61.
Oarfish - Regalecus glesne
- The only representative of this family, the oarfish
has pelvic fins reduced to one ray but extremely long and often expanded to a paddle tip,
thus its common name. It is a huge fish, reaching a length of at least 35 feet.
62.
Viperfish - Chauliodus sloani
- A remarkable fish, Chauliodus has teeth so long that
it must open its mouth to make the jaws vertical before it can swallow prey; when the
mouth is closed, the teeth overlap the jaws. It can eat large prey by lowering the
internal skeleton of the gills, allowing prey to pass into the throat without
interference. Apparently it impales prey on the teeth by swimming at them, and the first
vertebra (right behind the head) acts as a shock absorber!
63.
Deepsea dragonfish - Grammatostomias flagellibarba
- A ferocious deep-sea predator, this fish is only six
inches long; it has a large head and mouth armed with many sharp teeth. Attached to the
chin, dragonfishes have a long barbel, at the end of which is a luminous lure that
attracts prey.
