- Lancetfish -
- Genus : Alepisaurus -
- Family : Alepisauridae -
Etymology
from Greek a- meaning "without", lepis- meaning "scale", and sauros- meaning "lizard".
Location
All oceans except polar.
Size
Up to 6.5 ft or 2m.
Are they edible
Yes, but it’s not a popular choice. Their flesh is watery, gelatinous, and sweet to the taste. They are often caught by accident while fishermen are after tuna. This makes Lancetfish a pest, as they take the important bait meant for the more sought after fish.
What do they eat
They are famous for their cannibalistic eating habits (yes they eat each other). They also feast on crustaceans, squid and smaller species of fish. Mostly doing this during the night. Lancetfish are preyed upon by sharks, seals and other large fish, including tuna.
Reproduction
They are hermaphrodites, so offspring just spawn instead of needing a sexual partner.
I hope you’ve enjoyed this post. Animals are some of the most interesting things on Earth, in my opinion. There is an endless amount of species. I aim to write more posts in the future about unique creatures that exist on our planet. Stay tuned for more content like this.
@daltono
--
So cool! I wonder how prevalent they are and what their territory is. I grew up tuna fishing in the Atlantic and saw many crazy creatures, but never saw or heard of one of these.
Good question. I cannot day for certain, but from what I’ve read they seem to be all over the place. Not in an extreme abundance, but definitely not scarce either.
I haven’t seen one of these in person, although I would like to believe it or not.
wow i can't believe that we still have specimens roamed thousands of years ago
@daltono
Indeed. Who knows what is even deeper in the ocean. We very well may have quite a few things around from times much deep into time.
that's true they could be even more creatures
@daltono