What are Sea Robins?

Sept. 29, 2024

In a new study, researchers have uncovered new insights into evolutionary adaptations by examining the unusual "walking" abilities of sea robins, bottom-dwelling fish that use leg-like appendages to navigate the ocean floor.

About Sea Robins:

  • Sea robins belong to a family of ray-finned fish called Triglids, which inhabit diverse habitats ranging from shallow salt marshes to deep oceans around the world. 
  • They are found in warm and temperate seas of the world.
  • Most Triglidae fish are benthic specialists that spend much of their time on the ocean bottom, where they hunt in the sand for fish, crustaceans, and other invertebrates.
  • To facilitate their benthic lifestyle, sea robins have evolved a number of bizarre traits, the most iconic of which are their six leg-like appendages.
  • They are elongated fish with armoured bony heads and two dorsal fins. 
  • Sea Robins get their name from their large wing-like pectoral fins.
    • When excited or threatened, the Sea Robin will fan these fins out to look bigger and help it to blend in with the sandy bottom.
    • These fins open and close while the fish swims much like a bird in flight.
  • Some sea robins are scaly; the bodies of others are covered with bony plates. 
  • They are usually brightly coloured, and some have ornately patterned pectoral fins. 
  • They are also vocal and can produce audible soundswith their swim bladders and certain attached muscles. 

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