The tripod fish.

Sense the surroundings. Find the meal.

On the deep ocean floor, a tripod fish can wait almost motionless above the seabed. Its long, modified fin rays support its body in the three-legged stance that gives it its name. [1]

A different way to detect what is nearby

The tripod fish shown here, Bathypterois grallator, is an ambush predator. Sensitive feelers extend from its pectoral fins in front of its body, helping it detect prey nearby. Its surroundings hold information it can use even without relying on sight. [1]

Let the current bring dinner

Tripod fish face into the current and use their long appendages to sense food passing through the water. Perched above the bottom, they wait for a meal to come within reach. Sensing the environment and feeding from it are closely connected. [2]