On the floor of the Pacific, near the Galápagos Islands and the coasts of Peru, lives a fish that decided to ignore the basic manual of its species: instead of swimming, it walks.
Its name is Ogcocephalus darwini, the red-lipped batfish, and its name is a direct tribute to Charles Darwin, who formulated his theory of evolution right on the islands where this animal lives. It uses its pectoral and pelvic fins as if they were little legs to move along the sandy bottom, between 3 and 76 meters deep, while waving an appendage on its head—called an illicium—to lure shrimp, crabs, and small fish toward its mouth.
But what made it go viral is not how it walks, but its mouth: almost fluorescent red lips that no scientist has been able to explain with certainty. Some theories say they help it recognize others of its species; others, that they are a trick to attract a mate. You decide which one convinces you more.