#alepisaurus ferox

[strongholdswifesblog]

Face impression of fish and sharks mizu of a wobbegong shark and red lionfish and armala of a sand tiger shark and great barracuda and sunwa of a blue shark and alepisaurus ferox

@seamastersworld @gianludo @princesspuresarahk @avathedovelady @black-ak9

[bethanythebogwitch]

It's October and I want to talk about something creepy, so this Wet Beast Wednesday is about the lancetfish. These things look like what would happen if a fish became a vampire. Lancetfish are the only members of their family, Alepisauridae and consist of two species: The longnose lancetfish Apleisaurus ferox and the shortnose lancetfish Apleisaurus brevirostris. While they are often caught as bycatch, there is still a lot we don't know about them.

(image: a lancetfish held by an angler. Its body is long, skinny, and silvery. Its dorsal fin extends down most of its back and is supported by a series of long, thin spines. Its head is pointed and the moth is very wide. It has a large, green eye. The tail is out of frame)

Lancetfish are long and skinny fish capable of reaching up to 2.08 meters (6.8 ft). Their dorsal fins are especially notable, stretching down most of their backs and being spiny, resulting in one common name for them being the "handsaw fish". The fin likely gives stability when the fish swims fast and can fold down. The fin is situated in a groove so when it folds down, the top of the fish is smooth and reduces drag. Lancetfish are also one of the relatively few fish to have an adipose fin. The mouth is large and opens very wide. It has long, skinny teeth that point backwards and are adapted to hold onto struggling prey. Their bodies have no scales, only smooth skin with pores for the lateral line. The name "Alepisaurus" means "scaleless lizard", a reference to their body shape and lack of scales. The stomach can expand to hold a very large volume. Lancetfish lack swim bladders and are simultaneous hermaphrodites, posessing male and female gonads at the same time. They show some anatomical differences from other hermaphroditic fish, including testicles that are independent from the ovaries.

(image: a lancetfish held by a child on a boat. More detain can be seen on the dorsal fin, which includes four spines that grow long past the webbing. The tail ends in a forked fin.

Lancetfish are found worldwide except for arctic regions and are more common in temperate to tropical waters, but have been found as far north as Greenland. They are found in the mesopelagic (twilight) and bathypelagic (midnight) zones, but sometimes swim closer to the surface and can be found at a huge variety of depths. They are unusually large for fish that live in those areas. They are generally believed to be solitary, but may gather together to mate. They may also be migratory, as they have been reported seasonally appearing and disappearing in some locations. Lancetfish do also travel to colder waters if food is scarce. They are predators with extremely wide diets that include fish, cephalopods, tunicates, and crustaceans. They are also notoriously cannibalistic, as lancetfish show up in the stomachs of other lancetfish very frequently. There have even beec cases of scientists finding a lancetfish inside of a lancetfish inside of a lancetfish. They are so well known for cannibalism that they are often named "cannibal fish". Lancetfish are likely ambush predators. Their muscles are gelatinous, which is unsuitable for chases but does work for sudden bursts of speed. They most likely hang motionless in the water, waiting for prey to pass. How lancetfish reproduce is unknown, but they are probably broadcast spawners.

(image: a lancetfish in its natural habitat. It is suspended vertically in the water, with the head pointing up. Its dorsal fin is folded back)

One interesting feature of lancetfish is how slow their digestion is. Lancetfish are often found with undigested or partially digested food in their stomachs. One hypothesis is that They digest food slowly wile living a low-energy lifestyle to make the energy gained from each meal last as long as possible. Another is that the stomach acts like storage and will only begin digestion if the fish is low on energy. This provides an interesting avenue of research. Lancetfish caught as bycatch or that was up on beaches can be dissected to investigate their stomach contents, which are so much more pristine than those of other species. This means each lancetfish acts as a net, containing tons of specimens that give us a good (if biased) look at the bathypelagic food web and local biodiversity. Scientists are starting to find a lot of plastic in lancetfish stomachs. It is hypothesized that some of this plastic may be ingested by prey who practice daily vertical migration bringing tiny pieces of plastic down into deeper waters where they are ingested by larger predators. Some plastic pieces found may be too large to be explained by this method alone, such as a fragment of a black plastic bag around the same size as a hand towel found in one lancetfish. This is part of growing evidence that shows plastic pollution is not just a problem for the surface as was previously though, but exists throughout the water column.

