Endemic to the Galápagos Islands, this species is found exclusively in the tropical waters off the Galápagos archipelago of Ecuador and along the Peruvian coast. It inhabits depths ranging from 3 to 120 meters, mostly dwelling on sandy or coral reef seabeds.

As a benthic ambush carnivore, it feeds primarily on small fish, crabs, shrimp and mollusks. It has a mild temperament and poses no threat to humans.

Its skin is covered with tiny dermal spines that give it a fuzzy appearance. Paired with mottled brown and yellow patterns, it perfectly mimics seabed sponges, algae and rubble, making it a master of underwater disguise.

The first dorsal spine on its head has evolved into a "fishing rod", tipped with a worm-shaped lure. It wiggles this lure gently to draw small fish near, then engulfs prey in one lightning-fast gulp.

Its pectoral and pelvic fins have developed into limb-like appendages, which it uses to crawl across sand and rocks. It barely swims to get around.

Its mouth can expand to an extreme size, allowing it to swallow fish and shrimp nearly as large as itself in less than 0.01 seconds.

Top camouflage master

With a flat body and mottled green, brown, and yellow markings, it blends perfectly with the rocks and algae on the seabed, looking just like a "living carpet" — hence its common name, the carpet shark.

"Fuzzy" camouflage barbels

It has a ring of fleshy barbels around its mouth and snout. These not only mimic seaweed for better camouflage, but also help detect the movements of nearby prey.

Ambush predator

During the day, it lies motionless on the seabed, hidden by its camouflage. At night, it actively hunts passing fish and crustaceans. It has an extremely powerful bite and rarely lets go once it has locked its jaws onto prey.

• Neither a plant nor a starfish: It belongs to the class Crinoidea and is a distant relative of starfish. It has existed on Earth for over 200 million years, even older than dinosaurs.
• It can "walk" and even "dance": Its feather-like arms are not only used to filter plankton for food, but also to crawl across the seabed. It can even swim through the water by waving its arms, moving in a graceful, dancing motion.
• Incredible regenerative abilities: If an arm is bitten off by a predator, it can escape like a gecko losing its tail and quickly regrow a new one.
• No brain or eyes: It perceives the world through light-sensitive cells and a nerve net distributed along its arms, making it a truly primitive and fascinating creature.