Pacific spiny lumpfish have tiny fins that they move vigorously to move around. (Photo by Mitchell Cox/Alamy Stock Photo)
The Pacific spiny lumpfish's small, round bodies and cute appearance make them essentially wild, cute creatures. They are not particularly graceful swimmers, so to avoid being swept away by currents from their coastal habitats, their pelvic fin has evolved into a suction cup, allowing them to attach to stable surfaces.
They are only 1 to 3 inches (2.5 to 7.6 cm) long, making them the smallest of the 27 species of lumpfish, also known as lumpsuckers, some of which can reach two feet (61 cm). Lumpfish are in the same order, Scorpaeniformes, as blobfish, sea robins, and rockfish.
Pacific spiny lumpfish are small, spherical fish with very small fins that they flap clumsily to propel themselves. This makes them capable, but clumsy, swimmers. They live near the coast and encounter tides and strong currents, their pelvic fins fused together to form a surprisingly strong suction disc that allows them to attach to rocks, corals or seaweed, and in aquariums, even to the sides of tanks.
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The Pacific spiny lumpfish's sucker is made of enamel, the same material as the hard shell of human teeth.
These suction discs look a little sinister when viewed from below, resembling a lamprey with a circle of human teeth. This is because the Pacific spiny lumpfish's teeth, like ours, are made of enamel. The disc also emits
Sourse: www.livescience.com
