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The Demon Stingerfish Walks on Tiny Little Tentacles

This fish looks like a big mean blob with tiny tiny little tentacles that it uses to maneuver itself. Some call it the Indian walkman. Some call it the demon stingerfish. I call it the Krang-of-the-sea.

If you see one of these, I suggest you not get too close. The demon stingerfish is related to the stone fish, which means it has venomous spines all along its body—which it shoots into whatever it considers a predator. Just to be difficult, it also has excellent camouflage, and likes to bury itself in the sand during the day, which means you don’t actually have to be going after it to be what it considers a predator.

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What sets Inimicus didactylus apart from all the other fish that pull exactly the same trick is the “didactylus” part of its name. Although it can use its tail to swim, it often prefers to pull itself along using two little “fingers” on each side of its big ugly face. They’re flexible, like tentacles, and can hook into the sea bed, or just lightly crawl across like Thing from the Addams Family. I can’t figure out if they’re ingenious or disturbing. Thoughts?

[Source: Australian Museum]