Sorry for the late post! This week we are taking a brief look at an apex predator of the ocean floor: the Deepsea Lizardfish (Bathysaurus ferox).
The Deepsea lizardfish Bathysaurus ferox is one of two species of Deepsea lizardfishes in the family Bathysauridae. These fish dwell 600-3500 meters deep on the ocean floor where they perch with their heads raised, waiting for food to pass by. They have a slender body and a large bony head that resembles a lizard in shape, their mouths lined with rows of small needle-sharp teeth. Adults can reach over 28 inches (70 cm) in length and are pale gray to black in color. The Deepsea lizardfish's eyes are large, allowing it to detect bioluminescent light from prey in the complete darkness of the continental slope and abyss. They feed on almost anything they can catch including other lizardfish, decapod crustaceans, mollusks, and dead animals that fall to the ocean floor. Not much is known about B. ferox's reproductive habits, but it is known that they are simultaneous hermaphrodites, likely due to their sparse population density on the ocean floor.
Sources and further reading:
• https://fishesofaustralia.net.au/home/species/4005#moreinfo
• https://oceantoday.noaa.gov/creaturesofthedeep_bathysaurus/
• https://fishbase.mnhn.fr/summary/11841