Rare Deep Sea Fanged Lancetfish Surfaces In New Zealand

Fact checked

Local fishermen have blamed the appearance of the "cannibal fish" on El Nino

December 9, 2015 Edmondo Burr Sci/Environment 0
New Zealand
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A long-snouted lancetfish (Alepisaurus ferox), was found on a local beach in New Zealand last month.

The 1.5-meter cannibalistic hermaphrodite was found in shallow waters by New Zealanders Nik Pyselman and Cam Twigley, while out jogging on their local beach in New Plymouth.

The blue shaped long-snouted lancetfish normally occupies the deep waters offshore at a depth of a 1000 meters. Local fishermen have blamed the appearance of the Alepisaurus ferox (a nocturnal predator), on the Mega El Nino that is currently sweeping across the globe, and its aftermath.

Earth Touch News Network reports:

“It looked like it had been washed in and was struggling to swim back out to sea,” Pyselman told Taranaki Daily News. “I’ve heard of people catching them on long lines but I’ve never seen one myself.”

Known to fisherman as “cannibal fish” (thanks to an occasional appetite for their own kind), these deep-sea creatures are rarely seen and not much is known about them, though they are considered widespread across most of the world’s oceans. We also know that adolescent lancetfish are hermaphroditic, meaning they possess both male and female sex organs.

Alepisaurus ferox can grow to over two metres (6.5ft) in length. Add to that their prominent fangs and sail-like dorsal fins (and those cannibalistic habits), and you’ve got yourself one fearsomely impressive predator.

Locals hoping for their own sighting of the elusive lancetfish shouldn’t get their hopes up, though. A fisherman in the area says he’s yet to see one in his 20 years of work. “It could be the El Niño bringing in some unusual weather patterns … We’re starting to see a lot of deep-sea fish start to move in a bit closer.”

Edmondo Burr

BA Economics/Statistics
CEO
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