A mesmerizing Reddit clip of a baby rainbow tripod fish is making the rounds online, in part because many viewers can barely believe it is real.
The post quickly racked up 12,000 upvotes as people marveled at the tiny, seemingly glowing fish and debated whether the footage was authentic.
(Click here to watch the video if the embed does not appear.)
Part of the fascination comes from how unusual the animal appears on camera — looking more like CGI or animation than something drifting through the ocean. The post's top comment stated "that fish looks like Pixar designed a deep sea creature and the ocean said 'bet.'"
Others mentioned similar ideas, with one commenter saying, "Legit thought I was looking at a new Apple screensaver for a second."
A third person added that the fish "looks like a Pokemon!"
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The rainbow tripod fish was filmed near Cozumel, Mexico, and the video has prompted a mix of awe and skepticism. Many asked for proof that the fish wasn't an AI creation, which prompted one user to share the initial source of the clip.
The short video of the baby fish was initially shared on Instagram by the photographer herself, who wrote, "Halfway through last night's blackwater dive, a colorful reflection caught my eye. It was this extraordinary beautiful fish swimming up and reflecting our lights in such a surreal way, being by far the most precious animal I've ever seen."
The photographer added that "This is a deep sea fish, as adult is found in the abyssal zone around 878-4,720 m deep [between 2,880 and 15,486 feet], and can only be found near the surface during its larval stage because it is dragged up with the currents, so probably we will be the only humans it ever meets."
Tripod fish are best known as unusual deep-sea animals with elongated fin rays that can help them perch on the seafloor like a three-legged stand, which is how they got their name. That deep-ocean adaptation helps explain why this brightly colored fish looked so unreal to viewers.
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Juvenile deep-sea fish can also look very different from their adult forms, adding to the confusion for anyone expecting the more familiar image of a full-grown tripod fish.
But even when a viral wildlife post turns into a debate over whether it is "real," moments like this can still serve a purpose. They highlight how little most of us get to see of ocean life and how important it is to protect marine ecosystems that support these bizarre and beautiful species.
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