In the pitch-black abyss of the seabed, the deepest super predator in the world wanders: the fish is the length of an eel, the face looks like a lizard, and the mouth is full of sharp teeth.
According to a blog post by the Australian Centre for Marine Biodiversity, scientists accidentally spotted lizard fish during a marine expedition while the research vessel was trawling on Australia's eastern coast.
The correspondent of the research vessel said: "The horror of this deep-sea fish lies mainly in its large bloody mouth and hinged teeth, once bitten by its upper and lower jaws, there is no room for escape, and the more it struggles, the more it sinks into its mouth." ”
The scientific name of this terrifying creature is Bathysaurus ferox, and its name comes from its lizard-like face. It is a deep-sea creature that lives on the ocean floor at depths of 1,000 to 2,500 meters, where sunlight cannot reach it. The deep-sea lizard is an undersea creature that often ambushes sediments on the ocean floor, waiting for opportunities to ambush prey.
Dr. John Sparks, director of the American Museum of Natural History, who did not participate in the marine expedition, said: "I would describe deep-sea lizard fish as ambush predators, burying themselves in the mud and attacking prey that passed by. ”
The aquarium tried to put shallow water lizardfish — close relatives of deep-water lizardfish — with other fish, but they ate everything there. Dr Sparks said: "Lizardfish don't make a good aquarium pet, they will eat anything that comes to their mouths. Also, they are not very tasty because the meat is mushy. ”
The lizardfish is hermaphrodite, so it has both ovarian and testicular tissue in its reproductive organs. This means that lizardfish can live with any of their kind, giving them a mating advantage in the deep sea with sparse populations.
According to an earlier study published in the Canadian Journal of Zoology, the deep-sea lizard fish, which is about 50 centimeters long, also has an unusually large liver, accounting for 20% of its body weight. It's unclear why their livers are so large, but scientists believe this huge liver may be used to store energy.