Toothed seadevil facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Toothed seadevil |
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The toothed seadevil (Neoceratias spinifer) is a very rare and unusual fish. It is also known as the spiny seadevil or netbeard seadevil. This amazing creature lives deep in the ocean, far below where sunlight reaches. It is a type of anglerfish. You can find it in the western central Pacific Ocean.
This fish is special because it doesn't have the usual "fishing rod" and "lure" that most anglerfish use. Instead, it has big, strange teeth on the outside of its mouth! It is the only fish in its family, called Neoceratidae.
What Does It Look Like?
Adult female toothed seadevils are long and thin. They can grow up to about 11 centimeters (4.3 inches) long. Their bodies are dark red-brown to black. They have smooth skin without scales.
Their mouth is very large and goes far past their small eyes. Inside their jaws, they have a row of short, straight teeth. These teeth are spaced far apart and do not move.
The most interesting part is on the outside of their jaws. They have pointy growths with 2 or 3 straight teeth on them. The longest of these teeth can be almost 15% of the fish's entire body length! Each of these teeth can bend at its base. They have strong muscles and a tiny hook at the end.
Unlike other deep-sea anglerfish, the toothed seadevil does not have a "fishing rod" (called an illicium) or a "lure" (called an esca). It also doesn't have the groove where the lure would normally rest. It has two noticeable bumps on its snout. It does not have regular nostrils or special smelling parts.
Male and baby toothed seadevils also have thin bodies. This is different from other deep-sea anglerfish. We only know about adult males from ones that are attached to females. The biggest male found was only 18 millimeters (0.7 inches) long. They are lighter in color than females and have skin that you can partly see through.
Male seadevils attach to the females using parts of their snout and lower jaw. Their body tissues and blood vessels join with the female's. Male seadevils do not have smelling organs, and their eyes are not fully developed. They are also covered with skin. Baby seadevils are 4 to 10 millimeters (0.16 to 0.4 inches) long. They have good smelling organs. You cannot tell the difference between male and female babies.
How It Lives
The toothed seadevil is a mystery! It doesn't have a glowing lure like other anglerfish. Its teeth are also very unusual. Scientists are not sure what it eats or how it catches its food.
Some scientists think its outside jaw teeth help it catch soft animals without backbones. These could be creatures like jellyfish or worms.
The males are fully parasitic. This means they live off the female. They use special teeth on their jaws to attach to the female. Once attached, their bodies and blood vessels connect with the female's. This allows the male to get all its food and nutrients from the female.