I told you, its a vampire fish (image: a close-up of a lancetfish head. Its mouth is open, showing the teeth. They are long, skinny, and sharp. Most are short, but a few on the top and bottom are much larger than the others)

Lancetfish are not commercially caught as there is no market for them. Their gelatinous meat is considered unappetizing, though it is also said to taste sweet. They are considered pests in longline fishing industries for taking bait intended for other species. The amount of lancetfish bycatch is increasing, possibly indicating population growth due to overfishing of their competition and prey. Known predators of lancetfish include tuna, cod, opah, salmon sharks, and sea lions. Because of how deep they live, not much is known about any conservation needs

(image: a juvenile lancetfih. Its body is green and translucent and much shorter than that of the adult. The head has the same shape as the adult. The dorsal fin is much smaller and less distinct. The body is curved at the spine and the internal organs are visible through the skin)

[i-give-you-a-fish]

can he have one pretty please with a cherry on top?

Have a greacher from the same Order

You get a Longnose Lancetfish

Alepisaurus ferox

[mbari-blog]

Sunday Mood versus Monday Mood 😬

This longnose lancetfish, Alepisaurus ferox, was spotted at 1,235 meters (4,050 feet) in Monterey Bay with our remotely operated vehicle (ROV) Doc Ricketts. It was only our third observation of a lancetfish with MBARI ROVs, but surprised beach walkers often report deceased ones that wash up on our local shore. This open ocean swimmer can be found in all oceans except the polar seas and can grow to two meters (nearly seven feet) long.⁠ For more cool ocean news about the longnose lancetfish check out this article by The New York Times.

[oh-sturg-art]

Day 11 of Fishuary! Back in the swing of things finally

Prompt: Deep Sea Fish

—

Ah, the lancetfish. Alepisaurus ferox specifically. Also known as the longnose lancetfish, but also ALSO known as the cannibal fish. You’ll never guess why…

These terrifying dudes can reach seven feet long. Seven! Feet! That’s too big for something so toothy!

There’s not too much on lancetfish at the moment, but from what I can find, they are theorized as bulk feeders! Their stomach contents are found in a near-pristine state, suggesting that they may eat as much as they can before digesting it later. They are also migratory! They travel from subtropical waters to arctic waters. Slight difference there lmao. Lancetfish are hermaphrodites, possessing both male and female sexual organs at once!

[amasnatureart]

Long-snouted Lancetfish - Alepisaurus ferox

Finally finished this painting after a year of sitting on it. I don't know why I do that.

Acrylic on a pantry board.

[i-give-you-a-fish]

You get a Longnose Lancetfish

Alepisaurus ferox

NO WAIT I DONT WANNA GO TO THE TIMELOOP

[ash3]

As alepisaurus

[baka-unico]

DEEP SEA FISH #1

Tripod fish, Bathypterois grallator

Pelican Eel,  Eurypharynx pelecanoides

Longnose lancetfish, Alepisaurus ferox

Deep sea fish are so fascinating, I love drawing them and learn about them so much :)

[metellastella]

For the LGBT+ Pride Month at DeviantArt (Or as I prefer, something like GSRM, "Gender, Sexuality, and Romantic Minorities" to include asexuals, aromantic spectrum, genderqueer people who don't ID as trans, etc.) I like that all the prompts for pride month on DA had a spiritual tilt. The dragon design is based on the reptile's parietal eye, which is a literal third eye on their heads that helps regulate wake and sleep cycles. It does not have vision, but it is photosensitive. The analogous structure in a human is our pineal gland in the middle of our brain. This dragon's scale pattern takes direct inspiration from this picture of an iguana with his "third eye": http://www.anapsid.org/images/parietal1.jpg All real animal species depicted here are hermaphroditic. Snails permanently, and these specific fish can switch. Read more about it here: https://reefbuilders.com/2014/11/13/sequential-hermaphrodites-protandrous-protogynous/# Top corners: Lubbock's Fairy Wrasse, i.e., Cirrhilabrus lubbocki http://en.microcosmaquariumexplorer.com/wiki/Lubbock%E2%80%99s_Fairy_Wrasse Yes, the ruddy fish are relatives to clownfish. Hybrids of them, in fact. Amphiprion ocellaris and Premnas biaculeatus http://www.advancedaquarist.com/2012/4/fish Scary lookin' carnivorous sailfish that have a dinosaur reminiscence: <i>Alepisaurus ferox</i> https://www.google.com/search?q=Alepisaurus%2Bferox&rlz=1CAACAG_enUS618US618&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwi_s_zklrDUAhUEej4KHVblBs0Q_AUICigB&biw=1093&bih=504#imgrc=mqAkqNB2zPujhM: Bottom corner: Whitetail Angelfish, i.e., <i> Centropyge fisheri</i> http://fishesofaustralia.net.au/home/species/2500 Snails: <i>Pomacea bridgesii</i> I wanted to include this guy, too, but ran out of room: https://www.google.com/search?q=Hypoplectrus+indigo&rlz=1CAACAG_enUS618US618&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwi07-GXgLDUAhUEHT4KHaIOACcQ_AUICigB&biw=1093&bih=504#imgrc=hkgc18OJ-FygSM:

[terrible-tentacle-theatre]

The Bestiary: Longnose Lancetfish

Disclaimer: While this article is founded in scientific fact, it contains hyberbole and conscious exaggerations for the sake of comedy. Do not take my ramblings at face value. You can find the sources at the end of the article and tools for scientific fact-checking under the “Learn more” link on my blog.

