Have you ever heard of a Viperfish?
Pelagic ProblemsHave you heard of a deep sea fish that looks like an eel, with large teeth?
Well, meet the viperfish.
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Class: Actinopterygii
Order: StomiiformesĀ
Family: StomiidaeĀ
The viperfish (genus Chauliodus) is a deep-sea predator known for its:
- Long, needle-like teeth that curve back toward its eyes
- Hinged lower jaw that lets it swallow prey nearly half its size
- Bioluminescent photophores along its body and on a dorsal fin "lure" to attract prey
- Habitat: Found at depths of 250 to 5,000 feet (or more!), typically in tropical and temperate oceans
Viperfish are predatory, deep sea fishes that live between the mesopelagic and bathypelagic - that's way down in the deep sea!Ā
They are known for their large jaws with rows of sharp, needle-like fangs./ Even though these fishes are smaller than most predatory deep sea creatures, they are still classified as one of the most aggressive predators of the deep sea!/Ā
This is because these fish are talented predators. Not only are they incredibly fast swimmers
They also use their sharp fangs to spear their prey. Their large, loose jaws also help them with capturing prey. Viperfish instinctively participate in diel vertical migration. /This means they are in the deep zones during the day time, then migrate upwards towards shallow waters at night where they can hide from bigger predators like sharks.
Scientists believe these fish could live up to 40 years in the wild, however, they do not live well in captivity due to extreme pressure changes. If you found this interesting, be sure to follow @Pelagicproblems on YouTube, TikTok, & Instagram for more content.
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(Image of Pacific Viperfish, taken by @pelagicproblems)
(Image of Pacific Viperfish, taken by @pelagicproblems)
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