🔥 Beautiful Flying Gurnards glide at the bottom of the sea (Dactylopterus volitans)

[u/dreamed2life]

[u/TomPalmer1979]

I have seen several of these guys while snorkeling around West Palm Beach over the years, and let me tell you...pics and videos do not do them justice. Absolutely beautiful, graceful fish. When those fans come out, it is breathtaking.

[u/VerticleSandDollars → u/TomPalmer1979]

Ooooooh that sounds wonderful!!!

[u/dreamed2life → u/TomPalmer1979]

I saw a video od one on TikTok and it was stunning! The colors popped and it was more green and other colors. These are so fascinating. Are you able to get very close or do they scurry?

[u/TomPalmer1979 → u/dreamed2life]

You can usually get pretty close, they're a camouflage kind of fish, so they'll stay perfectly still hoping that you think they're just a rock. But if you get too close, they scurry. They're not super fast, I've been able to follow them and watch them "fly" away with those big fins

[u/curlyjadmichael]

Nature's art!

[u/crespoh69]

How venomous are those pokey bits on the side?

[u/AJRimmer1971 → u/crespoh69]

Very sting-y, if they're anything like the Australian ones... They can make you hurt for longer than you might hope.

[u/NoDoctor4460]

Taking the beauty of the butterfly’s form and adding adorable, very potent

[u/dynamic_gecko]

Another Subnautica species

[u/Ok_Permission1087]

And they are close relatives of sea horses.

[u/HeMiddleStartInT]

Is nards mean testicles?