aquatic organisms.
Source: The fish that use their fins to walk | A closer look at frogfish
