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How do clingfishes stay attached to rocks in powerful waves?

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A porcupine fish in the Andaman Sea — fish *Diodon hystrix* is a species of porcupine fish. These fishes are short and broad-bodied, with large eyes and spines covering their skin. Like puffer fishes, they inflate their bodies when threatened.

Clingfishes (family Gobiesocidae) are able to remain attached to rocks in areas with powerful wave action due to a specialized, strong suction disk located on their undersurface. This adhesive structure is formed by the fish's pelvic fins and adjacent folds of flesh, allowing them to maintain a secure hold on the substrate within the intertidal zone and other rocky environments.12