Ipnopidae

tripodfish

Bathypterois grallator

Three legged fins hold it upright on the seafloor

• Cross-climate
• Temperate
• Tropical
• Regional distribution
• Marine fish
• Atlantic Ocean
• Indian Ocean
• Pacific Ocean
• Central America and the Caribbean
• North America
• Medium

The tripod fish (also known as the tripod spiderfish), Bathypterois grallator, is a grinner in the family Ipnopidae found at lower latitudes. Because of its unique way of "standing" on the seafloor, B. grallator is one of the best-known benthic fish, and it is one of the few members of its genus to be directly observed and photographed by submersibles.