Viperfish

For the Bulgarian rock band, see Viperfish (band).
Not to be confused with the lesser weever, sometimes called viperfish.

Viperfish
Temporal range: 11–0 Ma
Late Miocene to Present[1]
Dana Viperfish, Chauliodus danae
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Actinopterygii
Order: Stomiiformes
Family: Stomiidae
Subfamily: Stomiinae
Genus: Chauliodus
Bloch & J. G. Schneider, 1801
Species

See text

A viperfish is any species of marine fish in the genus Chauliodus. Viperfishes are mostly found in the mesopelagic zone and are characterized by long, needle-like teeth and hinged lower jaws. A typical viperfish grows to lengths of 30 cm (12 in). Viperfishes undergo diel vertical migration and are found all around the world in tropical and temperate oceans. Viperfishes are capable of bioluminescence and possess photophores along the ventral side of their body, likely used to camouflage them by blending in with the less than 1% of light that reaches to below 200 meters depth.[2]

Although it may appear to be covered in scales, viperfishes do not possess scales. Rather, they are covered by a thick, transparent coating of unknown substance.[3] Extremely large, fang-like teeth give the fish a slightly protruded lower jaw.

  1. ^ Sepkoski, J. John Jr. (2002-09-16). Jablonski, David; Foote, Michael (eds.). "A compendium of fossil marine animal genera". Bulletins of American Paleontology (363): 5–560. ISBN 0877104506. ISSN 0007-5779. LCCN 2002108976. Retrieved 2018-02-15.
  2. ^ Denton, E. J.; Gilpin-Brown, J. B.; Wright, P. G. (19 September 1972). "The angular distribution of the light produced by some mesopelagic fish in relation to their camouflage". Proceedings of the Royal Society of London. Series B. Biological Sciences. 182 (1067): 145–158. Bibcode:1972RSPSB.182..145D. doi:10.1098/rspb.1972.0071. S2CID 128647648.
  3. ^ Haffner, R. E. (September 1952). "Zoogeography of the Bathypelagic Fish, Chauliodus". Systematic Biology. 1 (3): 113–133. doi:10.1093/sysbio/1.3.113.