APRIL 2025 Chauliodus sloani Linnaeus, 1758 MBCN 26632
The Sloaner’s viperfish, is a pelagic fish from the Stomiidae family that lives in deep waters between 1,000 and 1,800 meters, although it has sometimes been observed at depths of up to 200 meters, where it feeds on other fish and crustaceans that, although generally small, can be as large as the fish itself. Its large fangs help it catch prey of various sizes.
Given its habitat, which is in almost complete darkness, this fish is bioluminescent, meaning it has the ability to generate light. This adaptation manifests in two ways. On one hand, it has a series of photophores, in the form of two rows of white spots along its belly, which it uses for camouflage. Due to the depths at which it lives, a small percentage of sunlight still reaches it. If a predator observes the gulper devil from below, it might see its shadow, but thanks to these photophores, the devil can blend in with the residual light that reaches it. On the other hand, beneath its eyes, it has two photophores that emit red light.
Since red is the first color to disappear underwater, many deep-sea animals are this color, making them almost invisible. Therefore, these red photophores act as a sort of “spotlight” that allows the gulper devil to detect prey of this color.
- Origin: Balearic Sea (Coasts of Sóller).
- Age: Present.
