Snaggletooth facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Snaggletooth |
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| Scientific classification | |
| Genus: |
Astronesthes
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| Species: |
niger
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The snaggletooth (Astronesthes niger) is a small, fascinating deep sea fish. It belongs to the family called Stomiidae, which includes many other deep-sea creatures. You can find this fish in the warm, tropical and subtropical parts of the Atlantic Ocean, including the Caribbean Sea and the Gulf of Mexico. It also lives in the Indian Ocean and the western Pacific Ocean. Snaggletooth fish usually swim very deep, sometimes as far down as 1,000 meters (about 3,300 feet) below the surface!
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What Does the Snaggletooth Look Like?
The snaggletooth fish is a thin, somewhat long, black fish. It has a really big mouth with teeth that look like fangs! On its chin, it has a long, special whisker-like part called a barbel. This barbel has a glowing knob at its end.
This fish can grow up to about 16 centimeters (about 6 inches) long. You can tell it apart from similar fish because its snout (nose area) isn't turned up. Also, its barbel is not super long, and the glowing part on the barbel is about one-third to one-half the length of the barbel itself.
Special Features
The snaggletooth has a dorsal fin (on its back) with 15 to 17 soft rays. This fin is located a little behind its pelvic fins (on its belly). It also has a small, fatty fin called a ventral adipose fin near its tail. The anal fin (underneath its body) has 12 to 15 soft rays.
One of the coolest things about the snaggletooth is its lights! It has two rows of special light-producing organs called photophores along each side of its body. It also has glowing patches near its eyes, above its nostrils, and a large glowing spot above its pectoral fins (the ones on its sides). These lights help it survive in the dark deep sea.
Where Does the Snaggletooth Live?
The snaggletooth fish lives in a part of the ocean called the mesopelagic zone. This zone is often called the "twilight zone" because only a little sunlight reaches it. It's found in tropical and subtropical areas of the Atlantic Ocean, including the Caribbean Sea and the Gulf of Mexico. It also lives in the western Pacific and Indian Oceans, even near Australia.
While it can live as deep as 1,000 meters, at night, many snaggletooth fish swim up closer to the surface, usually less than 100 meters deep.
What Does the Snaggletooth Eat?
The snaggletooth is a predator, which means it hunts and eats other animals. Its diet includes small crustaceans like krill and amphipods. It also eats other small fish, especially lanternfishes.
Nighttime Habits
Scientists have observed that the snaggletooth only swims up to the very top layer of the ocean when both the sun and the moon are completely hidden. This usually happens during certain times of the month, like when the moon is in its first or third quarter phase. It seems the fish needs some moonlight for its daily up-and-down movements in the water, but it avoids the surface when it's too bright.
Reproduction and Life Cycle
Not much is known about how the snaggletooth fish reproduces or how its young larvae develop. Scientists are still studying these mysterious deep-sea creatures to learn more about their lives.
