Science & Tech · Science & Environment · 6 hrs ago
Rare footage shows a black swallower fish with a greatly distended stomach
A remotely operated vehicle filmed a black swallower fish 1,259 meters below the surface near Trinidad and Tobago.
The fish is usually about 10 to 20 centimeters long and is rarely seen in the wild.
It can swallow prey much larger than itself, helped by a jaw that can dislocate and a stomach that can stretch.
These adaptations help it make the most of scarce food in the deep sea.
In the footage, the fish's stomach is so stretched that its skin appears almost transparent.
Scientists cannot tell what it ate, and the fish remains poorly understood.
The rare sighting shows the fish alive in its natural habitat, but the mystery of its meal may remain unsolved.
A remotely operated vehicle filmed a rare black swallower fish with a greatly distended stomach at a depth of 1,259 meters off Trinidad and Tobago.
The fish was swimming in its natural habitat during a deep-sea dive near the islands.
Black swallowers can swallow prey up to ten times their own mass, using a dislocating jaw and a stomach that can stretch.
Scientists could not determine what the fish had eaten from the footage.
- Who
- A black swallower fish (Chiasmodon niger) was filmed by a remotely operated vehicle.
- What
- The footage showed the fish swimming with a greatly distended stomach.
- When
- During a recent deep-sea dive; the date is not stated.
- Where
- At a depth of 1,259 meters near Trinidad and Tobago.
- Why
- The fish’s stomach was distended after a meal, but what it ate is unknown.
This story does not have two clearly opposing sides.
I never imagined I'd get a second chance. But this expedition delivered BIG.
The mystery of what this little guy had for lunch may never be solved.
Diva Amon saw a black swallower fish in the Gulf of Mexico.
A remotely operated vehicle filmed a black swallower at 1,259 meters near Trinidad and Tobago.
- Species
- Black swallower (Chiasmodon niger)
- Depth
- 1,259 meters
- Location
- Near Trinidad and Tobago
- Typical length
- 10–20 centimeters on average
- Prey capacity
- Up to ten times the fish’s mass
Sources
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