Louisiana Pancake Batfish

Louisiana Pancake Batfish

Louisiana pancake batfish, Halieutichthys intermedius, belongs to the Ogcocephalidae family of batfish. It is native to the Gulf of Mexico, and was discovered in 2010. The known range of the species lies within the area of the Gulf of Mexico which was affected by the Deepwater Horizon oil spill.

Belonging to the Ogcocephalidae family of batfish, the Louisiana pancake batfish is a bizarre looking creature native to the Gulf of Mexico. The species was discovered in 2010, during the cleanup process following the infamous oil spill in the gulf, which affected every kind of batfish.

The Louisiana pancake batfish’s name comes from its shape, which quite closely resembles that of a horrendously prepared pancake. The strange manner it has of moving along the ocean floor is described as being similar to the way a bat crawls. The pancake batfish feeds on invertebrates, which it uses chemical lures to capture.