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Deep Sea Tripod Fish

This strange-looking creature is known as a tripod fish. This specimen was photographed by NOAA researchers in the deep waters off thew coast of Hawaii. Tripod fish are small and slender with maximum length of up to 15 inches (40 centimeters). They are found in temperate and tropical waters of the Atlantic, Indian, and Pacific Oceans at depths of up to 15,000 feet (4,570 meters). Tripod fish get their name from the three elongated fins that they use to rest on the sea floor. They spend most of their life perched on the ocean floor waiting for a meal to pass by.