For millenia, writers, poets and musicians have stared out at the sea, at its wondrous greatness and the calming sight of its waves. Generations upon generations of artists have drawn inspiration from the haunting songs of whales, the beautifully coordinated dance of fish baitballs, or the ghostlike swarms of jellyfish. Roman poets, medieval artists and Victorian authors…

…so all in all I wouldn’t at all be surprised if some weird death metal band took inspiration from this goblin-looking motherfucker called the longnose lancetfish.

I mean seriously, it looks like the sailfish’s cousin in its “shut up mom” phase, and even its scientific name could pass for the name of a metal band.

*guitar solo complete with growling*

Despite the name, Alepisaurus ferox is not an abhorrent slimy monstrosity, but a- well, it is an abhorrent slimy monstrosity, but what I mean is that the “-saurus” suffix is non-indicative. This thing is not a reptile, in fact, reptiles would kick the bucket with superluminal speeds if they were to take up the lancetfish’s lifestyle. Instead, it is roughly what you would get if you took a sailfish, performed rhinoplasty on it, had it listen to “Crawling In My Skin” on loop for five days, then dump the results into the Indian Ocean.

Observe:

This edgy Naruto AMV in fish form may grow to upwards of 2 meters (7 feet), which means you could probably use it as a sleeping bag, should you want to sleep in a deep-sea carnivorous snake-fish for some fucked-up reason. It belongs to the order of Aulopiformes, sometimes called the grinners. True to this name, it sports the most shit-eating perma-grin in the animal world, and “shit-eating” is not entirely figurative in this case. These guys will eat almost anything they come across - cephalopods are their favorites (in which respect they are closely relatable to yours truly), but they will also eat various fishes, crustaceans, tunicates, salps, and even each other. That’s right, the longnose lancetfish is a habitual cannibal - if no other form of brunch presents itself, it will wolf down its own kind without hesitation. Given that it lives in depths of up to 1400 meters where no algae live and thus the food chain is rather poor, going full Kirby on its fellow lancetfishes’ asses is a quite common occurence in its life.

I don’t have any proof for this, but I like to imagine that they suck each other up like long, slimy spaghetti.

While they primarily terrorize the Indian Ocean with their presence, they are found in every subtropical region in the world. Not that it matters, since they prefer to hang out in the freeze-your-balls-off dusk zone a.k.a. the bathypelagic zone, about 1400-1500 meters deep, which is mostly uniformly cold, dark and boring everywhere in the world, subtropical region or not. That would be fine and dandy, if not for the fact that they migrate - and this is not some walk in the park. Some adult lancetfish haul ass from their subtropical habitat up to the Subantarctic - which is 5000 kilometers at least. They probably don’t have much to eat on these camping trips, either, considering that the waters they cross are warm blue water, which means they are poor as shit in food chains. And the reason they go? Food.They reproduce in the subtropical (they are hermaphrodites, by the way, I forgot to mention this), but feed in the subantarctic, where it’s colder e.g. the water is more oxygen-saturated and therefore can sustain more food chains.

These fuckers, instead of adapting to their food-poor environment like any sane fish would do, decided to take no shits from anybody and cross thousands of kilometers to feed instead. That’s some generic anime protagonist level determination and deserves serious respect. For being edgy bootleg sailfish knockoffs, they are definitely not to be messed with.

FUCK YOU IMMA LANCETFISH

Sources

Encyclopedia of Life (EOL)

FishBase (further references to scientific papers included)

International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN)

World Register of Marine Species (WoRMS)

Ocean Biogeographic Information System (OBIS)

Global Biotic Interactions (GloBI)

Wikipedia

[mbari-blog]

Ever seen a longnose lancetfish up close? #wellhereyougo⁠ ⁠

This longnose lancetfish, Alepisaurus ferox, was spotted at 1,235 meters (4,050 feet) in Monterey Bay with our remotely operated vehicle (ROV) Doc Ricketts. It was only our third observation of a lancetfish with MBARI ROVs, but surprised beach walkers often report deceased ones that wash up on our local shore. This open ocean swimmer can be found in all oceans except the polar seas and can grow to two meters (nearly seven feet) long.⁠